.MOV - Ocean Observatories Initiative

.MOV Files to be Archived at Beginning of 2024

By ooistaff | June 7, 2023 |

High resolution .MOV files from the Regional Cabled Array’s (RCA) high-definition video camera older than a year will be transferred to a deep archive beginning January 2024. More recent .MOV files up to a year old will remain available for immediate download from the raw data server, while the same files in the smaller .MP4 file format will always be available the raw data server. Once archived, the .MOV files will remain accessible via a request rather than a simple download.

Daily live video streams from the RCA’s camera document the active hydrothermal vent called “Mushroom” in the ASHES hydrothermal field atop Axial Seamount. Scientists are using recordings of the HD video to examine the evolution of the chimney, concomitant changes in the rich biological community that it hosts, and the flow of fluids out of the chimney over time.

[media-caption path="https://oceanobservatories.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/J1262_20200806145917_CAMHD-copy.jpg" link="#"]The high definition camera lights up the Mushroom hydrothermal edifice. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI. V20.[/media-caption]

The .MOV archiving plan is part of an overall plan to store OOI data efficiently and securely to ensure that OOI data users have access to both near real-time and historical data. The plan is important as OOI will eventually need to store and distribute 30 years of data.

“This is really a behind-the-scenes housekeeping issue for most of our data users. But for those interested in having the historical .MOV files readily on hand, we are encouraging them to download footage over the next seven months” explained Craig Risien, Project Manager for the OOI Data Center. “The plan is to archive .MOV files older than one year on a rolling monthly basis. The .MP4 versions of the .MOV files will always be highly available so people will still be able to view and download the footage, they just won’t have instant access to archived high resolution .MOV files.”

For now, users can directly download the .MOV files. Once the archiving process is initiated at the beginning of 2024, a process will be in place to request the archived files.

“We want to give people a long lead time regarding this change so they have adequate time to download whatever .MOV footage they need,” added Risien. “We will have more information about the archiving process as the implementation date draws nearer.”