Service Based Integration Platform for EarthCube (SBIP-E)

Earthscope Consortium Inc., Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This EAGER award focuses on exploring the feasibility of the implementation of a new paradigm in the development of an integrative and interoperable data and knowledge management system for the geosciences for a new NSF initiative called EarthCube. Led by a team of experts in geoscience data management, this project focuses on developing a loosely coupled web service approach to allow geoscience data repositories to more effectively make their data holdings discoverable and available to the public. One project goal will be to test the utility of the RESTful (representative state transfer) approach. Its target will be more to link together of disparate geoscience data types from widely distributed data repositories so new types of data-enabled science can be realized. The project engages data management groups from most of the major NSF-funded geoscience data facilities as well as those from a variety of major European geoscience data holdings. This interaction will not only allow broader testing of developed web services, but will also provide a much needed forum to exchange ideas and approaches allowing a better return on investment. One key aspect of this project is the development of URL builders to help users formulate web service requests. Broader impacts of the work include the development of new infrastructure for science and engineering and the likelihood that what results from this project will be applicable to fields outside of the geosciences. An additional broader impact is an international component that engages Italian and other European scientists and data networks as collaborators in the activity.