The Alpine Environmental Data Analysis Centre (www.alpendac.eu) – A Component of the Virtual Alpine Observatory (VAO) (www.vao.bayern.de)

<p>The &#8220;Alpine Environmental Data Analysis Centre&#8221; (AlpEnDAC) is a research data management and analysis platform for research facilities around the Alps and similar mountain ranges. It provides the computational infrastructure for the Virtual Alpine Observatory (VAO), which is a research network of European high-altitude research stations (http://www.vao.bayern.de).</p><p>&#160;</p><p>Within the scope of previous work, the platform was developed with the focus on research data and metadata management as well as analysis and simulation tools. It offers the possibility to store and retrieve data securely (data-on-demand), to share it with other scientists and to interpret it with the help of computing-on-demand solutions via a user friendly web-based graphical user interface. The AlpEnDAC allows the analysis and consolidation of heterogeneous data sets from ground-based to satellite instruments.</p><p>&#160;</p><p>In a further development phase, launched on 1 August 2019, the existing services of the AlpEnDAC will be supplemented by new components in the fields of user support and quality assurance. Furthermore, the modelling and analysis software portfolio will be extended, focusing on the development of innovative services in the fields of service-on-demand and operating-on-demand as well as the integration of new data sources and measurement instruments.</p><p>&#160;</p><p>The AlpEnDAC helps environmental scientists to benefit from modern data management, data analysis, and simulation techniques. The VAO network, now including ten countries (Austria, France, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic) is an ideal and exciting context for developing the AlpEnDAC with researchers.</p><p>&#160;</p><p>This project receives funding from the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection.</p>