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