Geophysical Data Base Variable resolution (GDBV): an object-oriented database for dynamic geo-acoustic data storage

The Geophysical Data Base - Variable resolution (GDBV) is a modern, object-oriented data store that is designed to accommodate the dynamically derived parameters of the Geo-Acoustic Inversion Toolkit (GAIT). Sponsored by the Oceanographer of the Navy (CNO NO96) via PEO (C4I and Space) PMW-155, GAIT/GDBV is a Through-the-Sensor (TTS) program that includes a flexible data model for the assimilation of data at local, regional, and global levels of operation. In addition to its dynamic capabilities, GDBV also includes support for historical database roles similar to the Naval Oceanographic Office's (NAVOCEANO) Low Frequency Bottom Loss (LFBL) database. In order to demonstrate its highly extendable design, this paper explores GDBV's database format and data model. In both the historical and dynamic capacity, GDBV must be capable of evolving with new system specifications. GDBV's multiple levels of organization and object-oriented implementation provide an efficient solution for these requirements. In addition to its dynamic operational requirements, the GDBV database will accommodate the parameter definitions from each of the following Oceanographic and Atmospheric Master Library (OAML) databases: High Frequency Bottom Loss (HFBL), LFBL, MIW Sediments and Roughness, LFBL's N-Layer dataset, and the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington's (APL-UW) GeoAcoustic Bottom Interaction Model (GABIM) Bottom Back Scatter (BBS) database. Support for these static databases enables the future evolution of each individual database into a single broad database that provides a complete description of the ocean bottom. The complete parameter set of GDBV is presented along with a physical representation of the parameters. The overall data flow is very similar to a preceding TTS system, PUMA-TEDS. This working example of GDBV in GAIT reinforces the portability of the database design and the benefits of generic TTS software design. GDBV is a modern database that provides a lightweight, highly portable data store with sophisticated features traditionally offered in large scale database management systems. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the expanding GAIT algorithms, the generic implementation of GDBV will provide a valuable tool for a wide range of environmental data types, including those of future TTS programs.