Access to Distributed Earth Science Data Supported by Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Earth scientists use large amounts of electronicly available data, information and associated knowledge from different satellite sensors, aerial campaigns and in-situ measurements in combination with related models, tools and documents to perform their research. Accessing the right data and requested associated information to understand and use them isn’t straightforward however. Several reasons are mentioned in this paper. Literature shows (e.g., Moore 2003 and Fusco/Van Bemmelen 2004) that scientist may benefit in their struggle for data by adapting more ecollaborative ways of doing science also known as e-Science (eventhough not always mentioned as such explicitely). This paper provides an outline of how different, as we call them, e-collaboration technologies, including Grid and web-services, digital library and semantic technologies, can help in improving Earth science data access by describing progress in the European Space Agency (ESA) Grid on-Demand, the ESA-GSP (General Studies Programme) study The Voice and the European Commission (EC) Sixth Framework Programme project Diligent.