Building a Global Interoperable Geoscience Information Network

M. L. Allison¹ and Linda C. Gundersen^2
1Arizona Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ
²U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA

Geological surveys have an estimated 3,000 databases that represent one of the largest, long-term information resources on the geology of the USA and collectively constitute a national geoscience data “backbone.” An NSF-supported workshop in February, 2007, among the State Geologists (AASG) and the USGS, recommended that “the nation’s geological surveys develop a geoscience information framework that is distributed, interoperable, uses open source standards and common protocols, respects and acknowledges data ownership, fosters communities of practice, and develops new web services and clients.” The AASG and USGS are jointly pursuing design and implementation of the Geoscience Information Network (GIN).

GIN is taking a modular approach in assembling the network: 1. Agreement on open-source standards and common protocols through the use of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. 2. A data exchange model utilizing the geoscience mark-up language GeoSciML, an OGC GML-based application. 3. A prototype data discovery tool (“National Digital Catalogue” - NDC) developing under the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program. 4. Data integration tools developed by independent projects.

The final report of an NSF workshop in March 2007 on developing a National Geoinformatics System stated that, “It was clear that developing such a system should involve a partnership between academia, government, and industry that should be closely connected to the efforts of the U. S. Geological Survey and the state geological surveys…”

The GIN is collaborating with 1-G Europe, a coalition of 27 European geological surveys designing a continental network comparable to GIN. GIN is closely involved in the IUGS-CGI Interoperability Working Group, further ensuring the network will have broad involvement, be globally connected, and be readily accessible.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas