Datacasting: Integration of Earth Science Data and Information using RSS

Datacasting provides consumers of Earth Science data the ability to extract the files from a data stream that precisely meet a predefined need. For example, “Acquire from a MODIS L2 data stream only the data files that contain information about a wild fire in Southern California”. Our approach to solving this problem has been to take the concept of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds commonly used for delivering regularly changing web content and extending this to represent a stream of data files and deliver regularly changing Earth science data content. In essence, this project is doing for Earth Science what Podcasting has done for audio and video. Where Podcasting extended RSS to revolutionize how users access ongoing audio and video content provided by various media outlets, so too does Datacasting extend RSS to provide users with the ability to download data granules as the data is made available. Moreover, we have taken the concept one step further by creating a solution for filtering on feeds in order to identify precisely the granules of interest based on user-defined criteria. By utilizing customized metadata to seamlessly represent Earth Science metadata, we are providing the ability to view arbitrary scientific metadata within the data feed while maintaining generalized RSS compatibility. By taking this approach with regard to the RSS standard, we are thereby adding the ability to cross-correlate Datacasting and other RSS compliant feeds (e.g., GeoRSS) to create new and useful information.