Catalyzing continental-scale carbon cycle science with NEON's first data and software release

摘要

Networks of eddy-covariance (EC) towers such as AmeriFlux, ICOS and NEON are vital for providing theudnecessary distributed observations to address grand challenges in earth system and carbon cycle science.udNEON, once fully operational with 47 tower sites, will represent the largest single-provider EC networkudglobally. Its standardized observation and data processing suite is designed specifically for inter-siteudcomparability and analysis of continental-scale ecological change, including rich contextual data such asudairborne remote sensing and in-situ sampling bouts.udFirst carbon cycle products become available in 2017, including data and software. These products striveudto incorporate lessons-learned through collaborations with AmeriFlux, ICOS, LTER and others, to suggestudnovel systemic solutions, and to synergize ongoing research efforts across science communities. Here, weudpresent an overview of the ongoing product release, alongside efforts to integrate and synergize withudexisting infrastructures, networks and communities.udNear-real-time carbon cycle observations in “basic” and “expanded”, self-describing HDF5 formatsudbecome accessible from the NEON Data Portal, including an Application Program Interface. A pilotudproject is underway to investigate their subsequent ingest into the AmeriFlux processing pipeline,udtogether with inclusion in FLUXNET globally harmonized data releases.udSoftware for reproducible, extensible and portable data analysis and science operations managementudalso becomes available. This includes the eddy4R family of R-packages underlying the carbon cycle dataudproduct generation, together with the ability to directly participate in open development via GitHubudversion control and Dockerhub image hosting. In addition, templates for science operations managementudinclude a web-based field maintenance application and a graphical user interface to simplify problemudtracking and resolution along the entire data chain.udWe hope that this first release of NEON carbon cycle products can initiate further collaboration andudsynergies in challenge areas, and would appreciate input and discussion on continued development.