Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) Initiative

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The International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958 (IGY) followed the increasingly successful series of International Polar Years (IPYs) in the preceding century. The IGY allowed scientists from around the world to participate in systematic and global observations of geoscientific phenomena using the state-of-the-art common instruments and data processing. IGY investigators set up the World Data Center system to collect, archive, and distribute the wide variety of data types collected. Perhaps the largest contributions of the IGY, however, were that the spirit of scientific cooperation and the excitement of new discoveries were effectively transmitted to the public and policy makers. The Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) intends to use the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the IGY to embrace, promote, and extend the principles established in the IGY and earlier IPYs. This award supports efforts to coordinate U. S. activities with international organizations aimed at the goals of eGY. In particular, eGY has established, or is in the process of establishing, formal relations with other activities honoring the 50th anniversary of the IGY: The International Polar Year (IPY), the International Heliophysical Year (IHY), and the International Year of Planet Earth. As with previous IPYs and the IGY, the eGY organization does not intend to perpetuate itself. Those international coordination activities initiated and/or rejuvenated by the eGY will be transferred to existing or emerging international bodies. Fifty years ago it was a significant challenge to collect and physically distribute a large volume of hard copy records. Today most sub-disciplines in the geosciences have established electronic archiving and distribution of many important data sets. These data sets have the potential to be combined in unanticipated ways leading to significant new scientific advances. A major thrust of eGY is to facilitate interdisciplinary electronic exchange of data by exploiting the full capability of the semantic web and other emerging data search and organization techniques through so-called "virtual observatories." eGY also includes an education and public outreach (EPO) effort providing students and teachers access to data. This effort will require development of parallel EPO interfaces to selected virtual observatories and the development of lesson plans and supporting material so that students can access, use, and learn from data on virtual observatories. eGY intends to seek private foundation funds to support this EPO effort. Other major thrusts of eGY will focus international attention on the need for data preservation and rescue and provide a framework to address inequalities associated with the digital divide. With the exception of the EPO effort, eGY's function is to facilitate and inform by sponsoring symposia, sessions in major meetings, and publications.