The Role of Geological Surveys in

Building Geoscientific

Spatial Data Infrastructures

François ROBIDA (BRGM)

Marko KOMAC (EuroGeoSurveys)

Ian JACKSON (BGS - OneGeology)

The mission of Geological Surveys

> At regional or national level the

collection of information on the state of

the solid Earth and its processes is

normally mandated to Geological

Surveys

> Geological Survey Organisations are

responsible for the acquisition,

management and delivery of geological

data and information

> 2

… in areas such as :

> natural resources related to the subsurface of

the Earth (energy, including geothermal energy;

minerals, water, underground space)

> the identification of natural hazards of geological

origin, their monitoring and the mitigation of

their impacts (earthquakes, natural emissions of

hazardous gases, landslides and rockfalls, land

subsidence, shrinking and swelling clays)

> environmental management, waste management

and disposal

> …

> 3

In Europe

> EuroGeoSurveys (EGS), The Association of

Geological Surveys of Europe,

represents 33 Member Organizations, (over

20.000 specialists working in numerous

applications of geosciences)

> EuroGeoSurveys aims at providing the

European Institutions with expert, neutral,

balanced and practical pan-European

advice and information

> 4

A strong commitment of European Geologicial

Surveys to build SDIs

1. INSPIRE

2. Standardisation activities

3. OneGeology and OneGeology-Europe

4. EGDI

> 5

A strong commitment of European Geologicial

Surveys to build SDIs

1. INSPIRE

2. Standardisation activities

3. OneGeology and OneGeology-Europe

4. EGDI

> 6

European Geological Surveys and INSPIRE

> EGS has been involved in the preparation and

development of INSPIRE since its inception, and is

contributing to its technical design

> Main or major contributor for INSPIRE themes (and

data specification):

• Geology

• Soils

• Natural risk zones

• Mineral resources

• Energy resources

> Important actors of national SDIs together with

Mapping Agencies and other organisations

> 7

A strong commitment of European Geologicial

Surveys to build SDIs

1. INSPIRE

2. Standardisation activities

3. OneGeology and OneGeology-Europe

4. EGDI

> 8

An international standard developed through an international

collaboration for geologic data interoperability

- International Union of Geological Sciences

- Commission for the Management and Application

of Geoscience Information

- Interoperability Working Group

GeoSciML : a data exchange

standard for geological information

Modelling geology (2D and 3D)

- geologic units (the Dakota Sandstone)

- geologic structures (fault, fold, …)

- earth materials (sandstone)

- boreholes

Based on international standards

- Geographic Information (ISO)

- Geography Markup Language (OGC)

- Observations & Measurements (OGC)

GeoSciML

GeologicUnit CompositionPart

MetamorphicDescription

PhysicalDescription

WeatheringDescription

GeologicFeature MappedFeature

GM_Object

SpatiallyExtensiveSamplingFeature

GeologicStructure

GeologicFeatureRelation

ControlledConcept

GeologicEvent

GeologicUnitPart

NetSlipValue

ShearDisplacementStructure

DuctileShearStructure Fault Fold FoldSystem FaultSystem

Lineation Foliation

Layering

NonDirectionalStructure

DisplacementValue

SeparationValue SlipComponents

Contact

Mineral

EarthMaterial

MaterialRelation

ConstituentPart

ParticleGeometryDescription

InorganicFluid

OrganicMaterial CompoundMaterial

StratigraphicLexicon AnyEntity

VocabRelation AnyDictionary

AnyDefinition

GeologicVocabulary

AnyFeature

CV_DiscreteCoverage

SamplingPoint Specimen

Observation

SurveyProcedure

SamplingFeature

SamplingCurve

SamplingFeatureRelation

DiscreteCoverageObservation

Borehole BoreholeCollar

BoreholeDetails

CGI_TermValue

CGI_TermRange

CGI_Vector CGI_NumericValue

CGI_Value

CGI_LinearOrientation CGI_NumericRange

CGI_GeometricDescriptionValue

CGI_PrimitiveValue CGI_Range

CGI_Term CGI_Numeric

CGI_PlanarOrientation

Vocabularies Features Sampling Features

Structures

Geologic Units

Values Earth Materials

… and similarly : ERML - Earth Resource ML

> An international standard for data

exchange for mineral resources

A strong commitment of European Geologicial

Surveys to build SDIs

1. INSPIRE

2. Standardisation activities

3. OneGeology and OneGeology-Europe

4. EGDI

> 13

OneGeology

Building a global geological SDI…

A award WINNER

• A project to make web-accessible geological map

data worldwide

• Initiated by BGS in 2006 as a geological survey

contribution to the UN International Year of Planet

Earth

• World-leading example of liberating science data for

the benefit of society

• Deploying cutting-edge web mapping technologies

• Now being delivered by 117 geological surveys

worldwide

OneGeology

Objectives

• Make existing geological map data accessible

– in whatever digital format is available in the

participating country

• Transfer know-how to those who need it

• Adopt an approach that recognizes that different

nations have differing abilities to participate

• Stimulate interoperability = data sharing

• Stimulate harmonisation = scientific consistency

Who funds it?

€3.25 million for 20 nation OneGeology-Europe

project 2008-2010 (supporting the European SDI -INSPIRE)

$700 000 for Geoscience Information Network

for 50 US State geological surveys

Support of geological survey staff and data around the

world….. ….but also

Additional funding for coordination and data portal

How it works - the technology

• State-of-the-art…but straightforward and open to all

• Distributed dynamic system – each nation serves its

data, or works with a “buddy” survey

• Open global (OGC) standards – Web Map Services

and Web Features Services

• User needs only an internet browser

An operational system - not an experiment

• Portal and catalogue allow discover, view, zoom,

pan, interrogate, download…. and transfer to Google,

or wherever

• Many data services: 229 WMS and 23 WFS data

layers from 57 data providers

• Help desk and extensive easy to use documentation

• 1-5 Accreditation scheme which defines service

levels which must be met

(Michelin Stars for rocks – edible geology!)

• Users in research, education and commerce

138 organisations from 117 countries

http://portal.onegeology.org

More than 250 national and state datasets

being served by geological surveys across the world

http://portal.onegeology.org

Evolving from national and small scale to large

scale, local, applied and flexible

The OneGeology-Europe project

An excursion to Europe - OneGeology-Europe

4 harmonised WMS (Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia) with two different legends

Custom map of lithology and/or age

Creation of new

maps in real time

from 20 WMS

sharing a common

interchange data

model and common

vocabularies

Geologic units with sandstone (colour: yellow)

20 national WMS are

requested to deliver a map

using the user defined SLD

(customised legend)

Custom map

OneGeology services accessible in

EuroGeoss / GEOSS

Transferring know-how…..

……to those who need it

Technical workshops Web resources

A strong commitment of European Geologicial

Surveys to build SDIs

1. INSPIRE

2. Standardisation activities

3. OneGeology and OneGeology-Europe

4. EGDI

> 34

EGDI : European Geological Data Infrastructure

> A new European Project , building on OneGeology-Europe

infrastructure

> Supported by EuroGeoSurveys (EGS)

> EGDI will provide the backbone for serving interoperable,

pan-European geological data currently held by GSOs,

and data from past, ongoing and future European projects.

> EGDI-Scope will focus on: • 1. Developing connections with and gathering user requirements from EGDI

end-users;

• 2. Selecting and prioritizing datasets producing maximum societal benefit;

• 3. Technical design

• 4. Models for governance and future funding of the EGDI

> Kick-off in June 2012

> 35

François ROBIDA

f.robida@brgm.fr

… visit us on our booth…