Add Support for Intake ESM Catalogues in ESMValCore / ESMValTool

[rbeucher]

Description:

It would be valuable to build a mechanism within ESMValCore/ESMValTool to support Intake ESM catalogues (https://github.com/intake/intake-esm), which would extend to the ACCESS-NRI intake catalogue (https://access-nri-intake-catalog.readthedocs.io/en/latest/). Supporting Intake ESM would facilitate better data discovery and access, streamlining the process for users working with data collections hosted on platforms such as NCI.

There have already been several discussions regarding this topic:

• https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/CMIP7-Hackathon/issues/32
• https://github.com/ESMValGroup/ESMValCore/pull/1218
• https://github.com/ESMValGroup/ESMValCore/issues/31

We aim to retain the current user interface of ESMValCore/ESMValTool, so any support for Intake ESM should involve mapping facets to the structure used in Intake catalogues. This will ensure a smooth and consistent user experience while leveraging the flexibility of Intake ESM for cataloguing and accessing data.

Proposed Approach:

• Begin with adding support for the CMIP Intake catalogue on NCI, focusing on the fs38 and io10 data collections.
• Investigate the possibility of incorporating the ESGF Intake catalogue as well, which could broaden the data access capabilities of ESMValTool.

Next Steps:

• Assess how facets in ESMValTool can be mapped to the structure of Intake catalogues.
• Collaborate with the Intake ESM team to ensure seamless integration and to address any challenges.

[rbeucher]

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