Kipp&Zonen BSRN Scientific Solar Monitoring System - Manual (Page 184)

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Figure J 1. A BSRN station and the W RMC.
Annex J BSRN Data Management
This annex contains an outline of the BSRN data m anagem ent. A com prehensive description is given
in (Gilgen et al. 1995).
The relationships between the BSRN stations and the W RMC are shown in Figure J1 which is a sim plified
version of Figure 2.1 in (Gilgen et al. 1995). The observations are m ade at the BSRN stations. The
data are accum ulated during a m onth and their quality is checked by the station scientist. The m onthly
data sets are then forwarded to the W RMC using the BSRN station-to-archive file form at in ASCII code.
Data transfer is m ade preferably by electronic m eans. The BSRN stations keep the log and the original
readings for the duration of the BSRN project to allow anytim e for a re-evaluation.
A m onthly data set consists of station log data and of atm ospheric data (including the radiation data)
form atted as prescribed in (Gilgen et al. 1995) and (Hegner et al. 1996). The station log data describe
the station, the radiation instrum ents and the m easurem ents. They are sem antically m uch richer than
the atm ospheric data and thus are often afflicted with om issions and/or contradictions. Consequently,
rules asserting the consistency of the station log data have been incorporated in the definition of the
station-to-archive file form at, e.g., "an instrum ent is assigned to every radiative flux". The station log
data are written in the first part of the station-to-archive file. The radiation and the other atm ospheric
data are written in the second part of the station-to-archive file.
The W RMC data m anager supports the BSRN station scientists when they start to prepare the m onthly
data sets: sam ple station-to-archive files and a form at check program are available. It is recom m ended
to apply the form at check program before a station-to-archive file is forwarded to the W RMC. The form at
check program however does not perform consistency checks for the following reason. The consistency
checks not only validate the data across the different parts in a site-to-archive file using the rules which
are part of the form at definition, but they also com pare the station log data with the data already stored
in the database. Thus, the consistency of a station-to-archive file is checked at the W RMC. If a station-to-
archive file is found to be consistent, the data are inserted in the BSRN database. If a file is found
to be inconsistent, a detailed consistency report is forwarded to the station concerned. The BSRN
station scientist then prepares a consistent m onthly batch of data.
On the one hand, the form alization of the descriptions of a station and of the m easurem ents needs
som e effort when the m onthly data sets are prepared for shipping. On the other hand, it is a prerequisite
for the system atic treatm ent of station log data in a database. Only accurate and consistent station
log data can be integrated with the radiation data and the other atm ospheric data in the BSRN database.
The consistency checks assert that the data in the BSRN database do not violate the integrity constraints
which are part of the database definition. The BSRN database is m anaged by the W RMC.