Isdatigataj

Isdatigataj is a term used to describe a standardized approach to collecting, storing, and sharing data about ice-related phenomena. The term combines concepts of ice with data and is used in discussions of Arctic and Antarctic data management.

The isdatigataj data model defines core entities: Observation, Sensor, Location, Time, Variable, and QualityMetric. Each Observation links a measured value to a Location and a Time, and assigns a Variable (e.g., Sea Ice Extent, Thickness, Snow Cover) with units. The model supports metadata about measurement methods, uncertainty, and provenance to enable proper interpretation and reuse.

Data sources include satellite imagery, buoy and ice-draft measurements, meteorological stations, and shipborne observations. Common formats include NetCDF, HDF5, CSV, and GeoTIFF, with metadata following ISO 19115/19139 or OGC standards to support discoverability and interoperability.

Governance emphasizes data provenance, licensing, and quality assurance. Data quality is described by a score or flags for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness. Access policies typically balance open-data principles with sensitivity for commercial or security concerns in polar regions.

Applications include climate research, navigation and risk assessment in polar regions, and environmental monitoring. Isdatigataj encourages interoperability through shared vocabularies and controlled ontologies for ice-related variables, facilitating cross-project analyses and long-term trend studies.

History: the concept emerged in the 2010s as a response to fragmented ice data and is used by research consortia and some national data portals. Related concepts include NetCDF data models, ISO 19115 metadata, and Open Geospatial Consortium standards.