Information Technology for the Decade of Synthesis: Accessing Remote Sensing and GIS Data through Web Services and 3D Visualization

2003 All Scientist Meeting

Theresa Valentine

The workshop consisted of presentations by four speakers who provided the backdrop for a following discussion period. The discussion focused on the review of GIS Working Group recommendations for presentation to the LTER Information Managers. The GIS Working Group was formed after meeting in San Diego in October 2002.

The following recommendations were presented and discussed with the LTER Information Manager Committee (IMC) at the annual meeting on Monday September 22, 2003. The IMC decided the recommendations should be further reviewed by the Network Information System Advisory Committee (NISAC), and subsequent recommendations presented by NISAC at the spring LTER Coordinating Committee Meeting. Don Henshaw will present the recommendations to NISAC.

Recommendations from GIS Working Group to LTER Information Managers

1) Require sites to place “basic spatial information” on-line

–a) Include study site description information that is required for journal articles

–b) Include relevant metadata for all spatial data, including all required EML elements such as projection, coordinate system, and datum

2) GIS Working Group will identify this “basic spatial information” after analyzing the GIS Capacity Survey distributed through Data Bits, fall 2003. NISAC will review this basic information list. The following are potential basic data sets for each site:

–a) Basic site boundary

–b) Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

–c) Imagery (Landsat TM scene)

–d) Research plot locations (based on GPS of core research plots)

–e) Roads

–f) Hydrography

–g) Structures

3) Collect georeferencing information for every research plot/site/observation location

–a) Include as GIS file format or coordinate pairs (x, y locations).

–4) Develop a centralized portal for users to search, display, and access all site spatial data.

5) Develop a strategy for providing basic map service capacity with for every site in the network. Possible solutions

–a) Sites with map service capacity ‘adopt’ other sites for providing map serving services

–b) Network office provides the infrastructure for a central map service.

–c) Provide training for individual sites

6) Develop standard client application templates that all sites can use. (Internet Mapping, Atlas programs)

7) Hold an annual GIS workshop/meeting in conjunction with the annual IM meeting.

8) Form a GIS Analysis Group to investigate methods for facilitating data analysis across sites and assist researchers with synthesis.

–a) 20 people have signed up to be involved with this group

b) Analysis Group will propose a joint workshop with researchers.

9) GIS Working Group will identify necessary funding to accomplish these recommendations.

Participants:

Moderator: Theresa Valentine

Speakers: Kate Beard-Tisdale University of Maine, Peter McCartney CAP, Barrie Collins COW, Dylan Keon Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering (NACSE).

Current Efforts of the GIS Working Group:

Fall 2003 Special Issue of DataBits on GIS is completed.

Survey of GIS activities/data is on-line and available from Fall 2003 Data Bits.

GIS Analysis Working Group will be formed (20 workshop participants have signed up)

GIS Analysis Working Group mailing list will be developed (in progress)

GIS recommendations will be presented to NISAC

Available Resources:

1. Network Office GIS Web Links:

• Links to site data and Network Office archive (Will be converted to working group webpage ) http://lternet.edu/technology/ltergis/index.html
• LTER GIS Mailing List (gis@lternet.edu)

·o Add yourself by updating your profile at the network office or contact John Vande Castle (jvc@lternet.edu)

• Fall 2003 Issue of Data Bits, available at http://www.lternet.edu

2. Links to Other Internet Mapping Sites

• Dylan Keon’s sites are available at http://gis.nacse.org
• The Spatial Data Workbench can be viewed at http://sdw.sdsc.edu

Additional Resources Needed:

1. Meeting of GIS Working Group to review the GIS Survey and develop a strategic plan for implementing recommendations and estimating costs. (4-6 participants to travel to one location) Estimate $5,000 for a meeting Winter 2004.

2. Workshop for GIS Analysis Group to develop recommendations on how to support researchers with spatial analysis for synthesis across sites. (10 participants travel to one location for meeting, perhaps with San Diego Supercomputing Center). Estimate $6,000

3. LTER GIS staff to attend one Information Managers Meeting per year (potentially one person per site, and add one day to IM meeting schedule to deal with GIS issues).