e-infrastructure for collaborative research in atmospheric ... · source: gcos (nov., 2015)...

e-infrastructure for collaborative research in atmospheric physics

in Nigeria

Prof. ’Gbenga Jegede Head, Atmospheric Physics Research Group

Department of Physics & Engineering Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University,

Ile-Ife, NIGERIA.

http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Established in 1962. Faculties – Science, Soc. Sci., Admin, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Education, EDM, Arts & Technology Colleges – Postgraduate, Health Sciences Institutes & Affiliated Centres Student Population – 30,000 approx. Ownership - FG/NUC Vice Chancellor – Prof. Bamitale Omole Website: http://oauife.edu.ng Webometric Ranking: Nigeria (3) - Jan., 2016.

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)



Personnel: Prof. Jegede, Drs. Ayoola, Sunmonu & Abiye, Messers Ajao & Akinola. Technologists/Technicians.

Guiding Philosophy: High-quality research through deployment of research-grade instrumentation.

Local/International Support: – OAU, ARCSSTEE/NARSDA & TETFUND

IPPS (Sweden), AvH (Germany), UBT (Germany) & the EU.

Atmospheric Physics Research Group @ OAU


Atmospheric Physics Lab. @ OAU


(a)

(b)

(d)

(a) Tethered sonde

(b) Eddy covariance

(c) Acoustic sounder

(d) Project vehicle

Available Research Facilities

(c)


OAU-Met Station @ T&R Farm

A major facility for teaching, research & extension services in meteorology

Site: 7.5oN, 4.5oE (Southwest, Nigeria)

Measurement area: 50 m x 60 m

Tropical wet and dry climate

Wet season: April – October

Dry season: November - March


• Nigeria Micrometeorological Experiments (NIMEX) – 2004 to date.

• Dynamics of Aerosol Chemistry Clouds Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) - EU-funded (2013-2018).

• Surface Energy Balance (SEB) studies. • Turbulence characteristics in the SL. • Nocturnal Low-level Jets in the Boundary Layer. • Aerosols • Air Pollution Meteorology.

Postgraduate Students: M.Sc (15), Ph.D (8)

On-going Research Projects


Observational Data @ OAU-Met Station


OAU homepage - http://oauife.edu.ng

OAU Met Station

REN


OAU-Met Station website http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng


• Enables e-education and e-science such as virtual meetings and teaching facilities.

• Community services VoIP, video conferencing services, web based collaboration.

• Inter-institutional collaboration, sharing of large databases and research results

Key Benefits of Belonging to an REN


OAU-Met Station Internet Connectivity (Proposed)

10 km

S/Africa

Optic fibre hook-up

<< 5GHz Wireless router >>

- or -

T & R Farm


Impact of our research to Nigeria and Beyond

Note paucity of reporting stations over Nigeria!

• Provision of additional network of observing stations – AWS & smart sensors • Contribution to the GCOS programme of WMO • Near-real time data capture suggesting better weather forecasts (NIMET) • Creating a digital database that can be accessed for Reg. GCMs and GCMs modelling

Source: GCOS (Nov., 2015)


The Major Challenges

• Power (electricity) related problems • Inadequate funding for instrumentation • Lack of technical manpower • Poor collaboration among African

researchers • Fast and reliable access to databases

(internet connectivity) • NIMET is not meeting some research

needs


E-infrastructure services required

• Digital Meteorological Sensors – AWS (WIMEA) • Fibre optic cabling to OAU-Met Station • Dedicated IP address • 5 GHz Routers (wireless) • GSM Modems and Yagi antennae • Work stations


Open Science

• The OAU-Met station is comprised of a combination of slow and fast response research-grade meteorological sensors (a number of AWS being proposed as part of data archive).

• All data is captured every 10 sec. and stored on Campbell Scientific (CS) dataloggers (model CR1000 series). Array AWS.

• Station data is collected via the 2G/3G cellular data network from CS dedicated server as the web host.

• The retrieved data is transferred to a workstation (at Ile-Ife) and reduced using standard QA/QC procedures.

• Station data (graphical) is displayed on the website – http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng.

• Stations network data demand/exchange is available on request.

• Collaboration on scientific research is encouraged (DACCIWA)

http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng/


Why are we collaborating?

- How do we fit in?

- Handshaking (equipment loan/exchange)

- Networking (value added)

Data

- Who owns the datasets?

- Data exchange protocols

- Commercialization

- INTECU/OAU – http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng

Atmospheric Physics Group/NgREN


Postscript

“e-infrastructure is surely a veritable resource to engender productive collaborative academic research in the atmospheric sciences especially for the underfunded universities in developing countries – possibly, as a rescue!”

….. Remember, the Stone soup story …..

e-infrastructure for collaborative research in atmospheric ... · source: gcos (nov., 2015)...

Documents