The CDAWeb data service (at http://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov) offers graphic, listing, subsetting and data computation services for a continuously increasing database of current and past Sun-Earth-Connections mission and ground-based data. As a coimplement to the CDAWeb data service, we are now also making the publicly-released subset of the underlying database directly accessible as an anonymous FTP service (accessible at ftp://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov). All data available from the FTP service are also available from CDAWeb itself; the major advantage of the FTP service is support for functions like "mget."
The following text describes the layout and summary contents of the CDAWeb database. This file is available as:
http://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/cdaweb_anonymous.htm (html format) and ftp://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/aareadme_cdaweb_anonymousftp (text format).
The CDAWeb database is almost completely composed of data in the Common Data Format (CDF) following guidelines of the Interntional Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP; please see http://istp.gsfc.nasa.gov) project and the InterAgency Consultative Group (IACG; please see http://www.iacg.org) of major international space agencies. Information about "Space Physics Use of CDF" under these guidelines including links to downloadable tools may be found as a direct link from the home page of the Space Physics Data Faciltiy (at http://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov). This database complements data for many of these missions held by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). Please see the NSSDC home page (at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov) or the NSSDC Heliophysics home page (at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/) for a more complete description of all data available at NSSDC.
The main CDAWeb data holdings are found under the directories
pub/istp
Other top level directories are used for test and other purposes and will not be of general user interest.
Data holdings under the main pub/istp directory are grouped by missions/mission-groups or under the names of ground-based experiments. The major CDAWeb directories under pub/istp for mission data (February 2000) are:
ace
cluster (future, summary parameters only)
de
equator-s (summary parameters only)
fast
geotail
goes (multiple spacecraft)
image (future)
imp8
interball (with tail and aurora subdirectories)
isis1
isis2
lanl (multiple geosychronous spacecraft)
polar
sampex
soho
ulysses
wind
The major CDAWeb directories under pub/istp for ground-based data (February 2000) are:
FinnishMeteorInst
canopus
darn
sesame
sondestrom
stelab
The cdaw9 directory contains a very limited subset of CDAW9 data but is presently being upgraded to include the majority of that PROMIS-era database.
Within each mission or ground-based directory, there are data subdirectories by dataset from that mission. Within each ground-based directory, there are subdirectories by dataset from that set of instruments.
Subdirectory names with only instrument acronyms are typically "Key Parameters" or other survey, summary or browse data. Directory names with explicit K1, K2 etc are also Key Parameters. Names with e.g H0, H1 are typically higher-resolution and/or more definitive data. Dataset directories are typically subdivided by year.
Within each dataset directory there are subdirectories containing the actual data files, typically grouped by year. Most data files follow the ISTP naming conventions; i.e.
2 character unique mission identification (e.g. WI for Wind)2 character data type identifier (e.g. K0, K1 etc for Key Parameters)
2-4 character instrument identifier (e.g. 3DP for the Wind 3-Dimensional Plasma experiment)
Date identifier (typically in the form yyyymmdd)
(File) version number identifier (Vnn)
Extension identifying the data type (e.g. .cdf, .mpg)
resulting in file names like WI_K0_3DP_19990430_V01.cdf. A few datasets such as ISIS follow an alternative ordering to construct the file names (e.g. ...)
The CDAWeb anonymous FTP service operates complementary to the full CDAWeb service and other web-based information posted by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). The FTP directory and file name acronyms can be cryptic: users should exercise the full-service CDAWeb interface (http://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov) to access additional text descriptions of the overall content and specific variables contained in each individual dataset. Extensive information and references on missions, instruments and other data held at NSSDC is available from the NSSDC's space physics page at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/
The full-service interface also supports FTP-like file transfers (both of CDF binary files and computed ASCII files). Users who want a few files from one or many datasets will probably find superior functionality in the CDAWeb interface. Users who want many CDF files from a single dataset or from each of multiple datasets will probably find this anonymous FTP access most functional.
As noted above, datasets with datatype identifiers K0, K1, SP in their file names are Key Parameters or Summary Parameters primarily intended for browse use. Many of these datasets are actually now classified as "citable with caution" by their projects but the best procedure is always to consult the relevant PI or data provider to confirm the the data is being correctly used and interpreted. Datasets noted as H0, H1 are generally higher-resolution and more definitive data, but the same cautionary note as above is still recommended. Users should be conscious that in supplying higher resolution (time and/or parameter-space) data, the ability of PIs to fully filter the data against all insrument and other effects is finite.
Where data obtained from CDAWeb are eventually part of the process leading to presentation and/or publication results (even where the CDAWeb data were used primarily as browse products), please acknowledge the role of the relevant PI and/or data provider and the role of CDAWeb in enabling the publication. We also request informational notice when CDAWeb data have been used be sent to CDAWeb and the Space Physics Data Facility at cdaweb@cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov . Our ability to show specific evidence of the use and utility of these services to the NASA space science community is critical to justifying NASA's continued support of these services.
The following is reasonably descriptive of existing directories as of July 1st, 1999. Additional data may nonetheless be recently installed and visible to the CDAWeb web services that are also FTP accessible but are not yet specifically updated in this description.
pub/istp/ace/mfi/
mfi_k1/
mfi_k2/
sis/
swe/
swe_k1/de/
sai/equator-s/
sp/3da/
sp/aux/
sp/edi/
sp/epi/
sp/esi/
sp/mam/
sp/pcd/
sp/sfd/fast/
acf/
dcf/
ees/
ies/
tms/geotail/
cpi/
cpi_h0/
cpi_h1/
cpi_h2/
cpi_h3/
def_at/
def_or/
efd/
epi/
lep/
mgf/
mgf_h0/
pre_at/
pre_or/
pwi/
spha/goes/
0_ep8/
0_mag/
6_eps/
6_mag/
7_eps/
7_mag/
8_ep8/
8_mag/
9_ep8/
9_mag/imp8/
gme_h0/
mag/
pla/interball/
interball/aurora/enf/
epi/
icd/
mfi/
orbit/interball/ground/
geo_index/interball/tail/
cor/
ele/
epi/
icd/
mfi/
orbit/
sca1_h0/
sca1_h1/
vdp/isis1/
qui/isis2/
adl/
bur/
ker/
kru/
lau/
odg/
orr/
ott/
qui/
res/
syo/lanl/
89_h0_mpa/
89_mpa/
89_spa/
90_h0_mpa/
90_mpa/
90_spa/
91_h0_mpa/
91_mpa/
91_spa/
94_h0_mpa/
94_mpa/
94_spa/
97_h0_mpa/
97_mpa/polar/
cammice/
ceppad/
def_at/
def_or/
def_pa/
efi/
hydra/
mfe/
pixie/
pre_at/
pre_or/
pwi/
pwi_h1/
spha/
tide/
tide_h0/
timas/
timas_h0/
uvi/
uvi_h0/
uvi_h1/
vis/
vis_ej/
vis_k1/sampex/
30f/
pof/soho/
cels/
cost/
def_at/
def_or/
erne/
pre_or/ulysses/
at1/
at2/
epac_m1/
het/
hft/
ket/
let/
lf15_m1/
lf60_m1/
lm12_m1/
lm30_m1/
lmde_m1/
m1_lm30/
m1_wrdt/
pfra_m0/
pfrp_m0/
r144_m0/
rara_m0/
rarp_m0/
wart_m1/
wfba_m0/
wfbp_m0/
wfea_m0/
wfep_m0/
wrtd_m1/wind/
3dp/
def_at/
def_or/
epact/
mfi/
mfi_h0/
mfi_h1/
pre_at/
pre_or/
sms/
spha/
swe/
wav/
wav_h0/
pub/istp/FinnishMeteorInst/kilp/canopus/
asi/
bars/
mari_mag/
mari_rio/
mpa/darn/
gbay/
hank/
icew/
kapu/
pace/
pykk/
sask/interball/ground/
geo_index/sesame/
ais/
fpi/
mag/
rio/
vlf/sondestrom/
gisr/
pub/istp0MASTERScdaw9
Directory Title: Anonymous FTP CDAWeb data directory /pub/istp
Directory Address: Internet > ftp://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/istp
Computer System: cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov
Principal Contact: Tami Kovalick: kovalick@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov;
telephone: (301) 286-9422; FAX: (301) 286-1771
Authorizing NASA Official and Alternate Contact:
Dr. Robert E. McGuire, mcguire@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov
Telephone: (301) 286-7794; FAX: (301) 286-1771
Organization: Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF), Code 672
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
Brief Description: The directory contains the subdirectories containing all of the PUBLIC space physics data supported by the CDAWeb system. Under each satellite/source subdirectory will be another set of subdirectories broken out by dataset from investigations from that satellite/source. Then under each of these directories there are subdirectores for each year where we have data files, ie. wind/mfi/2007.
Please feel free to send your comments, suggestions, and other thoughts about this section directly to cdaweb@cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov. Your suggestions are vital in improving service.
Approving NASA Official: Dr. Robert E. McGuire (mcguire@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov,
301-286-7794),
Head, Space Physics Data Facility, Code 672 NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center, Greenbelt MD 20771 USA