The AMMA Database

The AMMA project includes in situ measurements at many locations of West Africa and in the Gulf of Guinea, an intensive use of satellite data and diverse modelling studies. Therefore, the AMMA database aims at storing a great amount and a large variety of data, and at providing the data as rapidly and safely as possible to the AMMA research community. In order to stimulate the exchange of information and collaboration between researchers from different disciplines or using different tools, the database provides a detailed description of the products and uses standardized formats. The database is now developed jointly at MEDIAS-France in Toulouse and at IPSL in Paris, and will be mirrored in Niamey as early as 2008.

Products

The local data measured during the AMMA project or before the project are stored in a relational database based on the PostgreSQL management system. The data cover all the disciplines involved in the project (chemistry, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, vegetation studies …). A few months after being collected, they are available to researchers who agreed to the terms of the AMMA data and publication policy.

Meteorological and rainfall historical data from 1850 on are also stored and accessible to the members of the AMMA European project.

The satellite database has been developed to collect multiscale as well as multidisciplinary data related to the African monsoon from all past and future satellites. The satellite data are (re-)mapped on a regular latitude/longitude grid and stored in NetCDF format. Several grid resolutions are taken, to optimise the instrument exploitation. The temporal resolution of each product will be chosen according to the resolution of the sensor used and the considered scale and temporal variability of the geophysical parameter.

The model database stores ocean or atmosphere operational products, as well as research model outputs provided by different AMMA modelling groups. The model data are (re-)mapped on a regular latitude/longitude grid and stored in NetCDF format.

Data base status

This document contains a set of tables summarizing the current AMMA data base content (updated December 2009).

Database user interface

The AMMA database user interface is located at: http://amma-international.org/database

It allows a user:

• to register, read and sign the data use chart when he/she visits for the first time;
• to identify during the next visits;
• to access the local and satellite data catalogue;
• to build a data extraction request using criteria like location, time, parameters,…. The request can concern both, local and satellite data. The user will be informed by email once his request is completed.

Satellite data are also accessible at the location: http://bddamma.ipsl.polytechnique.fr/ . The site allows interactive visualisation of the data via a Live Access Server and provides the data on their original grid.

Model data are only accessible at the location http://bddamma.ipsl.polytechnique.fr/ .

Access the AMMA Database