Geological applications using geospatial standards – an example from OneGeology-Europe and GeoSciML

Abstract

GeoSciML has been developed to enable the interchange of geoscience information, principally that portrayed on geological maps as well as boreholes. A GeoSciML testbed was developed both to test the implementation of the data model and its application in web services. The OneGeology-Europe project aims to use the GeoSciML data model, and build on the experience of the GeoSciML testbed, in implementing a geoportal for a harmonised geological map of Europe at 1:1 million scale. This involves the integration of web services from twenty participating organisations. An important objective of OneGeology-Europe is to contribute to INSPIRE, both through the development of a geological data specification and the use of the INSPIRE technical architecture. GeoSciML and the OneGeology-Europe project are also steps towards incorporating geoscience data into a Digital Earth. Both the development of GeoSciML, and the implementation of web services for GeoSciML and OneGeology-Europe, have followed a standards based methodology. The technical architecture comprises a geoportal providing access to a CSW catalogue service for metadata describing both the data and services available. OneGeology-Europe will provide both WMS view and WFS download services, which aim to be compliant with the INSPIRE implementing rules.

Using Interactive Virtual Field Guides and Linked Data in Geoscience Teaching and Learning

“…The OneGeology initiative ( http:// www.onegeology.org/ ) is another collaborative research network that aims to enable sharing of data across international projects and national geological survey organisations. It has implemented Geoscience Markup Language (GeoSciML) as part of the underpinning infrastructure to support this (Laxton et al 2010 ). This has, in turn, provided a basis for the development of more detailed taxonomies and ontologies that complement and extend the higher-level work of GEON and Geonames, offering, for example, consistent means of describing phenomena in fl uvial geomorphology, glaciology and different subdivisions of petrology.…”

DOI for geoscience data - how early practices shape present perceptions

“…Hart and Martinez 2006;Schroeder et al 2013) or GeoSciML (e.g. Laxton et al 2010;Sen and Duffy 2005), and as data consumers in pipelines for further processing or as components of monitoring and decision support systems. With increasing connectivity, more data sources will be joining the web, also called the "Internet of Things".…”

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union Volume 95, Number 19, 13 May 2014

“…The project addressed harmonization of spatial data at three levels (structure, content, and geometry) by using common data models, deploying multilingual geoscience vocabularies, and conducting case studies in cross-border regions [Laxton et al, 2010]. The main advantage of harmonization is that the distributed data are presented as a seamless whole, and users can query all data sources concurrently.…”