Chair: Charles Barton
The coordinated international approach to exploration in the series of International Polar Years had a major impact on the development of the geosciences, in particular the data environment. The 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year established the principal of full and open exchange of data facilitated by World Data Centers. Fifty years later, we are experiencing a massive growth in data complexity and volume. At the same time, we are finding that assimilation of high quality data into models and interdisciplinary approaches lead to important new scientific insights. The Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY), the International Polar Year (IPY), the International Heliophysical Year (IHY), the ICSU-sponsored Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System (CAWSES) programs, and others are approaching these issues with modern technology. In this session we will focus on plans and programs addressing international data sharing issues.