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Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory - SPASE Data Model
SPASE Data Model
Space Physics Archive Search and Extract (SPASE) is a NASA-coordinated effort, with extra-NASA U.S. and international participation, intended to facilitate the finding, retrieval and usage of increasingly distributed heliophysics data and related resources.
The primary focus of the first years of SPASE has been the development of the "SPASE Data Model," the specification of (a) terms (fields) with which heliophysics data and related resources are to be described and (b) for each of many terms, a list of valid values.
The list of data and related resources for which specifications of terms and valid values have been made is currently:
- Numeric data products in their entireties, to the level of descriptions of individual parameters (words) or related groups thereof as found in data records
- Data granules (e.g., files) within the data products
- Display data products (e.g., sets of pre-generated images)
- Data catalogs and event lists
- Instruments from which data are produced
- Observatories (e.g., spacecraft) hosting the instruments
- Registries of instances of resources (e.g., holders of SPASE metadata)
- Data repositories
- Data services and tools
- Persons
- Documents
- Annotations
A full description of the SPASE Data Model, as well as tools to help in the creation and validation of SPASE descriptions, can be found at http://www.spase-group.org/.
SPASE-compliant, VEPO-relevant descriptions have in common that the Data Model term "Measurement Type" has the value "Energetic Particles" from this term's list of valid values.
SPASE descriptors of VEPO-relevant data and other resources may be viewed through VHO. After retrieving a list of data granules satisfying query criteria, click on the "?" immediately following the granule name. This provides a listing of all relevant descriptors (granule, parent data product, relevant instrument and repository, etc.) in VHO formatting. Original xml-formatted desriptors may be viewed by clicking on the "xml" boxes shown in the VHO-formatted descriptors.
A recently undertaken, second focus of the SPASE effort is to develop a SPASE-based query
language, called SPASE-QL, to enable the passing of queries among VxO's and data repositories.
This effort is led by VHO's Tom Narock and is discussed at
http://vho.nasa.gov/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,59/
