The climate and environmental history collaborative research environment

Historical climatology is a subdomain of climatology, whose aim it is to reconstruct the climatic trends on a historical scale using hermeneutical principles. This method is becoming more and more important for climate research. As a result of years of research work in historical climatology, there are now numerous large data collections with different regional and thematic emphases. The analysis of this valuable treasure of data is so far complicated by the following problems:

• The data collections are scattered over many different institutions.
• There is no standard data structure.
• Some data collections are not yet publicly accessible.
• Sometimes there is no concept for long-term, sustainable data storage after the completion of the compilation projects.

In the HISCLIDCore project a database-supported infrastructure was therefore created, enabling the integration and sustainable storage of the existing data collections, as well as the entry of new data. The two large data collections HISKLID and Weikinn have already been integrated into the new system; other data collections can be imported at any time.

In the Tambora project the system (www.tambora.org) is extended further. The user interface is optimized, and additional visualisation and analysis tools are created. Mass imports are facilitated, and the quality of contents is ensured by standardisation of work processes. In general, the operation of the platform is optimized, and the collaboration within the research community is strengthened via the VRE.

Results/Publications

The results of the research project HISCLIDCore are published in two papers:

Steller, Heike (2013): Tambora – eine virtuelle Forschungsumgebung für die historische Klimatologie. In: Europa Regional, 19.2011 (2013), 1, S. 56-60
nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-360087
Full-text

Borel, Franck / Steller, Heike (2012): Tambora – die Entstehung einer virtuellen Forschungsumgebung. In: B.I.T.online 15, Nr. 5, S. 423-430. pdf

Further results from the Tambora project will be announced here.