The World Data Center System - General Information

The World Data Center (WDC) System was established during the International Geophysical Year in 1957 and operated under the auspices of the International Council for Science (ICSU) for the benefit of the international scientific community. ICSU is an international organization in the fields of geoscience and environmental sciences. The WDC system provides an effective mechanism for international exchange of data and information in all disciplines related to the Earth, its environment and the sun. Individual fields of WDC concentrate on one or several disciplines and are operated on a long-term basis in order to:

• acquire data sets for long-term storage
• document data sets
• supply relevant numerical methods and models for data evaluation
• help in acquisition of data which they do not store
• build and distribute catalogs of their data sets
• exchange data sets with other WDCs
• create higher level data and information products according to user specifications
• report to the ICSU-WDC-Panels

Please refer to the WDC main page for a catalogue of all ICSU WDCs.