A step towards harmonization of Soil Information in Europe

“Web Portal to European Soil Database”

Marc Van Liedekerke, Panos Panagos, Jean Dusart

Data• The European Soil Data Base v2 Raster Archive• European Soil Database

Documents• European Soil Bureau Research Reports-Other Research Reports &Papers • European Soil Data Base Map Archive

Applications• SOMIS (SOil Map Internet Server): Standalone web-based application• Map Viewer: Web Mapping Service (WMS) application (OGC compliant)

European Soils by theme• Soil Erosion

ProjectsDevelopment of a prototype for the update of European soil data (INSPIRE)

Mailing list set up in order to keep interested persons up to date with the latest contents on this site. If interested to receive this information, send an email to marc.van-liedekerke@jrc.it

with subject "Inform me about EUSOILS".

Soils Portal: http://eusoils.jrc.it

10k x 10k rasters derived from the 1:1,000,000 ESDB data

Free public access to these degraded but usable data (models)

Raster data files for 73 attributes:• Soil Database Attributes• Pedotransfer Database Attributes

In 2 co-ordinate systems:• GISCO Lambert Azimuth co-

ordinate system• LAEA_ERTS89 INSPIRE Reference

Grid:Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area

Initial point for the development of a prototype system for updating data

Data (1): Raster Archive

Data (2):Distribution of Soil DatabaseSoil Database (distribution version 1) will be available on CD-ROM throughthe OPOCE (by the end of 2004)

Distribution consists of 4 components• Soil Geographical Database of Europe• Pedotransfer Rules database• Soil Profile Analytical database• Database of Hydraulic properties

Distribution version 2 is under construction

Full Database documentation will be available in the Soil Portal:

• Metadata• Database Dictionaries• Attributes coding• Only the Raw data will not be distributed

A repository for European Soil Bureau Network Research Reports (15 reports)

A common place for other research reports and papers (11 reports)

Multilingual versions of Reports (Example: Manual of Procedures Version 1.1)

Documents(1): Research Reports - Papers

Collection of maps representing all attributes:

• Soil Database Attributes• Pedotransfer Database Attributes

PDF format (A3), sizes typically between 1 and 2 MB

Dominant value Maps

For each theme, 3 maps available: • Thematic• Purity: is an indicator of the quality of a

thematic map • Confident:an indicator of the quality of

an attribute value (provided by the contributor)

Documents(2): Map Archive

Example map : volume of stones

Simple Map operations: Zooming, panning, querying, layering

User can view and inspect soil data but cannot download

User friendly application – No need for specific S/W(only web browser)

Fully documented (Contents of European Soil Database CD-ROM)

2 Map applications :• multiple soil related layers (Grouped in 3 categories)• single WRB soil layer

Built with free web mapping software – Open Source (Minnesota MapServer)

Applications: SOMIS (SOil Map Internet Server) Standalone web-based application for the navigation of soil

related maps

Web service and SOMIS (Soil Map Internet Server)

European Soils by theme: Soil Erosion

Place to make available information about Soil themesCD-ROM: Nature & Extent of Soil Erosion in Europe (PESERA project) Pan European Soil Erosion estimates (t/ha/yr) data (from PESERA project)

Applications: Future developments - What is next?

Full development of all the layers (73) derived from SoilGeographical database

Development with ESRI ARCIMS software

• more efficient development and delivery of web mapping application

• more functions in the off-the-shelf user interface

In context of INSPIRE development of two additional map services :

• one for ITALY 1:250,000 or 10km x 10km GRID

• one for a Regional project (maybe Alpine Project) in a smaller scale (1km x 1km GRID)

investigate how these developments can be further adapted to INSPIRE principles.

Accessing, exchanging and delivering spatial data

HOW WE IMPLEMENT THEMINSPIRE PRINCIPLES

Metadata about data (ISO 19115)

Query tools as the ones available in EU GEO Portal

It should be easy to discover available spatial data, evaluate their fitness for purpose and know the conditions applicable to their use.

Access to environmental data of interest to citizen (Public Sector Information Directive) through easy download respecting ownership and property rights

Spatial data needed for good governance should be available under conditions that do not restrict their extensive use.

Bottom-up approach and GRID approach to allow national/regional/local levels to update higher levels by generalization

It must be possible for spatial data collected at one level of public authority to be shared between all levels of public authorities.

Common WRB classification, common projection system (LAEA/ETRS89), harmonization of SMU limits with agreed base map (EuroGeographics)

It must be possible to combine spatial data from different sources across the EU seamlessly and share them between several users and applications.

Central EU Access: http://eusoils.jrc.it for Pan-European data relevant for European Policies (framework directives)

Spatial data should be stored, made available and maintained at the most appropriate level (avoid duplicates).

How to enforce those “basic principles” at EU, National, Regional and local levels?

• A project of directive (initiated by ESTAT, ENV and JRC/IES/LMU) aiming at creating a legal framework for the establishment and operation of an infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe, for the purpose of formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Community policies at all levels and providing public information

• Practical implementation by Member States supported by the use of technical guidelines or cookbooks prepared by the user community and JRC (based on common industry standards and international organisms such as ISO or CEN).

– Reprojection of European Soil Database in decimal degrees (ETRS89) and LAEA for analysis and display

– Example of raster archive snapped on the Reference GRID– Generation of ISO compliant metadata– WEB Mapping applications for accessing data (while respecting ownership)

• EU SOIL Portal is the contribution of the S&W Unit to the building of a thematic spatial data infrastructure on soils

LAEA/ETRS89 Projection System

• Projection system: Lambert_Azimuthal_Equal_Area

• False_Easting: 4321000 False_Northing: 3210000 Central_Meridian: 10° E Latitude_Of_Origin: 52° N

• Geographic Coordinate System :

ETRS_1989

• Prime Meridian: 0°

Mapping Projections for Europe, Workshop, Marne-la-Vallée, 14-15 December 2000

http://www.ec-gis.org:8080/wecgis/ecgis.dyn_document.show?nome='425’

LAEA EurasiaProjection: Lambert_Azimuthal_Equal_Area

False_Easting: 5071000

False_Northing: 3210000

Central_Meridian: 65° E

Latitude_Of_Origin: 52° N

Common European Reference GRID

• Development of a common reference GRID for reporting and statistical analysis

• Growing interest for soil mapping delivered on a pixel basis (modeling, harmonization issues, updating issues)

• http://gi-gis.jrc.it/ws/grid2003/index.html• http://eusoils.jrc.it/ESDB_Archive/etrs_laea_rast

er_archive/ref_grid_sh_proc_draft.pdf

Workshop recommendations for a common reference GRID

• System simple (supported by common GIS tools on the market)• System hierarchical (metric structure)• Unified European GRID coding system based on the LAEA/ETRS89

coordinate system• Clear and simple relation to the coordinate reference systems

recommended by the Spatial Reference and the Map Projections workshops in Marne la Vallee

• European Territory should be partitioned into units of equal area.• Based on ISO standards• Timestamp• GRID Data model documented• Format of GRID data outputs based on a non proprietary open format.• Metadata are a indispensable component of any future GRID system

Examples of 1 km GRID common datasets

SRTM Elevation data, Corine Land Cover, Eco-pedological map of Italy

Projects(1): Development of Prototype10k x 10k raster derived from the 1:1,000,000 ESDB data

Question:How those grids can be updated?

A proposed 1st

step(methodology): • Regional data providers would

send data in raster format(participatory approach) to JRC

• JRC will then integrate the regional data in updated European rasters.

Is it according to INSPIREprinciples?

Example: WRB_LV1 Soil reference group code (WRB)

Projects(2): Development of Prototype10k x 10k raster derived from the Italian Eco-pedologicalmap (scale 1:250.000)

Data are more accurate and detailed

The 1k x 1k raster Grid is even more accurate

Example: RIF_S1Soil reference group code(WRB)?

Projects(3): Questions -Remarks

All rasters should be produced according to the nested grid system proposedfor the European reference Grid (1k, 10k, 100k…)

All rasters should be produced according to the same co-ordinate system (ETRS_LAEA)

Use of unique labelling of grid cells

The data values provided by the Italian raster should match classes/instructions imposed by the European level

If the European raster is at 10k, should the Italian raster sent be 1k or 10k ?

What should happen at the borders of Italy ? Raster cells overlap with cells from neighbouring countries

How often the data will be updated?

Web services and INSPIRE viewer (accessed through EU Geo Portal) for integrating maps residing on multiple spatial servers

ISO 19115 metadata

COMPLIANT ISO 19115 Metadata

Benefits:

• easier access to relevant data

through queries

•Better assessment of data quality

•Better evaluation of data access constraints

ACCESS to Metadata has to be FREE

Web service accessed through ArcIMS

more efficient development and delivery of web mapping application

more functions in the off-the-shelf user interface

Web services and GIS• Access through a GIS application for additional analysis or

overlaying with additional layers (Corine, DEM, more detailed reference layers)