Tour the Major Features of GOSIC

Facilitating Access to Global Observing Systems Data and Information

GOSIC holds information on the workings of the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS, and GTOS) and the data and information they collect.

Features

GOSIC covers several aspects of the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS and GTOS) and its data and information. For example users can:

access data, products, and information in the centers that run the operational observing systems
search out data by variables of interest in the dataset registry
see overviews of the operational programs that collect the Global Observing Systems data
understand the numerous data management activities from the data flow diagrams
access planning and development information for each of the observing systems

Metrics

The global observing systems are comprised of GCOS, GOOS, and GTOS. Global Observing Systems data and information are managed in a highly distributed fashion. At present there are over 360 data sets registered in GOSIC spread across over 200 data centers and the observing systems are in an early stage of development.

These data are collected, processed, distributed, and disseminated by scientific and operational organizations that support a series of national and international programs including global operational systems, regional observing systems, science experiments, and pilot projects. GOSIC now has information on 75 separate programs or elements of the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS and GTOS). Programs usually involve several organizations, frequently 5 to 10 or more.

Navigation

One goal of GOSIC: provide easy access to the data and information without having to find it for themselves by navigating the several hundred complex and vastly different web sites of the myriad of organizations in the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS and GTOS).

This is achieved by using standardized data access and program overview pages that link to the relevant data and program pages in the web sites of the organizations.

GOSIC is supported and hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), and the U.S. GCOS Program on behalf of the global observing community.