Web Content Display (Global) Web Content Display (Global)

The is an online map-based user interface which allows users to discover and access Earth observation data and resources from different providers from all over the world.

The portal is implemented and operated by the European Space Agency and provides a single internet discovery and access point to the ever-growing quantities of heterogeneous collections of Earth observations from satellites, airplanes, drones and in-situ sensors at global, regional and local scales through the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

The GEOSS is a social and software ecosystem connecting a large array of observing systems, data systems and processing services to strengthen monitoring of the state of the Earth. It facilitates data and information accessibility and interoperability to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda and the Disaster Risk Reduction.

The GEOSS Platform is the cornerstone around which the GEOSS software ecosystem is implemented. The GEOSS Platform is the “glueware” that enables the connection and coordination of the many autonomous and multi-organizational systems and services contributing to GEOSS.

The figure above provides an overview of the GEOSS Platform and its main components:

The GEOSS Portal.

The GEO Discovery and Access Broker (GEO DAB) is the primary mechanism by which all data and information is discovered and accessed. The GEO DAB implements the necessary mediation and harmonization services through Application Program Interfaces (APIs). These APIs allow data providers to share resources without having to make major changes to their technology or standards.

The GEOSS Yellow pages service implements the simplified registration process for new Data Providers.

The GEOSS Service Status Checker is the component, developed by USGS/FGDC and integrated into the GEO DAB, which aims at improving user experience by providing information on Reliability of Services. The Status Checker is an automatic mechanism to monitor, diagnose and alert data providers and users on the Health status of the web services provided by the GEOSS Platform.

In addition to the above described main components of the Platform, GEOSS offers the so-called Reuse Components to serve the specificities of the various user communities. This means that user communities, which might have their own data, portals and corresponding specific needs, can reuse some of the GEOSS Platform components customized and tailored to their specific requirements.

The Reuse Components are:

• The GEOSS View, which provides access to a subset of specifically defined GEOSS resources using temporal, thematic and spatial criteria;
• The GEOSS APIs, which expose the discovery and access functionalities of the GEO DAB and as such can be exploited by user communities’ client applications or portals;
• The GEOSS Mirror is a GEOSS Portal site customisation for SBAs, Flagships, Initiatives, and Communities. The customisation better serves the specific community interests by filtering catalogues and search results by a specific theme or GEO DAB view, location of interest, etc.;
• The GEOSS Widget is a freely-available instantiation of selected GEOSS Portal widgets made available for possible customization in various areas of application (e.g. a specific SBA, Initiatives, etc.). This is accomplished by publishing portal code parts (widgets) wrapped up in API.

The GEOSS Portal and the GEOS DAB evolved thanks to ESA-EC collaboration and has become more user-centric. Different developments are already available from the Operational Portal which is basically focussed on discovery and access to data, others are provided as proof of concept in a development portal which is moving towards handling information and services to provide users with the possibility to acquire knowledge and take well-informed decisions.

Follow this link https://prezi.com/view/zw6i0zqita2kG0uKFiqT/ to have a number of scenarios at your fingertips.

Send an email to GEOSS Portal Team for any further clarification or feedback.