Long Term Data Preservation and applications of Nimbus 7 - Coastal Zone Color Scanner dataset

1 1 . Introduction _____________________________________________ This work analyzes the problem of the preservation, storage and exploitation of dataset resulting by Remote Sensing / Earth Observation satellite-based missions. The question is treated with respect to the data relating to the NASA ‘s historical mission NIMBUS 7- CZCS (Coastal Zone Color Scanner) launched in 1978 and operational until 1986. It will be evaluated also the possibility to utilize such data for environmental applications of remote sensing doing a comparison with most recent data derived from a current or recent Earth Observation mission. The first step to perform, once completed the recovery of all the datasets available in ESA, “third parts” and worldwide acquisition stations archives consists in creating a data-inventory in accordance to the European LTDP Common Guidelines on the treatment and preservation of historical missions datasets. This document, in fact, together with the PDSC - Preserved Data Set Content on the Earth Observation preserved dataset content, describes all the requirements that the database/inventory should have. Thanks to this properties the inventory should be modelled with appropriate interface, accessibility and reliability features so that to maintain the capability to exploit in every moment the information and the dataset contained in the database. Once specified the database requirements, it is possible to proceed to the screening of the data found in most disparate places. This information must comply with the specifications of the database and in it properly placed. In this way any future user, at various levels of knowledge, (from a basic user level, where the database will contain the greatest number of information