COVERAGE Data Viewer: A Generalized Web-based Tool for Integrated Visualization of Oceanographic Satellite and In-Situ Data

The COVERAGE Data Viewer provides a unique and advanced web-based tool for integrated, dynamic visualization of satellite and in-situ data of various types. Developed under the CEOS Ocean Variables Enabling Research and Applications for GEO (COVERAGE) project with prior NASA/ACCESS program support, the Data Viewer is based on JPL’s Open Source Common Mapping Client (CMC) software framework and provides a well-rounded visualization capability for ocean data. Novel features of this highly interactive data visualization interface include tightly synchronized horizontal and vertical views of data and their evolution over time, with flexible control of time stepping intervals. The integrated dataset Search capability included allows filtering and selection of available data layers by spatio-temporal extents, project, platform, sensor, and measurement variable criteria. A “One-stop” interactive data sub-setting capability for both satellite and in-situ data is also included, and prototype integrations with external analytics services have also been implemented together with other novel features. In this paper we provide further details of the Data Viewer software’s functionality, design, and backend service architecture. We also illustrate the extensive range of NASA oceanographic field campaign datasets and other collections that have successfully been integrated in the Viewer, further indicating its general utility as a visualization tool for interdisciplinary marine applications.

COVERAGE 数据查看器（COVERAGE Data Viewer）是一款独特且先进的基于网页的工具，可对各类卫星与原位观测数据开展集成化、动态可视化展示。本工具由地球观测卫星委员会（Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, CEOS）牵头的面向地球组织的海洋变量赋能研究与应用（CEOS Ocean Variables Enabling Research and Applications for GEO, COVERAGE）项目开发，并曾获得美国国家航空航天局（National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA）/ACCESS计划的前期支持。该数据查看器基于喷气推进实验室（Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL）的开源通用映射客户端（Open Source Common Mapping Client, CMC）软件框架构建，可为海洋数据提供全面完善的可视化功能。这款高度交互式的数据可视化界面具备多项创新特性，包括数据水平与垂直视图的严格同步展示、数据随时间的演化过程可视化，以及可灵活调整时间步长间隔。内置的集成化数据集检索功能，支持根据时空范围、项目、平台、传感器与测量变量等条件，对可用数据图层进行筛选与选择。此外，该工具还具备针对卫星与原位观测数据的一站式交互式数据子集提取功能，并已实现与外部分析服务的原型集成及其他多项创新特性。本文将进一步详述该数据查看器软件的功能、设计与后端服务架构，同时展示已成功集成至该查看器中的大量NASA海洋实地考察数据集与其他数据集集合，进一步印证其作为跨学科海洋应用可视化工具的通用实用性。