SOLVE Data Exchange Protocol

LETTER AGREEMENT Regarding Data Exchange
for NASA SOLVE and the EC THESEO-2000 Field Campaigns

  1. BACKGROUND

    NASA is sponsoring a major experimental field campaign in winter of 1999-2000, called the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). The SOLVE campaign will use the NASA DC-8 and ER-2 aircraft with 4 heavy lift balloon launches deployed in Kiruna, Sweden to investigate the processes which control ozone levels in the polar regions.

    THESEO 2000 (Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone - 2000) is a pan-European activity consisting of THESEO projects funded in the EC's Environment programmes (in both the 4th and 5th Framework programmes) and a number of projects funded through the national programmes in Europe. It encompasses measurements from aircraft, balloons, ozonesondes, ground-based station and satellites. Collaboration between scientists in the two campaigns and sharing of data from them will greatly enhance the productivity of both.

  2. DATA EXCHANGE OBJECTIVES

    NASA and the THESEO-2000 partners seek to establish a comprehensive data set of upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric trace gases and meteorological data in the northern polar regions, including latitudinal gradients across the polar vortex. They will perform flights to evaluate:

     

    1. the morphology of gases in the polar vortex,
    2. the temporal evolution over the season of ozone and other trace gases (e.g., ozone losses),
    3. the behavior and properties of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs),
    4. the impact of these PSCs on reactive and reservoir species, and
    5. the effect of halogen chemistry on ozone over northern mid-latitudes. These observations will be used along with models to determine those processes which control stratospheric ozone levels.

    The purpose of this data protocol is to:

     

    1. encourage an orderly and timely analysis and publication of SOLVE and THESEO-2000 data;
    2. produce a central repository of data to be released to the public domain; and
    3. foster future collaboration in this area.

     

  3. DATA EXCHANGE PROTOCOL

    The SOLVE/THESEO-2000 Science Team (ST) is composed of selected principal investigators (PIs), project scientists, and project meteorologists. Program and Project managers are ex-officio members of the ST. Science Team members are listed at the end of this document.
    The main ST responsibilities are:

     

      1. experimental investigation,
      2. modeling and analysis of data, and
      3. publication and presentation of results.

     

     

    1. All measurements and/or data products acquired or developed as part of the November 1999 - April 2000 SOLVE and THESEO-2000 missions will be submitted to central archives in accordance with the format specified in "FORMAT SPECIFICATION FOR DATA EXCHANGE", by Steven E. Gaines and R. Stephen Hipskind, Version 1.3, 18 June 1998 (Available on the SOLVE Webpage, http://cloud1.arc.nasa.gov/solve/ under the data archive section). All members of the ST will have free access to and use of all final data products at all times. SOLVE scientists will submit data to the NASA data archive located at this same SOLVE web site. THESEO-2000 scientists will submit their data to the NADIR data archive at NILU. The responsible personnel at NASA and NILU will make sure that a mirror routine is established so that both archives contain an up-to-date collection of data.

       

       

    2. The rapid exchange of data assists in-field collaborations, identifies instrument problems via intercomparisons, and helps flight planning by identifying new and interesting geophysical problems. Data acquired during the field deployments will be electronically exchanged after each flight and will constitute a preliminary archive. All measurement latitudes, longitudes, and pressures or altitudes will be submitted to the archive within 24 hours of a flight. ER-2 and ozonesonde data will be submitted to the archive within 24 hours of landing, other airborne platform data will be submitted within 48 hours of landing. Ground will be submitted within 7 days, while balloon data will be submitted withing 7 days of payload recovery. Some exceptions for unique operation will granted on a case-by-case basis by both project management groups. Non-electronic exchange will also be dealt with on a case-by-case basis subject to the approval of both project management groups.

       

       

    3. The final data archive will be created within 5 months after the completion of the SOLVE and THESEO-2000 II deployments, prior to the first science team meeting. The Data sets will be freely available to all SOLVE/THESEO-2000 science team members from the archive. Data cannot be provided to persons outside of the SOLVE/THESEO-2000 science teams without the expressed approval of that data set's PI. All of the data is freely available after the publc release of those data.

       

       

    4. A joint SOLVE/THESEO-2000 data workshop is tentatively scheduled for late-September 2000, after the completion of the deployments. An aim of this workshop will be to generate a collegial usage of the data, exchange ideas, and to define the nature of publications to follow from this joint campaign.

       

       

    5. First publication of results from the SOLVE and THESEO-2000 II missions will probably be via a special issue (e.g., Journal of Geophysical Research). Manuscripts will be submitted for publication within 12 months after the completion of the field deployments. PIs/Co-Is responsible for generating a measurement or a data product must be offered the right of co-authorship. This right should be used only if the contribution is essential.

       

       

    6. Individual exceptions to the publication process may be granted by a committee of scientists. This committee will be comprised of 9 members: 4 appointments by Dr. Michael Kurylo, 4 appointments by Dr. Georgios Amanatidis, and a ninth member jointly agreed upon person. Presentations in public meetings may be made subject to approval by the co-authors. In general descriptions of the whole project, the SOLVE and THESEO-2000 teams will note that this programme is a coordinated action of NASA and European funded projects. Major press releases on findings from the joint measurements will be agreed upon between the SOLVE and THESEO-2000 coordinators.

       

     

  4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTIES

     

     

    1. NASA will be responsible for all operations of the DC-8, ER-2, and OMS payloads and the investigators within SOLVE. NASA (Ames Research Center) will provide the computer hardware and software to contain and maintain the central data archive of SOLVE, and a mirror image of the THESEO-2000 data archive. NASA project and mission managers will assure that individual SOLVE science team members adhere to the terms and conditions of this agreement to the best of their abilities.

       

       

    2. The THESEO-2000 Core Group is responsible for the overall direction of the THESEO-2000 campaign and the investigators within THESEO-2000 II. NILU will maintain maintain the central data archive of THESEO-2000, and a mirror image of the SOLVE data archive. THESEO-2000 project and mission managers will assure that individual THESEO-2000 II science team members adhere to the terms and conditions of this agreement to the best of their abilities.

       

     

  5. SCHEDULE

    The data exchange activity is expected to last 2 years. The flight program will be during the winter of 1999-2000, while the second half of the year will include data analysis and preparation of publications.

     

      • Nov. 1999 - Mar. 2000 SOLVE and THESEO-2000 II flight deployments.
      • July 15, 2000 Final data submission to archive.
      • August 2000 Joint science team meeting.

     

  6. TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES

    Dr. Michael Kurylo of the NASA will oversee the SOLVE data exchange. Dr. Georgios Amanatidis of the European Commission will oversee THESEO-2000 II data exchange.

  7. Science Team members:

     

    1. SOLVE

      The SOLVE science team is detailed on the SOLVE web page http://cloud1.arc.nasa.gov/solve/ for the ER-2, DC-8, OMS, ground, theory groups, and program management.

       

    2. THESEO-2000

      The THESEO-2000 science team is detailed on the THESEO-2000 web page.

 

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