Speaker
Description
In the era of large networks of heterogeneous sensors, the ability to efficiently use and understand data is paramount. The University of Calgary operates one of the largest ground-based heliophysics sensor networks, with 118 instruments across the globe producing, on average, 16 million data points and 1 million images per day. The group's instrumentation heritage dates to the 1980s, with the largest step change in data volume beginning in 2005 with ground-based all-sky imagers and magnetometers for the THEMIS mission. The archive currently holds >1.2 PB, with expected growth of 100–200 TB per year over the next decade.
In this presentation, we provide an overview of capabilities developed over the past year for UCalgary's Open Science Platform (data.phys.ucalgary.ca). These include a substantial revamp of our web applications and visualization tools, new instrument deployments bringing additional data streams online, progress on HAPI and SPEDAS integrations to improve cross-network interoperability, and the initial design of a next-generation data system architected for the coming decade of growth. As sensor systems grow more complex (advanced operating modes, streaming data) and data volumes increase, the burden on users to keep pace with evolving distribution and utilization methods grows quickly. What underpins our data systems, and our data itself, is a devotion to simplicity for the user: providing the tools needed to effectively browse, discover, learn, and utilize our data. These updates continue that trajectory and position the platform for the next decade of network growth.