|
|
| Data & Information | Education | News & Features | Products & Store | Search NGDC | |||||
Integrated Preciptable Water and Total Electron Content
|
Concluding Remarks The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), having a rich history of data management and dissemination to the world scientific community, will host the database for the Africa Global Positioning Network. The NGDC will serve as a single point for data collection and provide a system for real time and retrospective users to view and retrieve data through the Space Physics Interactive Data Resource (SPIDR). The NOAA mission in Africa is to promote science education and research.
The Africa GPS network is intended to disseminate data in a way that is convenient for a wide range of research communities. Our intention is to provide a single point for all GPS data needs. This project is funded by the International Heliophysics Year and is part of the IHY Africa effort that is designed to promote science education and infrastructure development in African nations. This effort is intended to emphasize space sciences while providing a useful tool to all communities that use GPS reference data.
This project got underway with a strong push as the data providers and database managers met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the IHY-Africa workshop in November 2007. A preliminary target date for bringing the database online is sometime near the end of 2008, with the worldwide SPIDR data feed operational near the end of 2009.
Conclusions and Challenges -The Africa GPS network will serve a wide range of research communities.
-Difficulties are expected to arise from widespread lack of internet access, lack of infrastructure development over most of the continent, and political distress in many areas.
-Leveraging the economic benefits of GPS technology to encourage participation of local governments is critical for long term stability of the network.
-Cooperation between data providers will be encouraged through an effective data management policy governed by the NGDC.
-Much work needs to be done to make this a robust and useful database.
|
||||||||
| New to NGDC? | Contacts | International Programs | Send Comments | Site Map |