The Geomagnetism team of the British Geological Survey (BGS) hosts the World Data Centre for Geomagnetism (Edinburgh). It is a regular member of the World Data System (WDS) an affiliated body of the International Science Council (ISC). It has been certified as a Trustworthy Data Repository by the CoreTrustSeal Standards and Certification Board. Our current certification is available here.

The WDC holds a comprehensive collection of digital definitive geomagnetic data as well as indices of geomagnetic activity supplied from a worldwide network of magnetic observatories. The WDC also holds analogue paper records of geomagnetic observatory yearbooks, and paper magnetograms from UK observatories.

Digital data can be searched, viewed and downloaded from the Observatory Data Portal or accessed programatically via an API.

Misson statement

The mission of the World Centre for Geomagnetism, Edinburgh is to collate, store, and distribute data, and associated metadata, from observations of the Earth's magnetic field. Primarily this consists of definitive geomagnetic data from a worldwide network of magnetic observatories, magnetic indices, and records of magnetic surveys. We aim to make these data openly available for the use of scientists and the public, and to preserve them for future generations.

Activities

We are an active WDC engaging with the geomagnetic community to grow our data collections. We send out an annual 'call for data' to operating observatories and work closely with WDS network member INTERMAGNET to ingest data from their associated observatories. We maintain a list of observatory information on behalf of IAGA Division V - Observatories working group. We aim to improve the metadata associated with observatory data and are working with the geomagnetism community, INTERMAGNET and EPOS to advance this.

List of publications, posters & presentations on WDC activities

History

The World Data Centre (WDC) for Geomagnetism was established in the United Kingdom in 1966. This was operated by the Institute of Geological Science, which later became the British Geological Survey, in Herstmonceux, Sussex. The WDC moved to its current location in Edinburgh in 1977. This was part of the World Data Centre System established by ICSU.

In 2007 BGS agreed to take over responsibility for the Geomagnetic Data Master Catalogue, containing digital minute and hourly mean observatory data, formerly hosted by Danish Meteorological Institute at the WDC for Geomagnetism (Copenhagen). These datasets were transferred to Edinburgh and were incorporated into the WDC for Geomagnetism (Edinburgh).

In 2008, the International Council of Science (now the International Science Council) created the World Data System (WDS) replacing the previous World Data Centre system and the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services. The WDC for Geomagnetism, Edinburgh was accepted as a Regular Member in 2012.