Recommendations for a polar Earth science portal in the context of Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure

Abstract: In recent years, the Arctic has been one of the most dynamic environments on Earth. As a result, scientific inquiry into the region has produced a large amount of data, with future projections of the volume of data for the Arctic as well as the Antarctic expected to increase by an order of magnitude. On the receiving end of these data, a challenge remains as how to best manage, archive and distribute the scientific observations so that they may be easily studied, analyzed and modeled. Aim The aim of this study is to analyze infrastructure studies and standards development efforts for the Arctic environment in order to recommend a way forward for polar science data dissemination. Methodology In this study, a discussion will be presented on the development of scientific data standards for the Arctic. The methods for implementing infrastructure in the Arctic will be considered in relation to current trends and best practices in data management and cyberinfrastructure. Relevant publications, feedback from researchers who use the data, and workshop documents resulting from discussions about science data management will be used as the information upon which to base these recommendations. The needs, goals and trends of the science community as a whole will be considered in order to propose a way forward. Results Developing a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) specific to the Arctic will allow for seamless sharing of heterogeneous data. Also, this study found that the unique aspects of mapping at the polar regions point the way to implementing a method of science data dissemination via a scientific data portal specific to both the north and south polar regions.