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The Common Infrastructure of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) applying a brokering approach
Building: Grand Hotel Mediterraneo
Room: Sala dei Continenti
Date: 2013-10-30 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Last modified: 2013-10-05
Abstract
The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) provides decision-support tools to a wide variety of users. This ‘system of systems’ proactively links together existing and planned observing systems around the world and supports the development of new systems where gaps currently exist (http://www.earthobservations.org/geoss.shtml).
GEOSS aims to empower the international community to protect itself against natural and human-induced disasters, understand the environmental sources of health hazards, manage energy resources, respond to climate change and its impacts, safeguard water resources, improve weather forecasts, manage ecosystems, promote sustainable agriculture and conserve biodiversity. The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating efforts to build GEOSS (http://www.earthobservations.org/about_geo.shtml).
GEOSS is simultaneously addressing nine areas of critical importance to people and society, as well as 14 cross-domains areas called Communities of Practices (CoP). Biodiversity and Ecosystems are two of the nine areas addressed by GEOSS. The System of Systems aims to empower the international community to protect itself against natural and human-induced disasters, understand the environmental sources of health hazards, manage energy resources, respond to climate change and its impacts, safeguard water resources, improve weather forecasts, manage ecosystems, promote sustainable agriculture and conserve biodiversity.
The GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) is a framework to share data at the regional and global levels among earth observing systems serving different disciplines and applications. GCI is not another data infrastructure, it is a brokering infrastructure. This means it connects existing earth observing systems and data infrastructures without either Data Providers or Users needing to make any change to their technology or standards. Through the GCI, GEOSS makes Providers data and information widely discoverable and accessible and allows Users to find and access earth observation and in-situ data and information.
At the end of 2011, GCI adopted a brokering approach: in a multidisciplinary and global domain, t is unrealistic to expect that all software components use the same specification to interoperate. Brokers provide the bridge between Communities using different specifications -or different (valid) implementations of the same specifications. Having diverse communities is a strength, each with their own standard. So while there is a drive to adopt common specifications, e.g., standards, this singularly will unlikely be achieved for complex and global
domain -like the multidisciplinary Earth Sciences domain. Brokers and standards are complementary to carry out interoperability and in an effective and sustainable way.
As a result of the brokering approach, GCI presently interconnects important heterogeneous and autonomous infrastructures and capacities (e.g. WIS, SeaDataNet, PANGAEA, GBIF, GCMD, OneGeology) providing the discoverability and (in several cases) accessibility to millions of data. This is an extremely valuable capability to underpin Earth System Science research and address Global Changes.
GEOSS aims to empower the international community to protect itself against natural and human-induced disasters, understand the environmental sources of health hazards, manage energy resources, respond to climate change and its impacts, safeguard water resources, improve weather forecasts, manage ecosystems, promote sustainable agriculture and conserve biodiversity. The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating efforts to build GEOSS (http://www.earthobservations.org/about_geo.shtml).
GEOSS is simultaneously addressing nine areas of critical importance to people and society, as well as 14 cross-domains areas called Communities of Practices (CoP). Biodiversity and Ecosystems are two of the nine areas addressed by GEOSS. The System of Systems aims to empower the international community to protect itself against natural and human-induced disasters, understand the environmental sources of health hazards, manage energy resources, respond to climate change and its impacts, safeguard water resources, improve weather forecasts, manage ecosystems, promote sustainable agriculture and conserve biodiversity.
The GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) is a framework to share data at the regional and global levels among earth observing systems serving different disciplines and applications. GCI is not another data infrastructure, it is a brokering infrastructure. This means it connects existing earth observing systems and data infrastructures without either Data Providers or Users needing to make any change to their technology or standards. Through the GCI, GEOSS makes Providers data and information widely discoverable and accessible and allows Users to find and access earth observation and in-situ data and information.
At the end of 2011, GCI adopted a brokering approach: in a multidisciplinary and global domain, t is unrealistic to expect that all software components use the same specification to interoperate. Brokers provide the bridge between Communities using different specifications -or different (valid) implementations of the same specifications. Having diverse communities is a strength, each with their own standard. So while there is a drive to adopt common specifications, e.g., standards, this singularly will unlikely be achieved for complex and global
domain -like the multidisciplinary Earth Sciences domain. Brokers and standards are complementary to carry out interoperability and in an effective and sustainable way.
As a result of the brokering approach, GCI presently interconnects important heterogeneous and autonomous infrastructures and capacities (e.g. WIS, SeaDataNet, PANGAEA, GBIF, GCMD, OneGeology) providing the discoverability and (in several cases) accessibility to millions of data. This is an extremely valuable capability to underpin Earth System Science research and address Global Changes.