The United States National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provided scientific stewardship, products and services for geophysical data describing the solid earth, marine, and solar-terrestrial environment, as well as earth observations from space. It was established in 1965 as part of the new Environmental Science Services Administration until that organization became the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1970. In 2015, NGDC was merged with the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).[1]
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1965 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Dissolved | 2015 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Status | merged |
| Headquarters | Boulder, Colorado |
| Employees | 50 |
| Parent department | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service |
| Website | www.ngdc.noaa.gov |
Location and controlling bodies
editSince 1972 the NGDC was located in Boulder, Colorado as a part of the US Department of Commerce (USDOC), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS).[2]
Data holdings
editNGDC's data holdings contained more than 300 digital and analog databases, with over 37 terabytes of unique digital records plus paper, film, slides and microfilm in 2003.[3] As technology advanced, so did the search for more efficient ways of preserving these data. This data is now maintained by the NCEI.
Data contributors
editNGDC worked closely with contributors of scientific data to prepare documented, reliable data sets. They welcomed cooperative projects with other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities, and encourage data exchange.
Data users
editNGDC's data users included:
- private industry
- universities and other educational facilities
- research organizations
- federal, state, and local governments
- foreign governments, industry, and academia
- publishers and other mass media
- the general public
Data management
editThe Data Center developed data management programs that reflect the changing world of geophysics. These programs are now part of the National Centers for Environmental Information.
References
edit- ^ "About the National Centers for Environmental Information | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- ^ Lee, William H.K.; Kanamori, Hiroo; Jennings, Paul (2003) International Handbook of Earthquake & Engineering Seismology Elsevier Science ISBN 0124406580 p1457
- ^ National Research Council (2003) Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center National Academies Press ISBN 0-309-50661-1