Time Series Analyst An Internet Based Application for Viewing and Analyzing Environmental Time Series

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Time Series AnalystAn Internet Based
Application for Viewing and Analyzing
Environmental Time Series

• Jeffery S. Horsburgh
• Utah State University
• David K. Stevens
• Utah State University
• Jon Goodall
• Duke University

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The Problem

• What is the spatial and temporal distribution of
  data available for scientific or management
  studies?
• How do we assemble and explore environmental time
  series data?
• Many different sampling programs, agencies, etc.
• Many different sampling locations, frequencies,
  etc.

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What is the Time Series Analyst?

• Provide a window to explore the available data
• Exploratory Data Analysis
• Distribution (spatial and temporal)
• Density
• Plotting Data
• Generating statistical summaries
• Simple means to slice and dice the data

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Time Series Analyst
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How have we used Time Series Analyst?

• Watershed water quality studies and TMDLs
• Management of water quality data
• Generation of data summary reports
• Delivery of water quality database AND
  visualization tools

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Time Series Analyst Features
Time Series
Histogram
Probability
Box and Whisker Monthly, Seasonal, Annual, and
Overall
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Original Time Series Analyst

• Simple, map based point and click access to data

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Original Time Series Analyst

• MapWindow Plug-in
• Development Environment
• Visual Basic .Net
• Plotting Control Gigasoft ProEssentials
  http//www.gigasoft.com
• Time series data stored in Microsoft Access or
  SQL Server relational database

Access or SQL Server Database
ProEssentials Plotting Control
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Issues and Limitations

• Requires Software Installation
• Database updates
• Software updates
• No facility for realtime or continuous data
  because database is essentially static

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First Internet Based Version http//water.usu.edu
/analyst/
Web Browser Client - anywhere internet
connection is available
Internet
Web Server at USU Running the Time Series Analyst
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First Internet Based Version

• Development Environment
• Microsoft ASP.Net
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Added capability to incorporate realtime sensor
  data
• Addresses issues with client software upgrades
• Coupled with ArcIMS map server to preserve map
  linkages

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SQL Queries passed from Time Series Analyst to
the server database
Query results can be exported to a browser window
or directly to Microsoft Excel
Time Series Data Stored in Microsoft SQL Server
Database
User Interaction through Web Browser
Query results are passed back to the Time Series
Analyst where they are plotted and displayed in
the browser
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How Do We Store and Serve Disparate Monitoring
Data?
Original Relational Database

• Robust
• Interactive
• Simple
• Core Tables
• Stations
• Parameters
• Data

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Storing Disparate Monitoring DataHODM - A More
Robust Schema

• One database schema to store all observational
  data
• CUAHSI Hydrologic Observations Data Model (HODM)
• Generic schema
• Stores metadata
• Data versioning
• Provenance of data

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Using a Served Database Approach

• Advantages
• All types of data under one roof
• Dynamic can be inserting data at the same time
  it is being queried out
• Simplifies data access queries
• Disadvantages
• Design - Will one schema really store all of the
  data?
• Implementation - Not all DBMS are free
• Management - Burden to ensure most recent data

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CUAHSI NWIS Web Serviceshttp//river.sdsc.edu/NWI
STS/NWIS.asmx

• Machine to machine communication of data over the
  internet
• Users can program against NWIS as if it were on
  their local machine
• Replace SQL queries to database with calls to the
  appropriate web service

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Internet
Internet
Server at SDSC running the CUAHSI NWIS Web
Services
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Web Services Based Time Series Analysthttp//wate
r.usu.edu/nwisanalyst/

• Advantages
• No database for us to maintain!
• Doesnt preclude having a local database
• Provides access to any USGS site in the NWIS
  repository!
• Disadvantages of Web Services
• Speed
• Limited Query Ability

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Parameters

• Parameters that can be passed
• Station Name
• Variable/Parameter
• Start Date/End Date
• PlotGraph True/False

http//water.usu.edu/nwisanalyst/default.aspx?Data
baseWQStation10109000Variable00010StartDate
01/01/1975EndDate12/31/1994PlotgraphTrue
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Conclusions

• Stand alone applications and databases can be
  useful, but they are static
• Server based software and databases (HODM) may be
  the answer for our own data, but people may
  prefer to get data direct from national
  repositories rather than our copy
• In terms of Hydrologic Information Systems
• A combination of server based instances of HODM
  and web services for accessing national datasets
  may be the best way to go
• Applications like the Time Series Analyst are
  needed to provide users with the ability to wade
  through the data

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Acknowledgements

• David Stevens The Father of Time Series Analyst
• EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant Bear River Basin
• CUAHSI HIS Project
• EMRG Programming Team