Towards a global data network for the geosciences
Abstract
Efforts around the world are converging towards creation of an integrated global digital data network for the geosciences based on common standards and protocols for data discovery and access, and a shared vision of a distributed, web-based, interoperable system. Commonalities include use of OGC-compliant standards and GeoSciML as the data interchange mechanism. The Geosciences Information Network (GIN; usgin.org) is linking databases in the U.S. state geological surveys (AASG) and the USGS. The USGS Data Integration Council is working to resolve the challenges in linking data resources from all of its four branches - geology, geography, water, and biology. GIN has been adopted as the data exchange mechanism for the U.S. Department of Energy-funded National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). All data generated by new DOE-funded geothermal projects will have to be available through the NGDS. Critical system components include a standardized catalog services to register and discover resources, web map service to display georeferenced images, and feature services to transport data. Open Geospatial Consortium service components are being used to meet all of these requirements. The Catalog Service for the Web (CSW) ISO 19115 profile provides services to search metadata registries and obtain results in a standard format. The GIN project is participating in the Energy Industry Metadata Standards Working Group, with representatives from the upstream petroleum industry, to develop an industry metadata profile that is compatible with metadata services for other geoscience domains. The OneGeology protocol to build an online digital geologic map of the world has 109 participating countries as of 1 September 2009, providing various nation-scale geologic maps using OGC WMS service (onegeology.org). These map services demonstrate the maturity of the WMS for production-level data publication. OneGeology - Europe (1G-E) is a European Commission project in which 29 national geological surveys and organizations are collaborating to build a continent-wide geoscience data network. Emerging practices from OneGeology, 1G-E, and GIN provide a foundation for the next step in creating a global digital data network of geoscience information. This next step will provide structured data for geoscience features using OGC Web Feature Services utilizing GeoSciML as the data transport schema. A prototype global data network is emerging as more users and providers adopt these growing common standards, protocols, and procedures. Growth of this community of practice is attracting the attention of leading software developers including Microsoft Research, ESRI (ArcGIS), Schlumberger-MetaCarta, and others, presenting opportunities to integrate geoscience network capabilities with widely used software.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFMIN43E..05A
- Keywords:
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- 1904 INFORMATICS / Community standards;
- 1908 INFORMATICS / Cyberinfrastructure;
- 1934 INFORMATICS / International collaboration;
- 1936 INFORMATICS / Interoperability