1. Building Station Metadata with PDCC
Dr. Mary Templeton
IRIS Data Management Center
Managing Data from Seismic Networks
September
Hanoi, Vietnam

2. Why is Metadata Important?
To use data, you need to know where and how it was recorded:
x,y,z,t
How do you translate the time series to ground motion?
Direction of motion recorded
Amplitude scaling
Phase shifting
The data format must be understood
Metadata is easiest to record before it’s forgotten
Network datalesses no longer required.

3. PDCC (Portable Data Collection Center)
Software that helps you create Dataless SEED – a well-understood exchange format for metadata
PDCC can also be used as an editor to update dataless SEED as metadata changes
Network datalesses no longer required.

4. Downloading PDCC from the Web
Click
Network datalesses no longer required.

5. Downloading PDCC Fill out the “software request” form
Download the latest .zip file
Unzip the file by double-clicking it or type
unzip pdcc-3.8-pl2.zip
Click
Network datalesses no longer required.

6. Running PDCC java (-Xmx512m –Xms512m) –jar run_pdcc.jar
-X arguments are optional:
-Xmx512m increases Java’s heap space
-Xms512m increases Java’s stack space
Network datalesses no longer required.

7. Steps for Building Metadata
Register your network and station names
Create a dataless SEED volume
Enter network information
Enter information for a single station
Add additional stations using the first as a “clone”
We’ve assumed you’ve already registered your network and station names.
We will do the next three steps before lunch.
After lunch, we’ll do the last step.

8. Create a Dataless SEED Volume
Select Dataless SEED
Click Create New
Enter a
Dataless name

9. Enter Network & Station Information
Select Build a Station and Launch it
Enter your ISC-
registered station
name and FDSN-
registered network
code
Click the
dataless name

10. Enter Station Information
The PDCC Station Wizard will display similar windows for
Metadata epoch start and end times
Station location

11. Enter Station Information
Include Instrument responses using the NRL Tool
Click Go

12. Enter Station Information
NRL Tool asks you questions about your sensor and datalogger to find the correct nominal response

13. Enter Station Information
The next 3 windows ask you
Whether your sensor is low or high gain
Your sensor channels’ dips and azimuths
The sample rate of your current channel
You can Add channel orientations using the pulldown menu, then edit the values if needed

14. Enter Station Information
Click Finish to write channels with this sample rate to your dataless

15. Enter Station Information
To add additional channels (including other sample rates)
Select a channel from your new station
Copy and Paste it
Select the new channel

16. Enter Station Information
Edit channel information as needed
Choose Select Instrumentation and Launch it to update the instrument response from the NRL

17. Enter Station Information
To add additional epochs for the same channel,
repeat the Copy and Paste steps
Edit the start and end times
Edit any additional information that changed
Be sure the previous epoch end time is closed

18. Save Your Dataless
Select your dataless name, then click
Save as…

19. The Result So Far A Dataless SEED volume containing
Network information
Description of a single station
All channels
All epochs
(also called a Station Dataless)

20. Next Goal A Dataless SEED volume containing Network information
Description of all stations in the network
(also called a Network Dataless)