e-infrastructure for collaborative research in atmospheric ... · source: gcos (nov., 2015)...

e-infrastructure for collaborative research in atmospheric physics

in Nigeria

Prof. ’Gbenga Jegede Head, Atmospheric Physics Research Group

Department of Physics & Engineering Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University,

Ile-Ife, NIGERIA.

http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Established in 1962. Faculties – Science, Soc. Sci., Admin, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Education, EDM, Arts & Technology Colleges – Postgraduate, Health Sciences Institutes & Affiliated Centres Student Population – 30,000 approx. Ownership - FG/NUC Vice Chancellor – Prof. Bamitale Omole Website: http://oauife.edu.ng Webometric Ranking: Nigeria (3) - Jan., 2016.

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Personnel: Prof. Jegede, Drs. Ayoola, Sunmonu & Abiye, Messers Ajao & Akinola. Technologists/Technicians.

Guiding Philosophy: High-quality research through deployment of research-grade instrumentation.

Local/International Support: – OAU, ARCSSTEE/NARSDA & TETFUND

IPPS (Sweden), AvH (Germany), UBT (Germany) & the EU.

Atmospheric Physics Research Group @ OAU

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Atmospheric Physics Lab. @ OAU

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

(a)

(b)

(d)

(a) Tethered sonde

(b) Eddy covariance

(c) Acoustic sounder

(d) Project vehicle

Available Research Facilities

(c)

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

OAU-Met Station @ T&R Farm

A major facility for teaching, research & extension services in meteorology

Site: 7.5oN, 4.5oE (Southwest, Nigeria)

Measurement area: 50 m x 60 m

Tropical wet and dry climate

Wet season: April – October

Dry season: November - March

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

• Nigeria Micrometeorological Experiments (NIMEX) – 2004 to date.

• Dynamics of Aerosol Chemistry Clouds Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) - EU-funded (2013-2018).

• Surface Energy Balance (SEB) studies. • Turbulence characteristics in the SL. • Nocturnal Low-level Jets in the Boundary Layer. • Aerosols • Air Pollution Meteorology.

Postgraduate Students: M.Sc (15), Ph.D (8)

On-going Research Projects

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Observational Data @ OAU-Met Station

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

OAU homepage - http://oauife.edu.ng

OAU Met Station

REN

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

OAU-Met Station website http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

• Enables e-education and e-science such as virtual meetings and teaching facilities.

• Community services VoIP, video conferencing services, web based collaboration.

• Inter-institutional collaboration, sharing of large databases and research results

Key Benefits of Belonging to an REN

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

OAU-Met Station Internet Connectivity (Proposed)

10 km

S/Africa

Optic fibre hook-up

<< 5GHz Wireless router >>

- or -

T & R Farm

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Impact of our research to Nigeria and Beyond

Note paucity of reporting stations over Nigeria!

• Provision of additional network of observing stations – AWS & smart sensors • Contribution to the GCOS programme of WMO • Near-real time data capture suggesting better weather forecasts (NIMET) • Creating a digital database that can be accessed for Reg. GCMs and GCMs modelling

Source: GCOS (Nov., 2015)

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

The Major Challenges

• Power (electricity) related problems • Inadequate funding for instrumentation • Lack of technical manpower • Poor collaboration among African

researchers • Fast and reliable access to databases

(internet connectivity) • NIMET is not meeting some research

needs

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

E-infrastructure services required

• Digital Meteorological Sensors – AWS (WIMEA) • Fibre optic cabling to OAU-Met Station • Dedicated IP address • 5 GHz Routers (wireless) • GSM Modems and Yagi antennae • Work stations

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Open Science

• The OAU-Met station is comprised of a combination of slow and fast response research-grade meteorological sensors (a number of AWS being proposed as part of data archive).

• All data is captured every 10 sec. and stored on Campbell Scientific (CS) dataloggers (model CR1000 series). Array AWS.

• Station data is collected via the 2G/3G cellular data network from CS dedicated server as the web host.

• The retrieved data is transferred to a workstation (at Ile-Ife) and reduced using standard QA/QC procedures.

• Station data (graphical) is displayed on the website – http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng.

• Stations network data demand/exchange is available on request.

• Collaboration on scientific research is encouraged (DACCIWA)

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Why are we collaborating?

- How do we fit in?

- Handshaking (equipment loan/exchange)

- Networking (value added)

Data

- Who owns the datasets?

- Data exchange protocols

- Commercialization

- INTECU/OAU – http://meteorology.oauife.edu.ng

Atmospheric Physics Group/NgREN

Enabling and improving research output: e-infrastructure and services for African research communities. Lagos, March 11, 2016.

Postscript

“e-infrastructure is surely a veritable resource to engender productive collaborative academic research in the atmospheric sciences especially for the underfunded universities in developing countries – possibly, as a rescue!”

….. Remember, the Stone soup story …..