Emerging Technologies in support of LongTerm Data and Knowledge Preservation for
the Earth Science Community
Luigi Fusco, Joost van Bemmelen, Veronica Guidetti
PV 2005 – Edinburgh
21-23 November 2005
Outline
 The Earth Science community and their
data & knowledge access needs

How GRID, DL and other emerging
technologies could support the Earth
Science community illustrated by ESA
initiatives…

Grid on-Demand

THE VOICE

Diligent
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Earth Science (complex) data and knowledge
access needs in GMES (ESA/EC Initiative)
Space
observing
systems
In-situ
observing
systems
Needs
User
oriented
services
Data integration
& information
management
Archiving
Centres
models
…
documents
Solutions
Archiving
Centres
http://www.gmes.info
Earth Scientists
Governments
EU International Organisations
Regulatory Bodies
Industry
General Public
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
An Example: Marine & Coastal Management
EMSA
Coast
guards
EU DGs
Port
authorities
EEA
Coastal
Environment
managers
Int’l conventions secretariats
OSPAR, Helsinki, MAP
environment
agencies
Health & safety
agencies
Food/ fisheries
agencies
Airborne
surveillance
operators
Systematic monitoring
and detection for
ALERT
Decision support
information
Reference DB
administration
Coastal
Management
information
AIS
VDS
VTMS
operators
Documents/
knowledge
NRT
radar
imagery
NRT
optical
imagery
Ocean
state
forecast
Meteo
forecast
GS
operators
Satellite
operators
Documents/
knowledge
In-situ data
collection
networks
Meteo
models
operators
Ocean
model
operators
Documents/
knowledge
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
ENVISAT: the most complex civil satellite
for monitoring the state of our planet
• Dimensions
Launch configuration:
length 10.5 m
envelope diameter 4.6 m
In-Orbit configuration:
26m x 10m x 5m
• Mass
Total satellite 8140 Kg
Payload 2050 Kg
• Power
Solar array power:
6.5 kW (EOL)
Average power demand:
Sun
Eclipse
(watts)
(watts)
Payload
1700
1750
Satellite
3275
2870
• Orbit
800 km, sun synchronous 10:00
hours local
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Envisat observations of Hurricane Frances
ASAR observes ocean
roughness
MERIS cloud view
AATSR Sea surface and
cloud temperature
MERIS derived cloud
top pressure
Wind speed from
ASAR
RA2 used in models to
derive heat potential
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Summary of Earth Science Issues,
requirements

Global, regional, local applications


Large historical distributed archives


For processing, value adding and dissemination
Integration with models to provide forecast


Long term data and knowledge preservation issues
Near real-time access to data


Alternative use of the data at different resolution
Data assimilation
Need to integrate different data sources

Standardisation, Virtual Organisation, …
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Outline
The Earth Science community and their
data & knowledge access needs
 How GRID, DL and other emerging
technologies could support the Earth
Science community illustrated by ESA
initiatives…




Grid on-Demand
THE VOICE
Diligent
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Earth Science & emerging technologies

GRID has large potential







Common environment for data access and processing
(Move algorithms to data)
Integration of user tools - dynamically create high level
products
Ease reprocessing of large historical archives (e.g.
ENVISAT)
e-collaboration environment
Allow more complex applications (data assimilation,
fusion/mining, modelling … )
Support for industry and SME competitiveness
Earth Science Research e-infrastructure

Across national centres and facilities (thematic)
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
ESA Portal for Grid Services



Job selection, chaining, launching and live status
Direct result visualization in WMS
Join personal data folder
http://eoportal.esrin.esa.int
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
e-collaboration environment
based on “The VOICE” project

e-collaboration platform at 3 levels:




This means
interoperability
at 3 levels!!
Based on Virtual Organisation for:


Communication layer
Infrastructure for sharing of data/tools
Collaboration at application environment
the science and /or the industry communities
Technologies of interests:






The Internet and improved communication
Sensor Web, Wireless Technologies, Web-Services, Grid
Semantic Technologies and Ontologies
Many of these
Workflow Management Technologies
technologies are
of interest for
Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality
preservation
Standards (e.g., OGC, W3C) … and more
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Example of e-collaboration
GMES Prototype multi-tiered Architecture
Browser
E-collaboration layers
Client Tier
Web Tier
GMES prototype
Web Application
Security
WMS
Map
Data
WFS
GIS
Layers
GMES
Business
Logic
Other
Environment
services
Email
service
Catalogue
Data
metadata
Service Tier
Persistence
Tier
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Diligent
DIgital Library Infrastructure on Grid ENabled Technology





Is a 6th Framework Project led by ERCIM / CNR-IST, 2004-2007
Its infrastructure perfectly adapts to the actual research in
integrating data grids and digital libraries technologies towards
semantically advanced and preservation aware environments.
The power of a grid infrastructure will help in processing and
managing large amounts of satellite data, putting the basis for their
long term preservation, while DL services and 3rd party applications
allow users to build on-demand, retrieve, analyse complex digital
objects
Complex and time-consuming algorithms such as services for feature
extraction, summarisation, automatic content source description on
video, images and sound will become viable with acceptable
performance.
ImpECt, Implementation of Environmental Conventions, is one of the
Diligent test-bed scenarios: it’s led by ESA and groups a wide
environmental user community…
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Environmental Conventions
Important stakeholder of GMES
are the International
Environmental Organisations
 Example of Environmental
Conventions:
 World Heritage Convention
(UNESCO);
 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands;
 UNCCD (desertification)
 UNFCCC (forest, global change)
 Barcelona Convention (Med sea)
 …
 Example of key Env Convent
events:
 World Summit, Johannesburg, SA,
2002;
 COP 8 of the UNFCCC, New Delhi,
India, 2002;
 COP 8 of the Ramsar Convention,
Valencia, Spain, 2002;
 ….
ImpECt addresses
this community
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
The ImpECt User Community








The 21 Coastal States of the Mediterranean Sea and EU
Ministries of Environment and selected European coastguard offices;
ITOPF, International Tanker Owners Pollution Fed. Ltd.
and MOIG, Mediterranean Oil Industry Group;
ICRAM, Central Institute for scientific and technological
Research Applied to the Sea
WWF
REMPEC
UNESCO-IOC
Many science partners …
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Diligent ImpECt Scenario


ImpECt users require the retrieval of Earth Sciences
related information by submitting queries based on
spatial, topic and time criteria and the accessibility to
advanced services/applications able to process this
information.
Some of the key ImpECt requirements are:





Arrange and annotate contents in ad-hoc user-defined collections
Manage workflows by integrating existing services
Generate reports through user-defined templates
Dynamically update reports by ‘reloading’ them towards newly
available data (reports as live documents)
Navigate the information space via related topics (use of domain
specific ontologies)
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
What’s in the DL
Environmental
Report
Satellite imagery
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Example of Live Document
Today is September 3, 2003: the user wants to update the report he wrote
in May with the most recent images-products
International Report on
Mediterranean Sea Chlorophyll Distribution during year 2003
1. Scientific and Societal Concerns
Any scheme to monitor the ocean biota and their environment must strive to address the major
scientific and societal concerns of the day pertaining to marine life. This section summarises some
major concerns that emerged during discussions at the meeting. Many other concerns could have
been included, but space precludes a complete listing of concerns.
Check update model/ parameters
defined in the report template.
Submit request to get the most
recent chlorophyll product
1.1. Biodiversity and Conservation
Marine biodiversity is not easy to assess and is generally poorly known. There are many
complicating factors, including a three-dimensional, fluid, mobile environment, its vastness, and its
challenging depths. Away from shore, primary producers and primary grazers are usually small,
International Report on
drifting forms that undergo spatial variability and seasonal changes.
Mediterranean
Sea
Chlorophyll Distribution during year 2003
The larger invertebrate grazers have a range of life history stages,
often with planktonic and benthic phases. Many large animals are
1. Scientific and Societal Concerns
migratory. Ocean habitats can be linked by the dispersal of
Any scheme to monitor the ocean biota and their environment must strive to address the major
planktonic larvae, and in this way, the systems can be
interconnected even at a distance.
scientific and societal concerns of the day pertaining to marine life. This section summarises some
Jan – Apr 2003
major concerns that emerged during discussions at the meeting. Many other concerns could have
Finally, the higher-order diversity of life is much greater in the oceans than in terrestrial systems—
there are 13 unique phyla in the oceans and only one on land. Marine biodiversity is essentially the been included, but space precludes a complete listing of concerns.
evolutionary history of life. In general, long-term environmental stability seems to increase
1.1. Biodiversity and Conservation
biodiversity and, conversely, global climate change can be expected to decrease it.
The new product has replaced the
old one and the caption became
coherent with the new image
Marine biodiversity is not easy to assess and is generally poorly known. There are many
complicating factors, including a three-dimensional, fluid, mobile environment, its vastness, and its
challenging depths. Away from shore, primary producers and primary grazers are usually small,
drifting forms that undergo spatial variability and seasonal changes.
The larger invertebrate grazers have a range of life history stages,
often with planktonic and benthic phases. Many large animals are
migratory. Ocean habitats can be linked by the dispersal of planktonic
larvae, and in this way, the systems can be interconnected even at a
May - Aug 2003
distance.
Finally, the higher-order diversity of life is much greater in the oceans than in terrestrial systems—
there are 13 unique phyla in the oceans and only one on land. Marine biodiversity is essentially the
evolutionary history of life. In general, long-term environmental stability seems to increase
biodiversity and, conversely, global climate change can be expected to decrease it.
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
BACKUP
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Barcelona Convention activities
Some user community tasks:

Impact Assessment Studies


Periodical review of status in the
country, Oil and chemical
pollution, accidents at sea …
Oil spills in the Otranto area
Adoption and formulation of
protocols


coastal environmental protection …
Reporting-activities


Biodiversity: protected areas in Mediterranean
Definition of common standards,
dissemination
Too much variety/types of
information and objects to
manage
How Diligent can
help in these tasks?
Edinburgh,
21-23
05
MonitoringUK,
of oil spills
in theNovember
Med
The Earth Observation scenario

Wide distributed system
environment:
multi-satellites
 multi-facilities


Large user community
multi-discipline
 research, institutional, commercial
and operational
 Large international partnership

Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
GEOSS: The Global Earth Observation
Interoperability Framework
A distributed system of
systems






Improves coordination of
strategies and observation
systems
Links all platforms: in situ,
aircraft, and satellite networks
Identifies gaps in our global
capacity
Facilitates exchange of data and
information
Improves decision-makers’
abilities to address pressing
policy issues
Facilitates data preservation
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Example of GEOSS interoperability plans

GEOSS implementation plan


facilitat the development and availability of data,
metadata and products (incl. base maps and common
socio-economic data) in the short as well as in the longterm.
facilitate improved related data management
approaches encompassing a broad perspective of the
earth observation data life cycle, from input through
data acquisition through processing and archiving, until
dissemination of data and related products.
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
What’s in the DL
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
ImpECt Experimentation


The Diligent prototype has a service-oriented
architecture which integrates components from the Grid
and Digital Libraries technology areas with new ad-hoc
developed services
It mainly consists of:



gLite middleware, released by the EGEE project
(http://public.eu-egee.org), to develop a Diligent grid
infrastructure to provide computing and storage resources
OpenDLib components (http://www.opendlib.com), a Digital
Library Management System to supply basic digital library
functionality
a number of specific services for handling the type of information,
documents and metadata as required by the ImpECt community
(e.g. users can create environmental reports on-demand on a
fixed template by querying and collecting information from the
DL. These reports can then be saved and indexed in the DL)
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Diligent Experimentation
Architecture
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Diligent Next Steps…


The current experimentation on the ImpECt
scenario is considered the play ground for
familiarising users with anticipated Diligent
capabilities
Next steps in the future will allow virtual
organisations to create on-demand ad-hoc defined
digital libraries, to get newly generated information
processed on the grid in a totally transparent way,
to navigate the information with the support of
domain specific and top level ontologies (i.e.
Diligent as a knowledge-based grid)
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05
Where we are now:
ImpECt Experimentation
 Experimentation addresses the generation of an Earth Science
dedicated DL (available at diligent-dl1.isti.cnr.it/) together
with the accessibility to a number of applications that run on
the EGEE Grid and publish back the results on the Grid SEs:
these outputs are then indexed and retrievable in the DL
 The DL currently provides:
 added value satellite products, maps and mosaics, generated by
existing Grid enabled services or accessible via the Web
 environmental reports, workshops proceedings, text, images, data and
other types of documents relevant to the Earth Observation community,
links to Earth Science related glossaries and DLs of interest (e.g.
www.dlese.org)
 the access to Grid-enabled applications to process satellite data
residing on Grid SEs and services like an integrated GUI to query
georeferenced info residing on Grid SEs
Edinburgh, UK, 21-23 November 05