Executive Order 12906, April 13, 1994, requires that government agencies use the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata Standard (MS) to document data sets.

The electronic manual for the Standard is "Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Workbook (For use with FGDC-STD-001-1998) Version 2.0 by the Federal Geographic Data Committee April 21, 2000. It is available as an Adobe .PDF file at www.fgdc.gov/metadata/meta_workbook.html You can also access the FGDC home page for more information about the FGDC and the FGDC Metadata Standard. There are some additional NOAA-specific Usage Notes available.

The FGDC Metadata Standard is modular. Some of the sections such as the contact information in Section 10 are repeated as applicable. For example, Section 10 is used in Section 1.9 for Point of Contact and also in 6.1 for Distributor.

NOAA Will Now Use the FGDC Metadata Standard for Data Descriptions

NOAA will now use the FGDC Metadata Standard to describe new data sets. Because of the complexity of the FGDC Metadata Standard NOAA will have several tools to describe data sets:

• 1. NOAA FGDC Metadata Standard ASCII Text Character Template

  The NOAA FGDC Metadata Standard Template was developed as a simplified tool that can be used to describe most NOAA data sets. This template is based on a template developed by the NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) team with national and international coordination. National coordination is with the U.S. agencies and international coordination is with the Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) International Directory Network group. We corrected and modified the GCMD template for NOAA use. The template is available on the NOAA ESDIM home page.

  There are two sections:

  • A. The NOAA FGDC Metadata Standard template can be used to describe most NOAA data sets. NOAA FGDC Metadata Standard ASCII Text Template for Use with Word Processing Programs can be copied and used with word processors. The line numbers on the template refer to fields described in the FGDC Metadata Standard Workbook. The NOAA FGDC Metadata Template with Rules shows the fields and indicates if they are Mandatory, Optional, or Mandatory if Applicable. For legacy purposes, the NOAA FGDC Metadata Legacy Template shows a richer version of the template that includes the fields converted from NEDRES.

    Completed data descriptions should be sent to Peter Grimm as a text file or by email.

  • B. The Mapping of Directory Interchange Format (DIF) to FGDC Metadata Standard was used to convert NOAA DIF descriptions to the FGDC Metadata Standard format. It shows corresponding FGDC Metadata Standard and DIF fields with new (non-DIF) fields added by NASA and NOAA.

NOAA Participation in the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

NOAA actively participates in three ways in the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Department of Commerce employees chair three subcommittees in the areas of bathymetry, geodetic control, and cultural and demographic data. ESDIM has developed FGDC Metadata Standards for NOAA datasets. The NOAAServer now has over 12,000 descriptions of NOAA data sets in the FGDC Metadata Standard format. With the descriptions in this format, ESDIM has also made these descriptions available through several nodes in the FGDC Clearinghouse Referral Server.

The plan, "FY-1997 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Implementation Plan for the Department of Commerce" was prepared in 1996. Accomplishment reports for the subsequent years are available. The report, "1997 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Accomplishment Report for the Department of Commerce" was prepared in late 1997. The report, "The 1998 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Accomplishment Report for the Department of Commerce". The report, "The 1999 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Accomplishment Report for the Department of Commerce".

A list of State Geodetic Advisors gives contact information.

Funding Opportunities

• NSDI Funding Opportunities

  In order to foster more efficient use, management, and production of geospatial data, the NSDI offers funding opportunities. The 2001 Funding Program is now closed.

• NOAA Grants

  NOAA offers grants and cooperative agreements as a key piece in accomplishing its mission. Many grant announcements, information, and applications are available through the Grants Home Page

Submitting the NOAA Data Descriptions.

Data descriptions should be sent to Peter Grimm for review and input into the NOAA Directory. Output should be saved as an ASCII text file and sent on diskette or by email.

Contact Peter Grimm at 301-713-0575 for more information and for help using the FGDC Metadata Standard.

Sample NOAA Data Set Descriptions in FGDC Metadata Standard Format

Seven NOAA data set descriptions are available as samples for your use. These were converted from the DIF descriptions in the NOAA Environmental Services Data Directory. The titles are:

• 1. Magnetic Variation, and Daily, Monthly, Seasonal, and Annual Surface and Subsurface Weather for Victoria, Australia (1862-1876) in FGDC format and DIF format.
• 2. Botany, Zoology, and Daily and Monthly Pressure, Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Surface Ozone for Austria (1863-1857) in FGDC format and DIF format.
• 3. Biological, Chemical, and Hydrographic Data from the NEMP/PULSE Ocean Monitoring Program in FGDC format and DIF format.
• 4. Profile Current Meter Casts in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, NOAA Pegasus Project (1983-1986) in FGDC format and DIF format.
• 5. Southern California Outer Continental Shelf Project (BLM): Intertidal Biology (Rocky/Sandy) (1975-1978) in FGDC format and DIF format.
• 6. Solar X-Ray Flux Levels Measured by GOES and SMS Satellites in FGDC format and DIF format.
• 7. Expendable Bathythermograph Real-time (XBPT) Data from AOML in FGDC format.

More information and help using the FGDC Metadata Standard are available by email from Peter Grimm, or by telephone at 301-713-0575.

Return to the NOAA ESDIM home page.

Todd Pearce (301) 713-1852 on March 26 2001.