1. WIS Discovery Metadata and why it is not WIGOS Metadata
WMO; Name of Department (ND)

2. Metadata
Data about resources
Metadata
Data about data

3. WIS Discovery Metadata
Applies to Datasets (groups of information)
Allows users to find
Information on a topic
Information (likely to be) in an area
Information (likely to be) within a time period
Information policy for release of information
How to obtain information
Summary of ownership, custodian
Allows WIS to manage data access and exchange

4. WIS Discovery Metadata files can contain
The following are in the ISO standard used by WIS Discovery Metadata, but there are no WMO standards for their use
Indications of quality
Relationships between metadata records
Details of processing applied to information
And more..
But these take us beyond discovery.

5. WIGOS Metadata Can I rely on the information?
What standards were used in its production?
What is the uncertainty in the information?
How consistent is it in time?
How consistent is it in space?
How much processing has gone into creating the value I see?

6. Service WIS Observing System National Network Site/platform
WIGOS metadata
Instruments
Site/platform
Network
National
Observing System
WIS
Service

7. How do you
eat an
elephant?
A bite
at a time

8. Working out what metadata we need
User need
Metadata to support need
Quantities to be recorded
Information applicable to an area over a time period
Nominal location
Volume sampled (horizontal/vertical/path)
Time, sampling period, track if moving platform….
Latitude, Longitude, Height (or equivalent for non-terrestrial observations)
Resolution (observiation experts need to define this…)
…..
Uncertainty in measurement
Measurement standards applied when observation made
Post-processing of observed data to create the observation
External influences on measurement
Calibration standard of measuring equipment
Confirmation of calibration to standard
Site exposure – this needs to be expanded, but will depend on the type of measurement platform
Observing standards.
Precision of to which information was recorded (eg an instrument and observing practice may produce an uncertainty of 0.1K, but if the measurement process can only record in units of 1K, the real uncertainty is 0.6K (I think).
etc

9. Making the problem manageable
Core WIGOS Metadata
Needed by all (most) users
Relevant to all (most) observing systems
Domain Essential WIGOS Metadata
The equivalent of Core for user application areas
Domain Extended WIGOS Metadata
Would be really nice to have as a standard

10. Thank you for your attention