Towards a Digital Earth: using archetypes to enable knowledge interoperability within geo-observational sensor systems design

Abstract

Earth System Science (ESS) observational data are often inadequately semantically enriched by geoobservational information systems in order to capture the true meaning of the associated data sets. Data models underpinning these information systems are often too rigid in their data representation to allow for the ever-changing and evolving nature of ESS domain concepts. This impoverished approach to observational data representation reduces the ability of multi-disciplinary practitioners to share information in a computable way.Object oriented techniques typically employed to model data in a complex domain (with evolving domain concepts) can unnecessarily exclude domain specialists from the design process, invariably leading to a mismatch between the needs of the domain specialists, and how the concepts are modelled. In many cases, an over simplification of the domain concept is captured by the computer scientist. This paper proposes that two-level modelling methodologies developed by Health Informaticians to tackle similar problems of specific domain use-case knowledge modelling can be re-used within ESS Informatics. A proposed methodology to re-use two-level modelling within geo-observational sensor systems is described. We show how the Open Geospatial Consortium's (OGC) Observations & Measurements (O&M) standard can act as a pragmatic solution for a stable reference-model (necessary for two-level modelling), and upon which more volatile domain specific concepts can be defined and managed using archetypes. A use-case is presented, followed by a worked example showing the implementation methodology and considerations leading to an O&M based, two-level modelling design approach, to realise semantically rich and interoperable Earth System Science based geo-observational sensor systems.

Interoperable Ocean Observing using Archetypes: A use-case based evaluation

“…A data assimilation exercise was performed using the OpenDA toolbox [39]. Further constraining of the now INSPIRE compliant datasets using notional community agreed archetypes and the O&M profile described in [15] and shown in Fig 2 (above) was performed. Data assimilation was again performed using the OpenDA toolbox.…”

“…Systems generate information instances at run-time using operational templates (OPT) that adhere to the archetype model and the underlying reference model. For a more thorough overview of two-level modeling techniques the reader is directed towards [15] and [17].…”

“…Recently the authors have shown how two-level informational modeling techniques may be translated to geo-observational scenarios [14] [15]. The attributes of a two-level based system of the type described in [14] are highly desirable within the ocean observing community.…”

“…The promises of a two-level modeling systems design approach are in keeping with the aims of ODIP, GEOSS [16] and other ocean data interoperability initiatives. In [15] the authors propose a novel technique to enable archetypes, and consequently a two-level modeling approach within technologically constrained ocean observing platforms. In [14] a rudimentary technical validation of the approach is described.…”

Design and implementation of an archetype based interoperable knowledge eco-system for data buoys

“…In-order to help realise the paradigm shift needed to realise a Digital Earth, the authors have previously proposed that techniques known as two-level modelling, developed in the Health Informatics domain to tackle similar problems of how data, information and knowledge concepts are modelled and managed, could applied to the Earth systems science domain [7]; specifically, data buoy platforms [8]. Recently, [9] also acknowledges the potential benefit of a two-level modelling approach to enabling interoperable knowledge sharing in oceanographic systems.…”