Scientific Sponsorship Statements
The Scientific Sponsorship Statement (SSS) is currently being used with UV data submissions, but may in time become a useful form of metadata for all data submissions. The SSS is a condensed scientific description of the origin, processing and quality of the data, including estimates of measurement uncertainty. The writer is typically a scientist responsible for making the measurements, but might be some other scientist who could fully describe the data. It is an ASCII file that is intended to be read by WOUDC staff and data users, not by computers. Thus, there are no format rules.
The SSS should include the following:
Instrument calibration information such as sources, frequency, stability, etc. Detailed data processing information about algorithms, data corrections, interpolation, and smoothing etc. along with estimation of measurement uncertainties. References to publications that describe instruments, observation program, error estimations and results. (The WOUDC will be grateful for receiving reprints or copies of these publications.) The conditions under which the originator permits use of the data would also be included.
A comprehensive list of sources of uncertainties and techniques for their estimation is provided in the WMO Guidelines for Site Quality Control of UV Monitoring [1]. The writer of the SSS is strongly encouraged to consult this QC document before starting his or her task. Another document that may be worth consulting is the WMO Guidelines on Instruments to Measure Solar Ultraviolet Radiation [2], which describes characteristics and categories of UV instruments. The SSS may include references to other ASCII files with data that are relevant to the SSS, e.g., instrument laser scans, instrument's filter characteristics, directional sensitivity scans, etc. These files will be stored in the same directory as the SSS file.
The QC document includes forms for the description of the site and the estimation of measurement uncertainty. Submitting these forms is not a requirement for data to be accepted by the WOUDC, but the forms can be very useful adjuncts to the SSS, even if only partially completed. As stated in the preface of the QC document, "In all cases it is better to have a little information than none at all." The WOUDC will post all relevant QC information with the corresponding data so it is easily available to users.
Links - UV
Links - Ozone
References
[1] WMO, Ann Webb ed.: "Guidelines for Site Quality Control of UV Radiation Measurements", Global Atmospheric Watch, WMO/GAW Report 126, 1998.
[2] WMO, Gunther Seckmeyer ed.:, "Guidelines for Instruments to Measure Solar Ultraviolet Radiation" Global Atmospheric Watch, WMO/GAW Report 1998.
