Developing the Canadian Geoscience Knowledge Network: A distributed, standardsbased Multiagency Geos

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Developing the Canadian Geoscience Knowledge
Network A distributed, standards-based
Multi-agency Geoscience Information System
James Rupert GSC / CGKN

• CGDI Application Communities Technical Workshop,
  8-9 July, 2003

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Outline

• The CGKN Vision and Guiding Principles
• CGKN Development progress and plans
• Issues, Obstacles, and Opportunities

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Geoscience Information Management in Canada

• Geoscience data held by 13 government agencies.
• Digital data in diverse agency and project
  databases.
• Few accepted standards for format, structure or
  terminology.
• Coordination by the National Geological Surveys
  Committee.

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The VisionThe Canadian Geoscience Knowledge
Network (CGKN)A distributed geo-library
linking geoscience information from all 13
federal and provincial agencies
CGKN
The geoscience component of CGDI
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Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure

• GeoConnections is the initiative which will
  build the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure
  and supporting services

http//geoconnections.org/
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• CGKN Guiding Principles
• Data distributed interoperable
• Adoption of international standards
• Agencies control participation / data access
• Incremental evolutionary development
• Staged development
• a) Discovery,
• b) Evaluation / Visualization,
• c) Access

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CGKN Progress

• 1) On-line Discovery CGKN Data Catalogue
• 2) Visualization CGKN Web Map Services
• 3) Progress with content standards and map
  integration techniques

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Phase 1 Data Discovery ...

• Goal
• - On-line discovery of NGSC agency data through
  CGKN and CGDI services
• Current Initiatives
• - CGKN Data Catalogue Project
• - Additional agency collections being added

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CGKN On-line Geoscience Data Catalogue

• Goal Directory of all Canadian government
  geoscience data and an enhanced on-line search
  engine.
• Method
• a) Developed common FGDC metadata profile
• b) Prepared tools and documentation
• c) Funded agencies to create catalogues
• d) Implemented CGKN search portal

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CGKN On-line Data Catalogue
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Phase 2 Data Visualization ...

• Goal On-line visualization and integration of
  data through CGKN and CGDI services
• Approach
• Improve data consistency (national standards)
• Place key data online for viewing via CGKN/CGDI
  services
• CGKN Web Map Server

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CGKN Web Map Server

• Compatible with OGC WMS services
• On-line viewing and integration of compliant
  layers from provinces and the GSC
• Current layers
• - Bedrock geology - Surficial geology -
  aeromagnetic imagery
• - Satellite imagery - Roads, hydrology -
  radiometric imagery
• Interoperable with CGDI and other common
  services (forestry, agriculture, etc. )

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CGKN Web Map Server ...1

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CGKN Web Map Server 2

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Phase 3 Access ...

• Goal Internet access to geoscience data.
• Currently each agency controls access to their
  data
• GSC, building free Internet access to specific
  data sets (maps and magnetic grid data)
• Future Web Feature Service

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Lessons Learned

• Keep it simple.
• Communication.
• Carrots.

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Needs

• WMS legends, server client (OGC styled layer
  descriptor)
• Standard science language
• Efficient method of transferring large amounts of
  spatial information
• Funding for sustainability

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What Next ...

• Continue to enhance the CGKN Data Catalogue
• Communication and promotion
• Proceed with discipline standards workshops
• Increased focus on viewing and delivering data
  online.

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Issues, Obstacles,

• Demographics/funding of geological surveys
• Increasing scientific involvement and recognition
• Sustainability and culture change
• Content standards still not adequately defined.
• Conflicting IM requirements at different
  government levels

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CGKN Home Pagehttp//cgkn.net