Building an Online Learning and Research Environment to Enhance Use of Geospatial Data

Geospatial data availability, interoperability, and integration remain a problem today. Current spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) are of limited use particularly to non-expert user communities. GeoBrain, a NASA funded project, has aimed to address those challenges, facilitate easy use of geospatial data and overcome some limitations of current SDIs through building a data-intensive, Serviceoriented Architecture (SOA) based online learning and research environment. By adopting the latest developing Web services and knowledge management technologies, this online environment enables easy, open, seamless, and ondemand discovery, access, retrieval, visualization and analysis of distributed geospatial data, information, services, and models from any computer connected to the Internet. Such an online environment is able to serve the different needs of global Earth sciences research and higher education communities, bridge gaps between data user needs and provider capabilities, and greatly enhance use of geospatial data.