BALTEX Phase II 2003 – 2012. Science Framework and ...

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BALTEX Phase II Science Framework and Implementation Strategy
8. BALTEX Data Management
8.1. BALTEX Data Centres
Data relevant to BALTEX cover a wide range of disciplines, data types, periods, geographical extent,
frequency and spatial resolution. The BALTEX programme has established an internal infrastructure
in the form of dedicated BALTEX Data Centres for specific types of data. Several of these archives
contain unique data sets with unprecedented features. This infrastructure will be maintained for
BALTEX Phase II. With the extended objectives of BALTEX Phase II in mind requirements in this
context are likely to increase compared to Phase I. Additional data types will be dealt with and may
define the need for additional centres and data centre functions. With upcoming grid data projects the
role of the data centres may increase tremendously. There is a special need that BALTEX Data
Centres be involved and cooperate with data grid projects. In this context connections between
BALTEX Data Centres and WDCs (World Data Centres) such as GRDC (Global Runoff Data Centre)
and GPCC (Global Precipitation Climatology Centre) will have to be further elaborated and exploited.
At present, the following four major BALTEX Data Centres are in operation:
i) BALTEX Meteorological Data Centre (BMDC), operated by the group Model and Data (a service
group for Germany administered by the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg,
Germany);
ii) BALTEX Hydrological Data Centre (BHDC), operated by the Swedish Meteorological and
Hydrological Institute (SMHI) in Norrköping, Sweden,
iii) BALTEX RADAR Data Centre (BRDC), operated by SMHI, Norrköping, Sweden,
iv) Oceanographic Data Centre for BALTEX (ODCB), operated by SMHI, Vastra Frolunda/
Göteborg, Sweden.
8.2. Specific Data Needs for BALTEX Phase II
As specified in Chapters 1 to 4, there are specific data requirements for BALTEX Phase II. These go
beyond the data needs of the first phase of BALTEX and are mostly not covered by the data centres
yet. Overall there is a need to extend standard observations of atmospheric, oceanographic and
hydrological parameters for longer term and detailed area coverage for extended application in climate
research. In the following the specific data needs of Chapter 1 to 4 are shortly listed. Apart from the
listed ones satellite data are especially important for BALTEX Phase II. The needs for this type of data
are summarized in Chapter 8.3.
“Better understanding of the energy and water cycles” (Chapter 1) requires:
• Long-term and more detailed measurements of solid precipitation, snow accumulation and
melting on the ground.