The Spanish Polar Data Centre
The CNDP was created in 1999 to fulfill one of the commitments acquired upon signing the Antarctic Treaty, which, in Article III, states that “The Contracting Parties agree to proceed […] to the exchange of observations and scientific results on Antarctica, which shall be freely available.” It was subsequently established in response to Resolution 4 (1998), which mandated that “The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties that have not yet done so establish national Antarctic data centers and link them to the Antarctic Data Directory System.”
The CNDP’s main mission is to manage the metadata and data generated by Spanish polar research, both in Antarctica and the Arctic, in order to ensure their preservation, access, and distribution through useful and interoperable infrastructures.
The CNDP is currently based at the Marine Technology Unit (UTM-CSIC) and follows the guidelines of the Spanish Polar Committee.
Metadata registration
Manual for registering metadata and accessing the system (if you do not have a user, you must register):
Data Policy
The open access movement and the creation of e-infrastructures to support the use of scientific information by the scientific community have recognized the importance of accessibility to research data. These data are recognized as a source of knowledge independent of publications, which can generate new knowledge and could be exploited in an interdisciplinary manner.
Law 14/2011, of June 1, on Science, Technology, and Innovation, refers to the standardization of data management in repositories to facilitate their preservation, access, and distribution (Article 37).
Polar data, especially Antarctic data, due to the obligation implied by Article III of the Antarctic Treaty, have instructions for the deposit and reuse of data available in thematic repositories.
International committees
The CNDP is a member of the following international committees related to polar data management:
Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SCADM)
The SCAR Committee helps facilitate co-operation between scientists and nations with regard to scientific data and advises on the development of the Antarctic Data Management System.
Arctic Data Committee (ADC)
The overall purpose of the ADC is to promote and facilitate international collaboration to achieve the goal of sustainable and open access to Arctic data through useful, usable, and interoperable systems.