Space Physics Interactive Data Resource - SPIDR

Mikhail Zhizhin, Geophysical Center, Russian Acad. Sci., Russia

SPIDR (Space Physics Interactive Data Resource) is a de facto standard data source on solar-terrestrial physics, functioning within the framework of the ICSU World Data Centers. It is a distributed database and application server network, built to select, visualize and model historical space weather data distributed across the Internet. SPIDR can work as a fully-functional web-application (portal) or as a grid of web-services, providing functions for other applications to access its data holdings.

Currently SPIDR archives include solar activity and solar wind data, geomagnetic,  ionospheric, cosmic rays, radio-telescope ground observations, telemetry and images from NOAA, NASA, and DMSP satellites. SPIDR nodes are installed in the USA, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, South Africa, and India.

SPIDR portal combines central metadata repository with a set of distributed data web services, web map services, and replica sets of data files. A user can search metadata inventory, use persistent data basket to save the selection between the sessions, and plot or download the selected data in different formats, including XML and NetCDF. Database administrator can upload files into the SPIDR databases using either web services or web portal interface. SPIDR databases are self-synchronising.

SPIDR technology can be used for environmental data sharing, visualization and mining, not only in space physics, but also in seismology, GPS measurements, tsunami warning systems, etc. SPIDR services can be used as OGSA-DAI plugins. In the coming version it will be possible to build grid portals and to run the space weather models within grid infrastructure using SPIDR as embedded (meta)data web service.


Keywords: Data Archives, Quality, Protection, Metadata Registry, Web Services, Data Publishing, Sharing and Service,  e-Science and Grid, Space Physics, Remote Sensing, Environment