Glossary

Terms related to the data centre, including definitions about network operations centres and words and phrases about the storage, management and the transmission of data.

Agency

The WOUDC term for the contributing institute or organization responsible for the data submission to the WOUDC.

Agency acronym

The WOUDC abbreviation or short form for the institute or organization name.

Broadband UV

Measurements of UV-A, UV-B, or erythemally weighted UV radiation. This is a WOUDC defined data category. Refer to ultraviolet radiation.

Catalogue Service for the Web (CSW)

An Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard for defining interfaces to discover, browse, and query metadata about geospatial records.

Contributor

The institute or organization that obtains and submits the observation data to the WOUDC.

CSW

The abbreviation for Catalogue Service for the Web.

Data Category

WOUDC term for type of data. Current data categories for ozone are total column ozone, lidar, ozonesonde, Umkehr and ultraviolet radiation data categories are broadband, multiband and high resolution spectral.

Data Class

The WOUDC term for the type of observation data collection set. Current WOUDC data classes are ozone and solar ultraviolet radiation.

Data Level

Refers to the data product. Raw data are Level 0 and considered unchanged. Processed data are Level 1 while spectrally gridded data is Level 2, etc.

Data product

Refers to value-added products such as maps, statistical summaries (e.g. daily means), data gridded on wavelengths and bandwidths, time series analysis, etc.

Data Resolution

Refers to the frequency of data such as D = daily M = monthly.

Data Sponsorship Statement (DSS)

Refers to a condensed scientific description of the origin, processing and quality of the data, typically written by the scientist responsible for these data and submitted by the contributing agency (formerly called the Scientific Sponsorship Statement (SSS)).

Data Version

Data version specified by the submitting agency. These versions have the form major.minor (eg. 3.2).

Dobson Unit (DU)

A unit of measurement of atmospheric ozone columnar density, used as a measure of total column ozone, which is dominated by ozone in the stratospheric ozone layer.

DSS

The abbreviation for Data Sponsorship Statement.

Erythemal

The solar erythemal ultraviolet (UV) radiation which is defined by the integral over the UV wavelengths of the irradiance multiplied by the erythemal action spectrum (refer to carcinogenesis effectiveness).

extCSV

The abbreviation for the extended (ext) Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file format created by WOUDC as a data archive file format standard that supports the provision of comments and multi data content within individual files.

Extended Comma-Separated Value

Refer to extCSV.

File Format Version

The WOUDC term for the format of a data file. Data files of a given content will always contain the tables and fields specified by the WOUDC for that form. Refer to contributor registration form.

Form

The version of the WOUDC extCSV file format (represented by the form index). If the existing file structure is altered the form index will be increased.

GAW

The abbreviation for the Global Atmosphere Watch programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The GAW programme was established in 1991 to provide scientific data on the chemical composition of the atmosphere.

GAW ID

The abbreviation for the station identifier defined by the GAW programme of the WMO. This identifier is a three letter code and is used in the WOUDC extCSV formatted files.

GAW Name

The abbreviation for the GAW station (platform) name.

GAWSIS

The abbreviation for the GAW Station Information System.

Global Atmosphere Watch

Refer to GAW.

Height

Height (elevation) in metres above sea level (m.a.s.l.).

Instrument

The sensor or device used to measure / provide the data.

Instrument Manufacturer

The manufacturer or make of an instrument or sensor.

Instrument Model

the model identifier (ID) where applicable. For example, a typical Brewer spectrophotometer model is MKIII and an ECC sonde is 6A.

Instrument Serial Number

the serial number (S/N) for an instrument or sensor.

Instrument Type

The common name of the instrument or sensor. For example, the Brewer spectrophotometer is called the "Brewer" where as the Brewer-Mast ozonesonde is called the "Brewer-Mast."

ISO

The abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization.

Latitude

In signed decimal degrees (DD), with north positive and south negative.

Lidar

Abbreviated term for Light Detection and Ranging. This is a WOUDC defined category.

Location

The latitude, longitude and height of the data collection; typically the location of the station (platform) and instrument.

Longitude

In signed decimal degrees (DD), with east positive and west negative.

Metadata

Data about data. Additional spatial, temporal and instrument information for data within the WOUDC.

Multiband UV

Measured with several discrete, pass-band filters with nominal spectral resolution of 2-10 nm at FWHM. This is a WOUDC defined data category. Refer to ultraviolet radiation.

NDACC

Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change

Observation Time Period

The duration, usually one local or two days yielding a single profile.

OGC

The abbreviation for the Open Geospatial Consortium which serves as a global forum for the collaboration of geospatial data; they set the international standards and provide services that promote geospatial interoperability.

Open Geospatial Consortium

Refer to OGC.

Ozone

A special form of oxygen with the chemical formula O3. Ozone in the stratosphere absorbs some of the sun's biologically harmful ultraviolet radiation. Ozone is one of the current WOUDC data classes and includes these data categories: total column ozone (two levels: daily and hourly values), lidar vertical profiles, ozonesonde vertical profiles, and Umkehr (two levels: N-value and C-Umkehr) vertical profiles.

Ozonesonde

A balloon-borne, ozone instrument used to vertically profile the ozone amount in the atmosphere. This is a WOUDC defined data category. Refer to ozone.

Platform

Refer to Station.

Platform Type

Refer to Station Type.

Project

The name of the project (e.g. IONS, EUVB, Antarctica).

RDF

Resource Description Framework - A part of the SKOS Web Service standard from World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org).

Revision

An update to existing data. This may be a minor adjustment or a major re-write of the data.

SAG

The abbreviation for the WMO Scientific Advisory Group. WOUDC receives guidance from the WMO SAG for issues related to both ozone and solar ultraviolet radiation data.

Scientific Advisory Group

Refer to SAG.

Scientific Authority

The person responsible for the data quality.

Scientific Sponsorship Statement

Refer to Data Sponsorship Statement (DSS).

SHADOZ

The abbreviation for Southern Hemisphere ADditional Ozonesondes.

SHP

The abbreviation and designator for a WOUDC mobile station (platform) for shipborne data. Refer to station (platform) type.

SKOS

Simple Knowledge Organization System - A part of the Web Service standard from World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org).

S/N

The serial number of the instrument. Refer to instrument serial number.

Source Class

WOUDC's term for the source of the data e.g. NDACC, SHADOZ

Spectral UV

Radiation is measured in a continuous spectral band, with a resolution of less than or equal to 2 nm. This is a WOUDC defined data category. Refer to ultraviolet radiation.

Station

The station platform at which an observation is performed. The stations consist of stationary platforms (including towers) and mobile platforms (including ships).

Station Type

The abbreviation (short form) used to identify whether a station (platform) is stationary (STN) or on a ship (SHP).

STN

The abbreviation and designator for the WOUDC stationary or station (platform) data. Refer to station (platform) type.

Supporting Contributor

The institute or organization, other than the contributor, that technically or financially supports the observation.

Total Ozone

Total column ozone measurements. This is a WOUDC defined data category. Refer to ozone and also to Dobson Unit.

Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation

Often abbreviated to UV. Short-wave radiation (UV-B) is absorbed by the ozone layer, whereas long-wave UV (UV-A) passes through the ozone layer and reaches the ground. The WOUDC UV radiation data is in the UV-A and UV-B regions (290 to 400 nm) of the E-M spectrum. UV radiation is one of the WOUDC data classes and includes three data categories: broadband, multiband, and high resolution spectral.

UmkehrN14

For Umkehr measurements using 14 N-values (representing 14 solar zenith angles). This is a WOUDC defined data category. Refer to ozone.

UTC

The international abbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time. It is the standard time common to every place in the world. The WMO has adopted the UTC as the standard time for use in reporting all meteorological data.

UTCOffset

The signed amount of time subtracted from the local time in order to obtain UTC time (where east is positive and local time is defined by the data originator), represented in ISO-8601 time (hh).

UV Radiation

One of the WOUDC Data Classes. Example of WOUDC UV Radiation data are Multiband, Broadband and Spectral.

WDC

The abbreviation for the World Data Centres. WOUDC is one of six GAW WDCs that collect, document and archive atmospheric measurements and the associated metadata from stations worldwide and make these data freely available to the scientific community.

Web Accessible Folder (WAF)

The entire archive of contributed data files in Extended CSV format is made available at https://woudc.org/archive/ for users to browse, download or integrate into their workflows.

Web Feature Service (WFS)

A common interface to access geospatial data. Typical use of WFS includes custom query / raw access to geospatial features. The WOUDC WFS provides archive data in numerous formats, including Extended CSV, KML, CSV, GML, ESRI Shapefile, MapInfo, GeoJSON, and NetCDF.

Web Map Service (WMS)

A common interface to visualize geospatial data layers. Typical use of WMS includes simple visualization in web or desktop GIS applications via web friendly image formats such as PNG or JPEG.

WIS

The acronym for the WMO Information System which is responsible for the telecommunications and data management functions for weather, climate and water information to ensures adequate uniformity and standardization in the data, information and communications practices procedures and specifications employed among WMO members.

WMO

The abbreviation for the World Meteorological Organization. The WMO carries out its work through scientific and technical programmes such as the WOUDC.

WMO Information System

Refer to WIS.

WMO Regions

Six specific geographic portions of the globe defined by the WMO.

World Data Centres

Refer to WDC.

World Meteorological Organization

Refer to WMO.

World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre (WOUDC)

One of six WDCs which are part of the GAW programme of the WMO.

WOUDC

The abbreviation for the World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre.

WOUDC Platform ID

A number assigned by the WOUDC to uniquely identify each station (platform). Referred to as the WOUDC ID.