1. Adoption of AusCover data standards and systems
to improve access to national climate data
Ian Grant13, Paul Loto’aniu13, Matt Paget23, Martin Schweitzer1
1
Bureau of Meteorology
2
CSIRO
3
AusCover Facility
Presentation by Ian Grant, Bureau of Meteorology

2. Daily meteorological grids
• Produced by Bureau of Meteorology
• “AWAP” grids (Australian Water Availability Project)
• Point observations interpolated to 0.05° grid

3. AWAP grids
Daily
• Rainfall
• Temperature (min, max)
• Vapour pressure (9am, 3pm)
• Solar radiation (satellite)

4. AWAP grid delivery
Distribution by BoM Climate Data Services
• Single-day GIF images & Grid ascii files via BoM web
• Bulk data requests via email
• Ascii file has minimal metadata

5. AWAP grid delivery
AusCover distribution
• netCDF
• Extensive in-file metadata
• THREDDS server

6. netCDF format
netCDF format
• Scientific gridded data
• Self describing
• Multiple variables in one file

7. netCDF metadata
• Developed for AusCover
• Looked at standards
 CF, ACDD, ANZLIC
• CF compliant

8. AusCover netCDF metadata
recommendations

9. BoM AusCover THREDDS server

10. AWAP grid delivery
AusCover at BoM
• Developed software to
 Convert Ascii grids to netCDF
 Add metadata
• Converted historical data
• Established ongoing updates
BoM research centre
• Runs research grade THREDDS sever

11. Adoption by BoM Climate Services
Problem
• BoM CS needs to operationally generate AWAP netCDF
files to support water balance modelling system imported
from CSIRO
Solution
• Incorporate AusCover developed software into BoM
operational systems
Benefits
• Streamlines a clunky research data flow for operations
• Adopting AusCover work lessened BoM effort to take over
operational running of CSIRO research modelling system
• Brings netCDF metadata to CS products

12. TERN impact
• TERN has served as a catalyst (motivation, resourcing) bringing together
Australia’s experts in the management of research data to identify and
implement the newest data delivery technologies
• Standards and data management tools developed by research facilities
such as TERN can be adopted by Australian Government (and other)
agencies to more easily improve their operational data delivery services
• Beneficial to have people from operational agencies embedded in
research infrastructure teams
• Gives agencies exposure and experience with cutting edge technologies
• Incubates a national operational service to that is able to potentially continue
the research infrastructure