This database has been developed to support
environmental classification (typology) for the purpose of understanding
spatial and temporal patterns in biogeochemistry (carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorus cycling) and biogeography (the distribution of organisms).
Its objective is to provide global coverages of readily accessible,
consistently presented, relevant data for use by a diverse group of users.
It permits data downloading, and is also linked to and formatted for the
LOICZVIEW geospatial clustering tool. The
database is oriented toward coastal zone and marine studies at global and
large regional scales, but is designed to be consistent with and useful
for analyses in terrestrial environments and at smaller scales as well.
It contains public-domain, global data sets on geomorphic,
atmospheric, oceanographic, terrestrial,
and 'human dimension' variables, in a consistent format of
a global grid system with cells that occupy one-half degree (30') of latitude
and longitude.
The grid system used (30', or about 55 km
on a side at the equator), is relatively coarse for local studies, but is
typical of the best resolution available at the global scale for many marine
and atmospheric variables. The cells
are identified not only by location, but by type -- the overall coastal
zone consists of 'coastal' cells (defined as those containing
a significant length of shoreline), 'terrestrial' cells (a strip
extending about one degree inland from the coastal cells) and 'Ocean
I' cells (extending about one degree seaward of the coastal cells,
or farther in areas of extensive continental shelf). The remainder of the ocean is characterized
as either Ocean II (relatively enclosed seas or basins) and
Ocean III (all other) cell categories.
Land cells inland from the 'terrestrial cells are identified as 'inland'
cells. Higher resolution data, when available, is incorporated into
the half-degree cell system by techniques such as identifying percent of
cell area associated with specific classes, statistics on the within cell
distribution of values (mean, standard deviation, range, etc.), and similar
techniques.
The data are useful
and available for a wide range of purposes, but among the primary applications
are:
A major tool for the analysis, generalization, and visualization process is the LOICZVIEW geopatial clustering routine, which provides supervised and unsupervised clustering, cluster/variable comparison, principle component analysis, and visualization of results. It is accessible by Internet; it is linked directly to the database, but can also be used independently with other datasets. Click here for the information page; here to log in to the application.