making geological map data for the earth accessible onegeology, the story so far…

Making Geological Map Data for the Earth Accessible

OneGeology, the story so far….


OneGeology

The current position

November 2007


• What is OneGeology?

– The principles and objectives

– How do we plan to do it?

– Who’s involved

• The evolution of the project to date


What is OneGeology?

A project to make web-accessible the best available geological map data worldwide at a scale of about

1:1 million, as a Geological Survey contribution to the

International Year of Planet Earth


The principles

• make accessible the best geological map data they have available

• work towards consistent standards for data and access - a consistent data architecture - schematic interoperability

• enhance and increase use and usability of our data

Geological surveys and geoscientists around the world have a responsibility to:


• Make existing geological map data accessible– in whatever digital format is available in the

participating country• Transfer know-how to those who need it• Stimulate a rapid increase in interoperability (ie

disseminate GeoSciML further and faster)

And do this through an approach that recognizes that different nations have differing abilities to participate

The objectives


A crucial point

• OneGeology is about geological data available in a standard data structure first,

• i.e. making geological map data accessible without geological reconciliation

• The current objective is not about harmonising geological units and scientific classification across frontiers – that’s something for the longer term


YesYes

Serve to Serve to OneGeology portalOneGeology portal

and provide accessand provide access

Convert to Convert to interchange formatinterchange format

PaperPaper RasterRaster VectorVector

NoNo The basic OneGeology proposition

No

ScanScanHave Have geological geological

maps/data ca 1:500000 - maps/data ca 1:500000 - &1:5 million?&1:5 million?

YesYes

Do you want toDo you want to participate?participate?

What is the What is the format of yourformat of your

maps/data?maps/data?


Who is involved? The international bodiesInternational Year of Planet Earth (IYPE)www.yearofplanetearth.org

Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW)http://ccgm.free.fr/

International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)www.iugs.org/

International Lithosphere Programhttp://sclilp.gfz-potsdam.de/

International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM)www.iscgm.org

An International Consortium ofGeological Surveyswww.icogs.org

UNESCOhttp://portal.unesco.org/en/

EuroGeoSurveyshttp://www.eurogeosurveys.org/

Co-ordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) www.ccop.org.th/

Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI)www.cgi-iugs.org


Who is involved?71 participating nations


The evolution of the project to date


Humble origins

Just an idea

February 2006


Collecting support…….

March - August 2006


September 2006 – March 2007

Support for OneGeology grows…


International Workshop ….and Accord …

Brighton, UK

March 2007


An essential meeting to get international sign up and agreement to proceed from global bodies

and geological surveys

The Kick-off WorkshopBrighton UK

12 -16 March 2007


The Outcome“The Brighton Accord”

• 81 participants from 43 nations and 53 national and international bodies

• Unanimously agreed OneGeology should proceed• Mission: improve the accessibility of global,

regional and national geological map data and increase its usefulness to society

• Focus on making accessible existing geological map coverage

• Recognise that this will catalyse scientific harmonisation of map data globally.


The Brighton Accord - continued

• Priority is access to ~1:1 million data but with links and interoperable with applications for societal access and wider-resolution mapping.

• Aims to benefit society and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Geological Surveys.

• Participants to seek funding to support OneGeology and develop strategies to provide mutual assistance to build participant capacity.

• Data distributed will be owned by the originating Geological Survey and ideally be available at no cost.


The Brighton Accord - continued

• Governance: Steering Group of Geological Survey representatives with link to international bodies

• Must interact with the wider geo-spatial community• Secretariat based in the BGS until Dec. 2008• Priority: make available interoperable, Internet-

accessible, scientifically-attributed data• Progress at levels appropriate to participants’ capability• Geological Surveys to work together to develop

interchange standard to make their data interoperable• Progress to be presented at the International

Geological Congress in Oslo in 2008


Progress since Brighton in March 2007

• Successful Technical Workshop in Utrecht in May• Work on prototype OneGeology portal is underway• €3.9 million, 21 nation proposal to EC for OneGeology-

Europe & related proposal sent to NSF• Many presentations on OneGeology worldwide - resulting in

recruitment and support• Preparation work for IGC33 in Oslo being done (launch,

booth, symposium)

more on all these items later in agenda!


• 67 Geological Surveys are participating in OneGeology• 10 global bodies and international geoscience organisations, 2

major multinational companies and 2 celebrities actively supporting

• Kick-off Workshop successful - a unanimous global Accord• OneGeology has momentum and has captured the imagination

of people inside and outside the geosciences• Several Geological Surveys are supporting with hard resources • Technical Workshop held in Utrecht in May 2007• €3.9 million, 21 nation proposal submitted for OneGeology-

Europe in October• Prototype OneGeology portal will be available by January 2007

Summary of 20 months (February 2006 – October 2007)


“Geological sciences and geological structures do not end at national boundaries. Working on the same planet, geologists need

to communicate and share knowledge with each other, and to draw on each other’s experiences.”

Quote from speech by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao 19 June 2007

地质科学和地质结构是没有国界的。在共同行星上工作的地质学家需要相互交流，

共享知识，互相汲取经验。

making geological map data for the earth accessible onegeology, the story so far…

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