1. GEOSS Future Products Workshop
Session 1
Policy and Science Vision for GEOSS

2. Zdenka Willis, NOAA Rep to USGEO
GEOSS: A platform to make all sorts of data available in an interoperable manner.
From in-situ and remote sensing observations, data streaming can produce on-demand and near-real time products
A need for coordinated, comprehensive measurements
Sensor web and Model web
Make future products more available and usable – not just useful, but used.
Work hard!

3. Peter Colohan, OSTP
Many veterans of the process in the room; Technologists like you make this happen.
GEO was conceived at very high level of government, G-8 summit
Data and information are fundamental for solving problems
Technology has reached a level that it can support integration
Our ability to exchange data brings the imperative to bring all the data forward, for observing the planet.
Each decision we make influences the state of the planet, it is changing, we have to understand the planet and the impacts of those influences.
Raison d'être for GEO/GEOSS is data sharing - Adm Lauthenbacher
Someone else can make insights based on the data you collect – you aren’t just collecting data for yourself, but for the whole world.

4. Peter Colohan, OSTP
The purpose for GEOSS fits in well with the priorities of the Obama administration
A vision to enable comprehensive, integrated observations for a sustainable earth.
GEOSS is a voluntary effort, not a mandate
Three principles:
Science based decision making
Open access to data and information
International cooperation
Some domains: global environment, resources, climate change, sustainable agriculture and food security.
Sustained, coordinated, integrated Earth observations are the indispensible foundation.

5. Peter Colohan, OSTP
Science and technological innovation proceed more directly when insights, costs and risks are shared. Sharing costs/risks along aren’t enough, we must also share insights and the data to support those insights
Data is a global public good, we need full, open, timely access to data
Obama administration commitment to open access to federally funded research, developing standards and formats to support interoperability

6. Peter Colohan, OSTP Environmental policy challenges:
1. Carbon, quantify and regionally disaggregate to figure out sources/absorption and retention.
2. Extremes – “Water is the delivery vehicle of climate change” How are things changing? water, floods, droughts, freezing, heat waves, sea level, etc. These all affect businesses and commercial interests
3. Food security – Seasons changing, global crop production
Full realization of GEOSS seems distant, but we need to take steps in right right direction now.

7. David Maidment, U Texas - Austin
Vision for GEOSS and Water Science
How is knowledge discovered?
Deduction from existing knowledge
Experiment in a laboratory
Observation of the natural environment
Observation is the heart of GEOSS, Crafting geoinformation, the art and science of Earth Observation
Connecting the Model Web and the Sensor Web

8. David Maidment, U Texas - Austin
Local to Region to Global integration, interoperability
Sensor Web Enablement allows us to pull data together
Contrast water.usgs.gov – text/images with waterservices.usgs.gov, data encoded in XML
International standards, OGC process can make common languages
Build national systems federating regions and a global system for federating countries
Don’t invent new infrastructure – Use GEOSS!

9. George Percivall, OGC/GEOSS
Environmental Information Systems
Integrated observation systems
Linking Earth Observations to Societal Benefits
GEOSS Interoperability “arrangements”
Open Interfaces, open standards
Meet the GEO aim of interoperability of existing and new systems that provide Earth Observations
Build on prior GEO activities and successes, move forward with GEOSS Model Web

10. Discussion
We need to connect data to models, models to other models, even into models for other disciplines When we come to solve the practical problems, we can’t start in a generic way, but after working with very specific use cases, we need to be prepared to walk back from policy decisions to the observations that can support them. A very generic approach is very difficult due to heterogeneity of data, models, decisions, etc. We need an open modeling interface. Modeling as a Service.

11. Discussion
OSTP Memo for increasing access to research, GEOSS can support those goals
It is difficult to require governments and organizations to release their data and use the standards – we must encourage, not mandate. Build momentum around key datasets, key communities of practice, help them realize the benefits of the standards.
Different countries have different ways to define things. Semantic integration can help build the ways of conveying information and defining things in a common way.