Global Change Data Base Training Exercise Manual. Exploring Earth's Environment,Africa as an Example

摘要

The manual attempts to provide economical and convenient ways for researchers andschools to explore the global environment, and to analyze phenomena of global change. The complete package includes the data base (extracted from the Global Change Data Base, supplemented with selected data sets for Africa), documentation for the data base, this workshop manual, and the user's choice of raster Geographic Information System (GIS) including its own documentation and training materials. Up to the present, most research on the global environment has focused on either localized detailed studies (such as with high-resolution satellite imagery), or very coarse-scale (2.5 to 5 degree resolution) regional and global modeling studies primarily of the oceans or atmosphere. In contrast, relatively little has been done at medium scales ranging from 1/4 to 100 km (approximately .3 to 60 arc-minutes), with the exception of pioneering work with the satellite-derived 'vegetation index' and other products derived from NOAA's AVHRR sensor. Other existing data sets at these medium scales are sketchily developed and inadequately accessible in usable form. Yet information at this scale can reveal interesting phenomena that may be significant over nations, regions, continents, and the world. It can provide a useful context for high resolution studies of internal interest to many countries. Thus, it is with the goal of furthering research at this medium resolution, and linking it with work at the two extremes, that the Global Change Data Base has been inspired.