datEAUbase Schema Documentation.¶

1. Overview¶

1.1 Purpose¶

datEAUbase is a relational database designed to:

Centralize water quality data from multiple sources (online sensors, laboratories, manual observations)
Document measurements with comprehensive metadata (who, what, where, when, how, why)
Ensure data traceability from physical sensor to final storage
Keep track of data as it gets processed to improve its quality.
Maintain historical records of equipment usage, research projects, and site evolution

2. Functional Domains¶

The database is organized into several functional domains:

Domain	Tables	Description
Metadata and Values 3	Core measurement data and context
Instrumentation & Procedures	9	Equipment, models, parameters, and SOPs
Geospatial & Environmental	5	Sites, watersheds, land use characteristics
Projects & Associations	8	Research projects and contacts

3. Database Structure¶

3.1 Core Data Flow¶

value ──▶ metadata (Central Hub linking the value with their specific context)
   │             │
   │             ├──▶ parameter ──▶ unit
   │             ├──▶ equipment ──▶ equipment_model
   │             ├──▶ sampling_points ──▶ site ──▶ watershed
   │             ├──▶ contact
   │             ├──▶ project
   │             ├──▶ purpose
   │             ├──▶ procedures
   │             ├──▶ weather_condition
   │             ├──▶ type_data 
   │             ├──▶ status 
   │             ├──▶ operations 
   │             └──▶ source 
   │
   └──▶ comments

3.2 Key Relationships¶

One-to-One (1:1) - watershed ↔ urban_characteristics - watershed ↔ hydrological_characteristics

One-to-Many (1:N) - equipment_model → equipment - site → sampling_points - project → metadata

Many-to-Many (M:N) via junction tables - equipment_model ↔ parameter (via equipment_model_has_specification) - equipment_model ↔ procedures (via equipment_model_has_procedures) - parameter ↔ procedures (via parameter_has_procedures) - project ↔ equipment (via project_has_equipment) - project ↔ contact (via project_has_contact) - project ↔ sampling_points (via project_has_sampling_points) - equipment ↔ sampling_points (via equipment_has_sampling_points)

4. Key Publications¶

Plana, Q., et al. (2019). "Towards a water quality database for raw and validated data with emphasis on structured metadata." Water Quality Research Journal, 54(1), 1-9.