Term guide

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Hydrologic Monitoring Data and Metadata
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📈
Hydrologic Monitoring Data and Metadata
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Term guide
Required Fields
​DateTime | Latitude | Longitude | InstallationMethod_ID | InstallationMethod_Description​
Optional Fields
​DataFlag | Notes | Depth | Depth_Reference | Elevation | Elevation_Reference | Site_ID | Site_Name |Water_Name | Site_Type | Configuration | DateTime_Start | DateTime_End | UTC_Offset​
​
Required Fields
DateTime
Metadata_Element
DateTime
Required recommended or optional
Required
File
Data File
Description
Date and time of measurement formatted as YYYY-MM-DD hh-mm-ss completed to the known precision.
Format
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss
Format required or recommended
Required
Additional Instructions
Time zone must not change in the middle of the file (i.e., no switch to daylight savings). Time must be in 24-hour format. UTC offset must be reported in a header row in each data file. Date and time can be in separate columns if preferred. DateTime_Start column and a DateTime_End column can be used rather than a single DateTime column if applicable. If time is not relevant to the research, Date alone can be specified. If the measurement is taken over a period of time or is an average of multiple values, the data dictionary should indicate what time has been provided (i.e., "the time stamp indicates the start of the 5 minute averaging period").
Examples
2020-03-25 13:25
Latitude
Metadata_Element
Latitude
Required recommended or optional
Conditional. See additional instructions.
File
Data File or Installation Methods
Description
Geographic location (latitude)
Format
Decimal degrees WGS84
Format required or recommended
Required
Additional Instructions
North/South should be indicated with positive and negative values rather than letters. If the latitude and longitude of the sensors have not been published in a publicly available dataset previously, the latitude and longitude must be reported in either the data file(s) or the installation methods file. If the latitude and longitude of the sensors have been published in a publicly available dataset previously and associated with a site ID unique to the coordinates, the site ID must be reported in either the data file(s) or the installation methods file instead of the coordinates. To reduce potential error across the datasets, this RF recommends you do not also include the previously published coordinates. You must put the reference to the previously published dataset in the FLMD and include the name of the published data column that corresponds directly to Site_ID if not named identically. You may also choose to include the information for the previously published dataset in the data dictionary definition of “Site_ID” and during upload in the ESS-DIVE dataset-level metadata “related references” field. Please note that if you plan to include sensor coordinates that differ from the previously published coordinates associated with the site ID, you should follow the guidance for coordinates not previously published.
Examples
43.319487
Longitude
Metadata_Element
Longitude
Required recommended or optional
Conditional. See additional instructions.
File
Data File or Installation Methods
Description
Geographic location (longitude)
Format
Decimal degrees WGS84
Format required or recommended
Required
Additional Instructions
East/West should be indicated with positive and negative values rather than letters. If the latitude and longitude of the sensors have not been published in a publicly available dataset previously, the latitude and longitude must be reported in either the data file(s) or the installation methods file. If the latitude and longitude of the sensors have been published in a publicly available dataset previously and associated with a site ID unique to the coordinates, the site ID must be reported in either the data file(s) or the installation methods file instead of the coordinates. To reduce potential error across the datasets, this RF recommends you do not also include the previously published coordinates. You must put the reference to the previously published dataset in the FLMD and include the name of the published data column that corresponds directly to Site_ID if not named identically. You may also choose to include the information for the previously published dataset in the data dictionary definition of “Site_ID” and during upload in the ESS-DIVE dataset-level metadata “related references” field. Please note that if you plan to include sensor coordinates that differ from the previously published coordinates associated with the site ID, you should follow the guidance for coordinates not previously published.
Examples
-119.259388
Site_ID
Metadata_Element
Site_ID
Required recommended or optional
Conditional
File
Data File or Installation Methods
Description
ID of site
Format
Alphanumeric
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Additional Instructions
If the latitude and longitude of the sensors have not been published in a publicly available dataset previously, the latitude and longitude must be reported in either the data file(s) or the installation methods file. If the latitude and longitude of the sensors have been published in a publicly available dataset previously and associated with a site ID unique to the coordinates, the site ID must be reported in either the data file(s) or the installation methods file instead of the coordinates. To reduce potential error across the datasets, this RF recommends you do not also include the previously published coordinates. You must put the reference to the previously published dataset in the FLMD and include the name of the published data column that corresponds directly to Site_ID if not named identically. You may also choose to include the information for the previously published dataset in the data dictionary definition of “Site_ID” and during upload in the ESS-DIVE dataset-level metadata “related references” field. Please note that if you plan to include sensor coordinates that differ from the previously published coordinates associated with the site ID, you should follow the guidance for coordinates not previously published.
Examples
SWS-1
InstallationMethod_ID
Metadata_Element
InstallationMethod_ID
Required recommended or optional
Required
File
Installation Methods
Description
Unique user-determined ID for a method described in InstallationMethod_Description. Corresponds to Data File header row section "InstallationMethod_ID"
Format
Alphanumeric
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Additional Instructions
May be listed as a column in data file(s) also.
Examples
DO_012
InstallationMethod_Description
Metadata_Element
InstallationMethod_Description
Required recommended or optional
Required
File
Installation Methods
Description
Free text field that provides a brief description of the approach to sensor installation or deployment. May contain a description of installation/deployment structure or environment.
Format
Text
Format required or recommended
Required
Examples
Sensor deployed to fixed location from top of well casing to 10 m depth. Top of well screen is at 30 m depth from top of casing and extends down 3 m.
Optional Fields
DataFlag
Metadata_Element
DataFlag
Required recommended or optional
Recommended
File
Data File
Description
Indicator of flagged data
Format
Alphanumeric code (defined by user in data dictionary file or a separate file).
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Additional Instructions
Flags to indicate additional information about the measurement. Must be defined in the data dictionary or a separate file. The definition may indicate that flagged values should not be used or why to use them with particular information in mind. If values are missing, it is strongly suggested that a data flag explain why they are missing (e.g., value was below reported range of the sensor; sensor component had expired; sensor was out of the water for maintenance). Flags can be defined in such a way that they refer to one variable or more than one. A single data flag column can be used, or columns for each parameter can be used but must have characters appended to the column header to differentiate the columns.
Examples
DataFlag_01
Notes
Metadata_Element
Notes
Required recommended or optional
Recommended
File
Data File
Description
Any notes the user would like to include.
Format
Text
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Additional Instructions
Can include field conditions (cloud cover, weather), sensor information, field activities, etc. If the installation method deviates from the ID written in the InstallationMethod_ID header row section, the new InstallationMethod_ID pertaining to the deviation can be put in this column if the information is not captured elsewhere.
Examples
Collected samples for lab analyses
Depth
Metadata_Element
Depth
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Depth at which the sensor is deployed
Format
Numeric
Format required or recommended
Required
Examples
10.5
Depth_Reference
Metadata_Element
Depth_Reference
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Reference for depth value
Format
Text
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Examples
meters below ground surface
Elevation
Metadata_Element
Elevation
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Elevation at which the sensor is deployed
Format
Numeric
Format required or recommended
Required
Examples
104.5
Elevation_Reference
Metadata_Element
Elevation_Reference
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Reference datum for elevation value
Format
Text
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Examples
meters above mean sea level (NAVD88)
Site_Name
Metadata_Element
Site_Name
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Full name of site
Format
Text
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Examples
Hanford 300 Area
Water_Name
Metadata_Element
Water_Name
Required recommended or optional
Recommended
File
Installation Methods
Description
Full name of water body
Format
Text
Format required or recommended
Recommended
Examples
Columbia River
Site_Type
Metadata_Element
Site_Type
Required recommended or optional
Recommended
File
Installation Methods
Description
Water body type or local environmental context in which sensor was deployed/installed (controlled vocabulary)
Format
ENVO term and code pasted from website (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols/ontologies/envo)
Format required or recommended
Required
Additional Instructions
One or two word description of the water body in which the sensor was deployed. Required to use ENVO ontology (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols/ontologies/envo) and choose the most specific term possible. Common ENVO terms include fresh water river [ENVO:01000297]; lake [ENVO:00000020]; water well [ENVO:01000002]; groundwater [ENVO:01001004]; freshwater wetland ecosystem [ENVO:00000243]; and coastal wetland ecosystem [ENVO:00000230]. More than one term may be applicable. Pick the best fit for the system.
Examples
fresh water river [ENVO:01000297]
Configuration
Metadata_Element
Configuration
Required recommended or optional
Recommended
File
Installation Methods
Description
Description of the sensor deployment/installation configuration.
Format
Term pasted from controlled vocabulary found in the additional instructions field
Format required or recommended
Required
Additional Instructions
Choose from the following controlled vocabulary: Well; Piezometer; Open water column; Buried in sediment or soil; Surface of sediment or soil; Engineered flow-through structure.
Examples
Well
DateTime_Start
Metadata_Element
DateTime_Start
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Date and time use of installation method ID information began
Format
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss
Format required or recommended
Required
Examples
2020-03-25 13:25
DateTime_End
Metadata_Element
DateTime_End
Required recommended or optional
Optional
File
Installation Methods
Description
Date and time use of installation method ID information ended
Format
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss
Format required or recommended
Required
Examples
2020-03-25 15:45
UTC_Offset
Metadata_Element
UTC_Offset
Required recommended or optional
Conditional
File
Installation Methods
Description
UTC offset of DateTime_Start and DateTime_End.
Format
+/-hh:mm
Format required or recommended
Required
Additional Instructions
Required field if DateTime_Start or DateTime_End fields are listed.
Examples
-02:00
Instructions
Recommended vocabulary
Last modified 5mo ago