635 



n. Scientific Utility of Specific Data 



A. OVERVIEW 



This chapter will assess the potential for important scientific 

 applications of the various data sets and capabilities described 

 to us by the Navy. The Navy data that were reviewed, 

 evaluated, and found to be the most promising are identified in 

 Table 4. We have tried to include enough detail relating to 

 each data set to support a reasoned judgment of individual 

 importance. Each section in this chapter deals with one data set: 

 (1) data description, (2) accessibility, (3) potential scientific 

 utility, and (4) a summary of our findings. 



Additional consideration was given to 



• Generalized Digital Environmental Model (GDEM) 



• Arctic Buoy Program 



• Comprehensive Environmental Assessment System (CEAS / 



• Acoustic Data and Acoustic Sensing of the Ocean 



and a discussion of each of these i 

 this chapter. 



contained in Section E of 



Release of the Navy's classified oceanographie data will lead to 

 the greatest scientific rewards if environmental scientists have 

 access to the original measurements, as with normal scientific 

 practice. However, the Navy has processed many of these data 

 into many different and very useful forms, for example. 



compiling measured data into ocean provinces or gridded 

 databases that essentially constitute a form of derived product. 

 Many of these "derived forms" have potential scientific utility 

 nearly as great as the original data. A good example of such an 

 instance concerns bathymetry. While it is possible to envision 

 scientific applications that would require the original data (i.e., 

 acoustic soundings from a multibeam profiler) we conclude 

 that a derived product (the gridded databases developed by the 

 Navy) will generally be the most widely useful form and will be 

 the basis of our finding related to bathymetry. 



Since all 10 of the data sets listed in Table 4 are restricted or 

 classified, in whole or in part, we have described our 

 understanding of the "accessibility" of each data type. Use of 

 some data is restricted because of the process used to obtain it, 

 or because the data were obtained through an international 

 bilateral agreement. Other data are classified because they have 

 more direct ties to U.S. Navy forces and their operations. 



This MEDEA study has only tried to clarify how these Navy 

 data sets, obtained for use by operational forces, might be used 

 for scientific purposes. We did not try to make any judgment 

 about data classification, and we are not attempting to assess the 

 utility of these data for their originally intended purposes — 

 support of Navy operations. 



Table 4. Categorization of Data Sets Examined 



