ÓPTICA PURA Y APLICADA – Vol. 37, núm. 3, - 2004
AERONET Web Data Access and Relational Database
David Giles(1,2)
1. 1 Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), Lanham, MD, USA
2. 2 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
PRESENTATION
ABSTRACT:
This presentation describes the design, capability, and delivery of data from the AERONET web site. In early 2004, the web site was redesigned to improve readability and content in addition to meeting NASA web site protocols. The AERONET data display interface provides aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and water vapor data including site information and related added-value products (e.g., MODIS imagery, back trajectory analyses). The download tool provides access to several AERONET products including various levels of AOT and retrievals of atmospheric optical properties. The web site also provides climatology maps and data tables of Level 2.0 AOT and 440-870nm Ángstrom parameter. The presentation further describes how the new AERONET relational database has been used in operational activities and provides examples that show how this database has been integrated into the existing web site. The AERONET relational database will also provide a mechanism to track instrument information from remote calibration facilities.
Key words: AERONET data, database, download tool, climatology, relational database.
AERONET Web Data Access
AERONET Web Data Access
and Relational Database
and Relational Database
David Giles
David Giles
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
AERONET Web Site
AERONET Web Site
!
!
Adheres to One NASA
Adheres to One NASA
Portal format
Portal format
!
!
Redesigned static and
Redesigned static and
dynamic web pages
dynamic web pages
!
!
Updated content and
Updated content and
web links
web links
!
!
Complies with US
Complies with US
accessibility
accessibility
standards
standards
! !http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov
http://
aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov
Overview
Overview
!
!
AERONET Data Access
AERONET Data Access
!
Overview
Overview
!
!
AERONET Data Access
AERONET Data Access
!
!
Database Design
Database Design
!
!
Data Interface and Download Tool
Data Interface and Download Tool
!
!
Level 2.0 Climatology
Level 2.0 Climatology
!
Database Design: Acquisition
Database Design: Acquisition
Measurements and
Transmission
Relay Transmission
to Receiving Station
Transfer Data via
Internet
Download and Transfer
Data via Internet
AERONET
Server
Main Database
“Demonstrat”
Web Database
• Processed Hourly
• Stored in binary format
(Raw and Processed)
• Indexed Hourly
•Transferred hourly
•Stored in text format
(Raw and Processed)
•Indexed hourly
• Converts satellite data into raw data
files
• Calculates AOT and sky retrievals data
using solar and radiance calibration data
• Scans database files
Processing Software
• Converts binary files to text files
• Combines sky retrieval data into single
files
• Scans database files
Processing Software
Database Design: Processing
Display Interface
Display Interface
!
!
Time Selection
Time Selection
!
!
Site Selection
Site Selection
!
!
Map Interface
Map Interface
!
!
Text Interface
Text Interface
!
!
Additional Options
Additional Options
!
!
Site Type
Site Type
AOT Level
Display Interface
Display Interface
!
!
Time Selection Menu
Time Selection Menu
!
!
Display Aerosol Optical
Display Aerosol Optical
Depth Plots
Depth Plots
!
!
Direct Data Download
Direct Data Download
Links
Links
!
!
Additional Data Products
Additional Data Products
!
!
Almucantar Retrieval
Almucantar Retrieval
Products (AERONET)
Products (AERONET)
!
!
Satellite Images
Satellite Images
(AQUA/TERRA
(AQUA/TERRA-
-MODIS,
MODIS,
GOES)
GOES)
!
!
MPLNET
MPLNET
!
!
!
Geographical Site
Geographical Site
Selection
Selection
!
!
Map
Map
!
!
Region,
Region,
Country/State, and
Country/State, and
AERONET Site
AERONET Site
Download Tool
Download Tool
Download Tool
Download Tool
!
!
Time Selection
Time Selection
!
!
AOT Products
AOT Products
!
!
Levels 1.0, 1.5, 2.0
Levels 1.0, 1.5, 2.0
!
!
Instrument number and
Instrument number and
wavelength information
wavelength information
!
!
Raw Radiance Data
Raw Radiance Data
with calibration applied
with calibration applied
!
!
Almucantar, Principal
Almucantar, Principal
Plane (Polar), BRDF
Plane (Polar), BRDF
!
!
Nakajima Almucantar
Nakajima Almucantar
Retrievals
Retrievals
!
Download Tool
Download Tool
!
!
Almucantar
Almucantar
Retrievals (Dubovik)
Retrievals (Dubovik)
!
!
Spherical, Spheroid
Spherical, Spheroid
!
!
Default Option
Default Option
!
!
Advanced
Advanced
Parameters
Parameters
!
!
Data Type Formats
Data Type Formats
!
!
All Points
All Points
!
!
Daily and Monthly
Daily and Monthly
Averages
Averages
Download Tool
Download Tool
!
!
Wait for Data
Wait for Data
Processing
Processing
!
!
Select “Accept” to
Select “Accept” to
download “zip”
download “zip”
file
file
Level 2.0 Climatology
Level 2.0 Climatology
!
!
Daily Average
Daily Average
and Weighted
and Weighted
Average
Average
!
!
Monthly
Monthly
!
!
Multi
Multi
-
-
Year
Year
Monthly
Monthly
!
Level 2.0 Climatology
Level 2.0 Climatology
Data Access:
Data Access:
Summary
Summary
!
!
Update main database hourly; transfer full
Update main database hourly; transfer full
database weekly
database weekly
!
!
Provide visualization of AOT and other
Provide visualization of AOT and other
related products
related products
!
!
Access to download all available AERONET
Access to download all available AERONET
products
products
Data Access:
Data Access:
Future Work
Future Work
!
!
Modify web database software to
Modify web database software to
accommodate new AERONET retrieval
accommodate new AERONET retrieval
products
products
!
!
Integrate AERONET web site into
Integrate AERONET web site into
BAMGOMAS
BAMGOMAS
!
!
Develop climatology of retrieval products
Develop climatology of retrieval products
!
Data Access:
Data Access:
Future Work
Future Work
!
!
Possible multi
Possible multi
-site download tool based on
-
site download tool based on
a geographic and text interface
a geographic and text interface
!
!
Possible
Possible
radiative
radiative
forcing AERONET
forcing AERONET
product
product
Overview
Overview
!
!
AERONET Data Access
AERONET Data Access
!
!
Relational Database
Relational Database
!
!
Background
Background
!
!
Design
Design
!
!
Example
Example
Filemaker
Filemaker
Pro:
Pro:
A Relational Database
A Relational Database
!
!
Filemaker
Filemaker
Pro (
Pro (
FMPro
FMPro
) 6 Unlimited
) 6 Unlimited
!
!
Provides dependable data storage
Provides dependable data storage
!
!
Interlinks databases to allow customizable
Interlinks databases to allow customizable
data reports and forms
data reports and forms
!
Background:
Background:
User Interface
User Interface
!
!
Supported Platforms
Supported Platforms
!
!
PC (Preferred)
PC (Preferred)
!
!
Mac
Mac
!
!
Unix
Unix
!
!
Web Accessible
Web Accessible
!
!
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
(Preferred)
(Preferred)
!
!
Netscape
Netscape
!
!
Mozilla
Mozilla
!
Background:
Background:
User Privileges
User Privileges
!
!
Browse
Browse
Records
Records
!
!
Add/Modify/
Add/Modify/
Delete
Delete
Records
Records
!
!
Password
Password
Controlled
Controlled
!
!
Search
Search
Design
Design
Aeronet Server
FileMaker Server
FTP
Updated hourly
PC
UNIX
User Input
Updated instantly
HTTP
WEB
Design
Design
!
!
Database Links
Database Links
!
!
Internal
Internal
!
!
External
External
!
Design
Design
External Relational
Links from AERONET
Database
Internal
Relational
Links
Master Database
Instrument Locations Location DataAERONET
Locations
AERONET
Intercalibration
Data
AERONET
Inventory
Instrument
Status
Database
Contact
Data
Example:
Example:
Instrument Status Database
Example:
Example:
Instrument Status Database
Relational Database:
Relational Database:
Summary
Summary
!
!
Provides reliable monitoring, storage, and
Provides reliable monitoring, storage, and
tracking of operational activities, inventory, and
tracking of operational activities, inventory, and
contact information
contact information
!
!
Improves accuracy and timeliness of AERONET
Improves accuracy and timeliness of AERONET
web site metadata
web site metadata
!
!
Allows user interactivity from multiple platforms,
Allows user interactivity from multiple platforms,
web browsers, and locations
Relational Database:
Relational Database:
Future Work
Future Work
!
!
Continue to integrate
Continue to integrate
FMPro
FMPro
with
with
AERONET database and web site
AERONET database and web site
!
!
Transfer legacy Excel intercalibration data
Transfer legacy Excel intercalibration data
to
to
FMPro
FMPro
!
!
Integrate additional calibration facilities
Integrate additional calibration facilities
(e.g., Spain, Australia, Canada, China)
(e.g., Spain, Australia, Canada, China)
