With the goal in mind of establishing and maintaining a robust network of ecological observation, NEON, Inc. is now officially working with two divisions of the NOAA, or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(http://www.noaa.gov/index.html).
NEON has signed an agreement with the NOAA’s NCDC (National Climatic Data Center(http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html)) and ATDD (Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division)(http://www.atdd.noaa.gov). The NOAA is itself a division of the United States Department of Commerce, which handles everything from patents to telecommunications and home mortgage refinancing rules.
Between the increased scope of observations and more streamlined ease of access between systems, this agreement should provide instant benefits and future opportunities for data sharing and mutual projects.
The NCDC, of course, is in charge of 114 USCRN (U.S. Climate Reference Network) stations, with 29 more expected to be in operation by 2016. For more local variations on the national trends, the NCDC is also rolling out the RUSHCN (Regional U.S. Historical Climatology Network).
While both networks focus on surface observations, the ATDD obviously looks to the skies. The primary focus of the ATDD is “air quality, climate, and dispersion-related research”, which fits in very well with NEON’s current needs and long-term goals.