To improve the accessibility of data collected through NERC-funded research, or managed by NERC data centres, we have been collecting feedback on the user experience of our various web data portals so as to improve the navigation of access these data.
To help gather this feedback we run ‘Data Trails’, where we set some quizzes and a challenge to participants to locate certain data on given web data portals – the results are really helpful! We therefore invite you to take part in our Environmental Data Discovery Trails. Although there may not be a live ‘trail’ running at the moment, you can click on the events below to enter an archived quiz, which will ask you to navigate a website and find the information linked to each challenge. When the events were run, those that completed all of the feedback boxes were entered into a prize draw for a reward. We gave out approximately 100 exclusive NERC water bottles . More information was provided alongside each trail. All the feedback was sent anonymously to the organisational website accessed.
The 4th quiz designed by BAS was focused at schools but anyone is welcome to take part in any of the archived trails. They will stay online for you to enjoy.
Please note the quiz is best in a modern browser, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox – and not IE!
| Dates | Event | Organisations hosting the data |
 Download the Data processing with Snap Trails Brochure |
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March/April 2022 – finished  |
Data processing with Snap! | BAS (PDC) |
| Download the Going underground Digital Trails Brochure |
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| September 2021 – finished |
Going underground | BGS |
| Download the From present to past meteorology around the globe Digital Trails Brochure |
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| April 2021 – finished |
From present to past meteorology around the globe | Met Office and CEDA |
| Download the From the river catchment to deep ocean Digital Trails Brochure |
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| November 2020 – finished |
From the river catchment to deep ocean |
UKCEH and BODC |
Not sure who the five NERC data centres are or what disciplines they cover? Then take a look at their websites:
- British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) (Marine)
- Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA) (Atmospheric, Earth Observation, and Solar and space physics)
- Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC) (Terrestrial and freshwater)
- National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) (Geoscience)
- Polar Data Centre (PDC) (Polar and cryosphere)
GDPR Statement
The NERC Digital Trails are being administered on behalf of NERC by staff at Cranfield University. The Cranfield University Privacy Policy is available online here https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/about/governance-and-policies/policies-and-regulations/privacy-policy. This policy shall govern the way we supervise the data you have provided.