11.1 Recent Developments in TEMS
Prof. Gosz described the recent developments in TEMS:
As per TOPC-IV recommendations, the original TEMS database was frozen. The approximately 45 GTN-E sites currently involved in the NPP/NEP demonstration project were incorporated into the next version of TEMS. This version is based on a web page format, and contains the description of the sites as well as links to the web pages of the individual GTN-E sites. It also allows the location of a site to be displayed on a raster map (such as land cover), along with zoom capability etc.
The current version is not interactive and does not offer a search capability among the sites based on user-specified criteria.
Meeting participants commended GTN-E for the progress in the development of the database. They emphasised the importance of this mechanism for communication among the sites as well as among the space and ground-based components of the global observing systems.
Several further enhancements were considered as essential for the next phase of development, and to facilitate a successful execution of the demonstration projects. They are listed below in the recommendations.
Recommendation 11.1: Regarding the next steps in the development of TEMS, TOPC recommends that:
all sites that are participating in GTOS be added to GT-Net database (including national networks in ILTER, Central & Eastern Europe Regional Network, GTN-P, GTN-G, Fluxnet, South & Eastern Africa Regional Network, and NoLimits);
the sites participating in the NPP/NEP, GOFC, GLIMS, and other demonstration projects as they develop, be flagged in the database;
in collaboration with WMO (Dr Donald Hinsman), GOSIC (Dr Ron Wilson) and GOSSP (Dr Francis Bretherton), the necessary steps be taken to link TEMS with the WMO database of observation requirements and capabilities, thus enabling comprehensive overviews and analyses of requirements vs. capabilities (space- and ground-based);
a template of all GTOS variables be added (as they are confirmed), and variables for which sites have data be identified in the database;
a search capability (initially central server-based) be developed to sort by GTOS variable(s), network, etc.;
an interactive plotting capability be developed to map sites selected in a search, which will complement (or be an option to) the list of sites identified in any given search;
additional resources be identified to facilitate the above changes.
