Communications and Computing Science Center

Science information infrastructure and data base for the polar sciences

Director Masaki Okada

Sharing and high-level utilization of the data and information from polar regions

Various observations on a range of research fields are now being carried out in both the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The data obtained by the observations is transferred via a network and stored in digital form. As the observation methods and technologies become more sophisticated and network speed grows faster, the quality and the amount of data continues to increase. The primary task of the Communications and Computing science Center (CCC) in the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) is to operate facilities supporting the scientific activities in the polar regions.

At present, NIPR and Syowa Station in Antarctica have constant internet access via an Intelsat satellite link, and the data from Syowa is directly transferred to NIPR through this high-speed satellite link.

The “Multipurpose Satellite Data Receiving System” at Syowa is operated by CCC, and data from various earth observation satellites is received and transferred to NIPR.

The transferred data from Syowa is archived in the “Polar Science Data Library System (POLARIS)” in NIPR, and transferred to researchers in collaborating universities and institutes via the Science Information Network (SINET). Many of the observation data in the Arctic region is also transferred to NIPR directly via the SINET.

The “Polar Science Computer System” is also operated in CCC to process and analyze observation data and to perform large-scale numerical modeling and simulations for polar sciences.

Other facilities supporting various activities of the Antarctic expedition and NIPR, such as the teleconference system, the telecommunication system between the icebreaker “Shirase” and NIPR, the “Antarctic GIS system”, and the database for research and management information, are also operated by CCC.