In this essay, Lance McKee presents his argument (18 reasons) why Earth location-referenced data should be widely available and shared. This essay is the first of three that explore aspects of this topic.
IEEE joined the ad hoc Group on Earth Observations in 2004 to help define an entirely new and “virtual” structure, a Global Earth Observation System of Systems. When completed, GEOSS will provide a framework for Earth observation data collected worldwide by thousands of instruments and in-situ methods. This vast cache of information will be catalogued and made accessible through functional interoperability to ensure that everyone in the world can use it—for free or minimal cost. In this Earthzine interview, Dr. Thomas F. Wiener, Chair of the IEEE Committee on Earth Observation, discusses how IEEE’s involvement with GEO has grown.
The European Commission sponsored project ÛÏGlobal Earth Observation ÛÒ Benefit Estimation: Now, Next and EmergingÛ (GEOBENE) has developed methodologies and analytical tools to assess the societal benefit areas (SBAs) of GEO in the domains of: Disasters, Health, Energy, Climate, Water, Weather, Ecosystems, Agriculture and Biodiversity. This article presents several of these overarching methodologies as a contribution to the ongoing effort to improve GEOSS, and looks to the future via the EuroGEOSS Project.
The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, hurricane and tsunami disasters and ocean ‘health’ issues including ocean acidification highlight the importance of ocean observing systems. The authors provide overview current European (EuroSITES) and international (OceanSITES) initiatives and the growing need for high quality, high resolution ocean datasets to feed models and produce products and services to society.
Created under the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), the Land Surface Imaging (LSI) Constellation’s mission is to promote the efficient, effective, and comprehensive collection, distribution, and application of space-acquired image data of the global land surface, especially to meet societal needs of the global population, such as those addressed by the nine Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs). Developed with the participation of a variety of international agencies, the CEOS LSI Constellation provides access for the community of users interested in mid-resolution optical land remotely sensed data and information.
Dr. Roy Gibson, first Director General of the European Space Agency and the first Director General of the British National Space Centre, made a strong argument for the need of governments to give priority financial and political support to GEO and GEOSS as speaker at the GEO-IGOS Symposium in Washington DC on 19 November 2009. His adapted speech from that event and a biographical introduction are reprinted here.
The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC®) announces a Call for Participation (CFP) in Phase 3 of the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP) issued by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). The CFP documents are available at: http://earthobservations.org/geoss_call_aip.shtml.
The goal of AIRNow-International is to strengthen relationships among governments and international organizations by sharing the technology to transform air quality data into vital information. AIRNow-International is poised to become the centerpiece of the United States Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) real-time air quality reporting and forecasting program. The system is a redesign of the AIRNow information technology infrastructure that distributes current air quality information for the United States and Canada. The AIRNow-International software suite is being built to support and embrace the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) concept.
How does the Group on Earth Observation, referenced throughout these pages, actually work? In this insightful commentary, Michael Williams, GEO External Relations Manager, describes how this voluntary organization of 80 Member countries and 57 Participating Organizations gets the work of realizing GEOSS done.
“As a “system of systems”, GEOSS is composed of contributed Earth Observation systems, ranging from primary data collection systems to systems for the creation and distribution of information products. Although all GEOSS systems continue to operate within their own mandates, GEOSS systems can leverage each other so that the overall GEOSS becomes much more than the sum of its component systems. This synergy develops as each contributor supports common arrangements designed to make shared observations and products more accessible, comparable, and understandable.” In this opinion editorial, George Percivall, chief architect of the GEOSS Interoperability Program, describes the remarkable progress that GEOSS builders have already made.
