Spatial Data Infrastructure Initiatives and the Geoscience Community Jonathon Root Manager, Geoscience Data Management.

Spatial Data Infrastructure Initiatives and the Geoscience Community

Jonathon RootManager, Geoscience Data Management

Scope of AGSO activity:• Petroleum exploration

• Marine zone management

• Geohazards & geomagnetism

• Minerals exploration

+ (environmental geoscience)

Geoscience data needs:Geology (lithology, stratigraphy, structure)Airborne magneticsAirborne radiometrics (4-256 channels)GravityMineral occurrencesGeochronologyGeochemistryRegolithDEMSatellite imagery (TM, Spot)Aerial photographyRoadsRailPopulation centresAirstripsPipelinesDrainageLand tenureMineral and petroleum leasesCultural featuresUtilities (power, water, sewerage, telecoms)Weather

Sources:in-housenational geological surveystate geological surveynational land information groupstate land information groupcommercial providersconsultants

IM applications:GISIPSRDBMSModelling tools

Geoscience hopes of SDIs:

• Improved access to modelling and decision support tools

• Reduced data discovery, access and management costs

• Increased confidence through formalised licence, IP, copyright systems and data custodian responsibilities.

In the mid-1980s

In the late-1990s

Industry developed large data management sections, including GIS, RDBMS and IP experts

Industry downsized by outsourcing or discarding data management ~ not core business.

Private sector:

In the early-1990sIndustry expanded activities in previously high-risk countries.

Public sector (Aust):• Mid 1990s - @ngis, Australian National Geoscience Information System

• Late 1990s - “standards by stealth”, dissemination of database structures, authority tables, data dictionaries etc

• 2000 - CGGC commitment to seamless integration of Commonwealth and State data through “Geoscience Australia”

• Similar commitment underlying AusDIN

AusDIN GDIN

Community State/Territory

Nation World

Data

Information

News agencies

ASDILSDI

ReliefWeb

EMALocal relief

COE - Hawaii

APSDI

Region

GSDI

Theme

Thematic networks:

APDIN

Decisionsupport

* Road and drainage data courtesy of ERSIS

Risk modelling

Issues

• Technology:

slow vendor uptake of web technology

lack of desktop-web transfer tools

(OGC portrayal?)

need data access rather than just delivery

slow development of modelling tools

(eg HAZUS, Ore Deposit models, cf

agriculture)

• Institutional issues:

• licensing, IP, liability, copyright, pricing

GSDI legal working group †

• concentration on data as competitive advantage

• protection of interpretation role (liability?)

Issues (2)

Issues (3)

• Client issues:

• more faith in continuity/quality of supply

• more involvement/feedback

Key points• Geoscience data needs to be integrated with other spatial data for most uses - sector has a lot to gain from SDI.

• User needs have changed across exploration, hazards, land management.

Data management not core business for usersEM focus shift from response to mitigationRequirement for integrated packages - (NLWRA, RFA, Community Risk)

• Information networks may drive SDIs

• People are making money out of SDIs - eg petroleum industry.

• Need a focus on solutions, not just data.

Key points (2)

www.agso.gov.au