OurOcean - An Integrated Solution to Ocean Monitoring and Forecasting

OurOcean (http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov) is a web portal developed in JPL to enable users to easily access ocean science data, run data assimilation models, and visualize both data and models. Currently, OurOcean provides both real-time and retrospective analysis of observation data and ocean model simulations in the Pacific Ocean. We are particularly interested in the U.S. West Coastal Ocean with focused areas around Southern California, Central and Northern California, and Prince William Sound in Alaska. OurOcean serves four primary functions: 1) Retrieve, process, and archive real-time in-situ and satellite observation data and model outputs from distributed sources. 2) Produce value-added products by combining multiple data sources. 3) Supply various methods to access and visualize the data and model output. 4) Provide on-demand modeling capability for user to configure his/her own ocean model, submit and monitor the job status, and finally retrieve and visualize the model output. In this paper, we will present the infrastructure of the OurOcean portal, the architecture of the four servers and its underlined technologies. We will also discuss some state-of-the-art web technologies and computing technologies to be incorporated in OurOcean for interactive visualization and on-demand modeling.