The mission of NOAA's Scientific Data Stewardship (SDS) Project is to develop and implement a robust, sustainable and scientifically defensible approach to producing and preserving climate records from satellite data. The SDS Project was initiated in 2002 to help stakeholders -- including the wider scientific community -- characterize, understand, predict, mitigate and adapt to climate change and variability.
The SDS Project is focused on two product types: Climate Data Records (CDRs) and Climate Information Records (CIRs). A CDR is a time series of measurements (e.g., sea surface temperature) of sufficient length, consistency, and continuity to determine climate variability and change [NRC, 2004]. A CIR is a time series derived from CDRs and related long-term measurements that provides specific information (e.g., drought area) about complex environmental phenomena in a manner useful to a variety of applications and user communities. Given that early algorithm development is supported elsewhere, the SDS Project is mainly focused on the generalization, application and validation of mature algorithms over multiple satellites and sensors which together span climate-relevant time periods.
To help achieve its goals, the SDS Project funds and coordinates activities through grants, contracts and interagency coordination. It is responsive to recommendations of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Together, the various SDS products serve a wide range of commercial, scientific, decision support and policy-making needs.
