Continental-scale geospatial data, such as daily precipitation or soil properties across North America, have the capability to serve the data needs of a wide variety of ecological projects, but their cost in terms of time and memory can hinder efficient integration. To reduce the time of downloading big data sets from online repositories, cropping the data to desired extents, harmonizing the resolutions and coordinate reference systems, and performing statistical analyses for multiple data sets, we aim to create a portal that automates these steps.
DASH Portal
Data
Access and
Spatiotemporal
Harmonization
User selects data
A Metadata Explorer page helps users learn more about datasets, e.g. geographic extent or citation
A Data Selection page allows users to choose
Variables
Time span
Time step
Data summaries
A Map View page allows users to visualize the selected data and their own area of interest
System guides user through harmonization
Checks are performed to anticipate harmonization issues:
Are geospatial properties mismatched among variables?
Has the area of interest been indicated?
Is there a mix of raster and vector variables?
Options for resolving issues are provided and when resolved, a ‘Make my package’ button appears
User downloads a harmonized package
A progress bar informs the users of the steps being performed
When the packaging is complete, an Export button appears to download the data
The Map View screen can also be used to visualize the packaged data
