Section 4.1 Sites and Measurements for ABoVE
“Sites and Measurements Planning Tool"
ABoVE has a web-based “Sites and Measurements Planning Tool” to display information about upcoming planned field measurements on a web map interface. This tool is available to anyone that wants to see on a map where, what, when and who is collecting field measurements starting in 2016 and can also be used in planning for future data collection and coordinating with other teams. As an example, you can search on one or more measurement types and it will display all locations where the measurement is planned to be collected and give you the project name and the time that it will be collected. The tool allows you to search by:
- Measurement theme
- Measurement type
- ABoVE project
- Field location (coming soon in June/July 2016)
The data that the tool accesses is entered by each ABoVE project with a field data collection component. They enter in their planned field locations, measurements, and collection time into their project profile. The data displayed in the tool is dynamic. It is based on changes made by investigators in the project profiles, and subject to field schedules and project requirements, but allows for a general understanding of planned field work throughout the first few years of the ABoVE field campaign.
Information available in the tool:
- Locations: Where ABoVE scientists and their collaborators plan to work in the field.
- Measurements: The measurements ABoVE scientists plan to make while in the field. See a list of current measurement options, listed by measurement theme here.
- Timing: The month or months of the year ABoVE scientists nominally plan to be at those different locations; and in the case of automated instrumentation, during what months data will be collected.
Defined Locations for ABoVE
Following field research, when field data are archived at a NASA DAAC or other appropriate archive location, these field data will be required to include a detailed description of their site location so that others are able to search for, locate, and utilize these data. Below find a table describing the site nomenclature plan established for ABoVE field sites. Possible values in this list will be updated based on the needs of ABoVE investigators.
| Location hierarchy | Required | Possible Values |
| domain | yes | core, extended, circumpolar, other |
| state/territory/province | yes | AK, YK, NWT, NU, BC, AB, MB, SK |
| grid | yes | ABoVE Defined Grid Cells |
| region | yes | North Slope, Interior, YK Delta, SewPen, Great Slave Lake, Banks Island |
| locale | if applicable | Fairbanks, Barrow, Healy, Council, Nome, Yellowknife, Ft. Providence, Hay River, Cambridge Bay |
| administrative area | if applicable | Denali NP, Wrangells St. Elias, CHARS Watershed, Toolik, BNZ |
| site | if applicable | Ameriflux_sitename, APEX, Investigator_sitename, Dalton_Highway_xx_m, Highway_xx_k, Wildfire_event_name |
| subsite | if applicable with site | plots, sample locations, manipulations |
| transect | if applicable | airborne, ground |
