Where do online data come from

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Where do online data come from?

• Public research institutions (Universities,
  EPA, NOAA, USGS) and others
• Automatic monitoring stations
• Often real-time, sent to data center by
  satellite, then posted online

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monitoring program database
Data posted on web site
satellite
Table (raw or provisional data)
Hourly, weekly automated readings...
Air chemistry Water quality Hurricanes Stream
flow Wave height Wind direction Temperature Precip
itation Census data...
Graph (summarized)
Picture (snapshot)
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Ice-out Data posted on USGS web site
You find the data on the web
then download data into a spread- sheet (Excel,
Appleworks)
China Lake, 1980-2006 Ice-out date

• You select
• time period
• locations
• parameters

and finally summarize results in a graph that
tells the story
Is ice-out happening earlier than it used to?
You ask a question
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Where do you find good data?

• (without getting overwhelmed or taking all day?)

Go to
www.portaportal.com
And log on as a guest with the name MEMAP
(http//guest.portaportal.com/memap)
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(go there)
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Data can be found in tables, such as this data
set from The National Atmospheric Deposition
Program
National Atmospheric Deposition Program
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Or in graphs, such as this record of stream flow
from the USGS stream flow database
USGS Streamflow real-time database
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And sometimes data come as a picture, such as
daily satellite images from a NOAA weather
satellite.
NOAA Satellite Images
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So many data,so little time!
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Once you find data online, what do you do with it?

• Narrow down what data you need to find the
  evidence you are looking for
• Download it into a spreadsheet (Excel, Neo
  Office, Inspire Data, Appleworks)
• Summarize the data of interest
• Graph it using the spreadsheet tools
• Interpret your graph in terms of your original
  question

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A sample spreadsheet with data its hard to
learn anything from looking at this!
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You may only be interested in part of it!
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You can graph from the spreadsheet using the
chart wizard
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Some SAMPLE RESULTS
1. Question stated 2. Evidence presented (e.g.
graph) 3. Interpretation caption (links the
evidence to the question)
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Many kinds of graphs are possible. The best one
to use depends on your question and the nature
of the data.
Do burned areas of Acadia National Park have
lower mercury in the soils than unburned areas do?
National Mercury Deposition Network
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Summary of steps involved

• Pose a question
• Find the data on the Web
• Download the data that you need into spreadsheet
• Organize summarize the data
• Make a graph thats informative
• Interpret results answer your question

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What are your experiences with --
monitoring in the field? -- using online
data?
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• The next four slides all show data that address
  the question
• Does the amount of salt in precipitation at
  Acadia National Park change seasonally?
• Some of the graphs do not tell the story clearly!
  (Which one do you think tells the story most
  clearly?)

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Does the amount of salt in precipitation at
Acadia National Park change seasonally?
National Atmospheric Deposition Program
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Does the amount of salt in precipitation at
Acadia National Park change seasonally?
National Atmospheric Deposition Program
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Does the amount of salt in precipitation at
Acadia National Park change seasonally?
National Atmospheric Deposition Program
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National Atmospheric Deposition Program
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What other sources of data are there?

• You can always generate your own!

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Transfer data
Organize/summarize data (check for errors)
Spreadsheet (Excel, Appleworks)
Set up spreadsheets
Summarize data
Field data sheets
Make a good graph
Create a Graph...
Create forms
Water quality Temperature Precipitation Macroinve
rtebrates ...
an ANSWER backed by evidence
QUESTION Does (our river) meet WQ standards?
DESIGN a monitoring or sampling scheme