Design of an image analysis website for phenological and meteorological monitoring

Web camera image databases and web-based services can be valuable components for a variety of modelling applications, but are still areas of relatively new exploration. Investigating design and information flow for an online image archive and analysis site for plant phenology and meteorological research has broader relevance to considerations of interoperability and website features. Currently, numerous online weather cameras provide images, but have no or limited-utility archives and do not support quantitative image analysis. We describe the design and implementation of a website (http://zulu.geog.ucsb.edu/Data/camera.html) that both provides different display options for archived image review, as well as the ability to chart time-series values extracted for user-specified regions of interest. This interface is distinguished by content-enabled charts with the ability to click on data points and directly access the corresponding image for reference purposes. A linked website to the meteorological data from the camera station further extends the potential for exploratory analysis and pedagogical utility. Online quantification of the color change related to plant senescence and insolation impacts due to cloud cover are demonstrated. We conclude that dynamic web pages are a powerful and useful tool for adding educational and scientific value to repeat digital photography systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.