Weather data
A major weather database served through the ARPA Network
Stern, D., "Weather data", RFC 251, DOI 10.17487/RFC0251, October 1971, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc251>.
@misc{rfc251,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 251,
howpublished = {RFC 251},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0251},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc251},
author = {D. Stern},
title = {{Weather data}},
pagetotal = 2,
year = 1971,
month = oct,
} RFC text
Network Working Group D. Stern
Request for Comment No. 251 CCA
NIC No. 7692 13 October 1971
Category:
Updates: None
Obsoletes: None
WEATHER DATA
The USAF Environmental Technical Applications Center (ETAC) is
providing weather data for the ARPA Network. Ultimately there
will be ten years of high quality surface and upper air weather
observations, as well as hemispheric grid point analyses. The
observations are generated by approximately 5000 surface and
1200 upper air stations, distributed all over the world.
The data is to be available via the datacomputer, a specialized
node of the ARPA Network that is dedicated to the management of
shared data bases and designed to accommodate large ones. The
datacomputer, currently under development by Computer Corporation
of America (CCA), will provide services* for the use of these
data bases, including the weather data.
A working group has been formed to design the data base,
coordinate its implementation with the development of the
datacomputer, plan testing, project uses, and resolve a variety
of technical issues associated with its size and complexity.
Prospective users, working members, or interested parties should
contact:
Dale H. Stern
Computer Corporation of America
575 Technology Square
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
617-491-3670
* See RFC 219
[ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
[ into the online RFC archives by BBN Corp. under the ]
[ direction of Alex McKenzie. 12/96 ]
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Introduction
RFC 251 announces the availability of weather data from the US Air Force Environmental Technical Applications Center (ETAC) for the ARPA Network. The dataset ultimately will contain ten years of high-quality surface and upper-air weather observations, generated by approximately 5,000 surface and 1,200 upper-air weather stations distributed worldwide, plus hemispheric grid point analyses.
The Air Force is sharing years of weather measurements from thousands of stations around the world on the computer network.
§2The Datacomputer Node
The data is made available through the datacomputer, a specialized node of the ARPA Network dedicated to managing shared databases and designed to accommodate large ones. The datacomputer, then under development by Computer Corporation of America (CCA), will provide services for accessing these databases, including the weather data.
A special computer on the network is built just to store and hand out big databases like this one.
§3The Working Group
A working group has been formed to design the database structure, coordinate its implementation with datacomputer development, plan testing, project potential uses, and resolve technical issues associated with the database's size and complexity. Prospective users and interested parties are encouraged to participate.
A team is planning how to organize the data, test it and help people use it.
§4Getting Involved
Prospective users, working group members, or interested parties should contact Dale H. Stern at Computer Corporation of America, 575 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, or call (617) 491-3670. The RFC refers to RFC 219 for more details about the datacomputer's service model.
If you want to use the weather data or help design it, call or write Dale Stern in Cambridge.