HR: 14:10h
AN: IN43C-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Cyberinfrastructure Initiatives of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Information Systems and Services (WGISS)
AU: * McDonald, K R
EM: ken.mcdonald@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 423, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Faundeen, J L
EM: faundeen@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey EROS, 47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57198 United States
AU: Petiteville, I
EM: ivan.petiteville@esa.int
AF: ESA ESRIN, Via Galeleo Galilei Casella Postale 64, Frascati, 00044 Italy
AB: The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) was established in 1984 in response to a recommendation from the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations Working Group on Growth, Technology, and Employment's Panel of Experts on Satellite Remote Sensing. CEOS participants are Members, who are national or international governmental organizations who operate civil spaceborne Earth observation satellites, and Associates who are governmental organizations with civil space programs in development or international scientific or governmental bodies who have an interest in and support CEOS objectives. The primary objective of CEOS is to optimize benefits of satellite Earth observations through cooperation of its participants in mission planning and in development of compatible data products, formats, services, applications and policies. To pursue its objectives, CEOS establishes working groups and associated subgroups that focus on relevant areas of interest. While the structure of CEOS has evolved over its lifetime, today there are three permanent working groups. One is the Working Group on Calibration and Validation that addresses sensor-specific calibration and validation and geophysical parameter validation. A second is the Working Group on Education, Training, and Capacity Building that facilitates activities that enhance international education and training in Earth observation techniques, data analysis, interpretation and applications, with a particular focus on developing countries. The third permanent working group is the Working Group on Information Systems and Services (WGISS). The purpose of WGISS is to promote collaboration in the development of the systems and services based on international standards that manage and supply the Earth observation data and information from participating agencies' missions. WGISS places great emphasis on the use of demonstration projects involving user groups to solve the critical interoperability issues associated with the achievement of global services and its structure reflects that objective. The Technology and Services Subgroup initiates tasks to explore emerging technologies that can be employed to create data and information systems and to develop interoperable services. The interests of the subgroup span the full range of the information processing chain from the initial ingestion of satellite data into archives through to the incorporation of derived information into end-user applications. The subgroup has overseen the creation of an Interoperable Directory Network and an Interoperable Catalog System and has tasks that are investigating the use of new technologies such as Web Services, Grid, and Open Geographical Information Systems to provide enhanced capabilities. The WGISS Projects and Applications Subgroup works with outside organizations to understand their requirements and then helps them to exploit the tools and services available through WGISS and its members and associates. WGISS has instituted the concept of a WGISS Test Facility to test and develop information systems and services prototypes collaboratively with these organizations to meet their specific requirements. This approach has the dual benefit of addressing real information systems and services needs of science and applications projects and helping WGISS to expand and improve its capabilities based on the experience and lessons learned from working with the projects.
DE: 0525 Data management
DE: 0530 Data presentation and visualization
DE: 9820 Techniques applicable in three or more fields
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005