Simplified access to climate data from Copernicus and its partners

The goal of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is to provide access to climate indicators, indexes and models to develop scenarios-based adaptation and mitigation measures. The Climate Data Store (CDS), launched on 14 June, simplifies the process of sharing authoritative climate data. At the heart of C3S, the newly released CDS will provide users with a single and centralised point-of-access to climate data from around the world.

The Climate Data Store (CDS) is a free and open, cloud-based source for climate data. As a one-stop-shop, it provides information about past, present and future climate. Easier access to this information will improve society’s ability to use Earth Observation data to better understand our changing climate and to better prepare mitigation and adaption measures.

Developed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium Range-Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) [1], it is a portal based on open source technologies. It offers centralised access to various sources of existing data, such as climate indicators, climate models, reprocessed climate data records, and in situ observations.

The CDS home page enables all types of users to query the database

for past, present, and future climate data.

Free and open data for all users

Climate scientists and researchers now have easy, consolidated access to climate data. The efficiency with which they may access various data sources is increased as the store pools together several databases in one place. Moreover, all this information is linked to reliable climate indicators, allowing experts to analyse detailed information.

The CDS is not only for experts. You do not need a background in climate research to explore the most comprehensive store of global climate data. At a basic level, you may use the search tool to extract specific information. Alternatively, you may browse the help section and learn how to use the breadth of CDS tools.

The C3S help page is browsable by topic and by keywords.

Users may also contact a C3S expert at a routinely available service desk.

Non-experts such as policy makers now have a simple tool to give them straightforward information on the topic of their choosing. They may explore climate trends over time and compare data from around the world, including their areas of jurisdiction. For policy makers, the CDS brings the complexity of climate research down to a practical level where information can be managed and leveraged for decision making.

Furthermore, the CDS is available to businesses and for climate-related applications. The streamlining of global climate data and information makes it easier for business managers to focus on their product. The new infrastructure and its ease-of-use allows the development of innovative ways to present climate data.

Regarding the building of applications around this free and open data, one consortium is already featuring the CDS’s pool of data. As a joint effort between ECMWF, EUMETSAT and Mercator Ocean, CDS data will be available inside the WEkEO DIAS (Data and Information Access Service). WEkEO, one of the five DIAS launched by the European Commission, is an access point for all Copernicus data and information. Ultimately, such expansion of climate applications will further extend the user base for the CDS and the Copernicus programme.

User-friendly access to climate data from around the world

The design of the CDS has been developed with ease of use in mind and crafted in response to requirements from climate data users across the globe. Several institutions, including the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the CORE-CLIMAX FP7 project consortium, conducted surveys to assess user requirements in terms of quality and availability of climate data. Additionally, a workshop was held at ECMWF in March of 2015 to gather feedback on how the CDS should operate and what functions should be included.

As a result of this feedback, the user-friendliness of the CDS has been the overarching design feature, along with the provision of detailed and easy understandable user guides. Whatever the technical knowledge, the CDS provides users with the tools they need to appropriately process data for their own purposes.

Within 2 minutes of accessing the CDS for the first time, expert and non-expert users may download readily available climate maps, such as this one showing global surface-air temperature.

The first opportunity to delve into the CDS was #OpenDataHack2018 – a hackathon dedicated to exploring the potential of open-access climate data, which took place on 9 and 10 June. Dozens of data enthusiasts, scientists and other users from across Europe gathered at the ECMWF premises for the event. This hackathon allowed exploration of innovative ways to make CDS data accessible to a wider range of people.

#OpenDataHack2018 in June 2018.

The event was geared towards those interested in using open climate data to tackle climate change.

The aim was to display the benefits of the CDS that benefit a vast array of sectors, such as agriculture, energy, water, health, etc. There were three winners who developed innovative ways to manage, display, or communicate climate data.

• Team “Cloudia” developed an algorithm to give early warnings of air quality

• Team “Glaciers” created a web application that shows the impact of climate change

• Team “Ask-ERA” produced an application that interprets climate information in response to a simple question in plain English

“The hackathon gave us an amazing opportunity to see how the CDS can help people turn their ideas into reality. The brilliant results that we saw here have proved just how useful the CDS will be.” – Anabelle Guillory, ECMWF.

How the Climate Data Store works

Although not every abovementioned component of the infrastructure is designed to be operated by users without technical knowledge, CDS components operate together to understand search inputs and produce analysis-ready outputs. The end result is a seamless process that allows modifications at differing levels of expertise. For example, the Toolbox will be primarily used by experts and developers, enabling them to craft and release simple applications for end-users, based on the information contained in the CDS. As a result, users can select a geographical area of interest to gain access to all kinds of data from the store through the combination of different applications.

The CDS information pipeline, designed to meet the needs of users who can interact with the software at different levels.

With user-friendly applications and guidance, along with centralised access to new and existing climate data, the CDS represents a breakthrough for assessing climate data and understanding climate change. As the CDS provides information about the past, present and future climate in terms of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), climate analyses, projections and indicators at different temporal and spatial scales, users may explore a large spectrum of climate data. Non-experts are able to query the database and browse its resources, while experts may dive further into the  free and open data, manipulating CDS tools and information. The CDS is a one-stop shop, a game-changer for enabling users to explore climate data and find vital insights into the state of the climate.

The Climate Data Store (#ClimateDataStore) is freely accessible to anyone at here.