At the beginning of March the ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) Kyoto & Carbon Initiative 6th Advisory Panel / Science Team meeting is being held in Japan.
Environment System working with Eryr Ltd have developed a secure internet portal to facilitate collaboration and the exchange of data by the project team. Key to the delivery of this was the use of innovative open source web mapping, database and content management technology.
The system allows scientists from across the globe to share information from documents through to maps and statistics. Data form the satellite needs to be accessed by scientists across the world, by building a GIS website hosted at the Environment Systems office in Aberystwyth, scientists are able to look at areas of the world relating to their interest.
The web site allows the team to:
Using a web site to manage the team project information means that scientists from across the globe can access data as though they were in the same office even though they are on separate continents. It insures that all areas of the earth are considered and prevents reworking and overlaps as each scientist and team is aware of what the others are doing.
The ALOS science program seeks to promote both "scientific" and "application" research. The ethos behind the programme is to ‘Think Globally and Act Locally------Establishing Global Environment Measures Corresponding to Local Needs.’ In particular the project looks at issues of climate change that are impacting across the globe.