Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Ontology-Based Geospatial Approaches for Semantic Awareness in Earth Observation Systems

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Geospatial Semantics and the Semantic Web

Part of the book series: Semantic Web and Beyond ((ADSW,volume 12))

Abstract

Current work towards making earth observation systems semantically aware attempts to improve user experience by allowing more flexibility in the way that users interact with earth observation systems. Such improvements may occur directly by making data discovery more semantically-flexible, and indirectly in providing intelligent functionality that removes some of the load from users in interpretation of data and processes. Semantic awareness in earth observation systems may be addressed from four different angles: semantics and information modelling; semantic data management; semantic data discovery and semantic data processing. Each of these areas is the subject of ongoing and developing research in the broader geospatial community, has been applied in a number of different situations and systems, and presents particular challenges for earth observation systems. The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a large, global, heterogeneous earth observation system and provides a case study of the use of different methods for achieving semantic awareness in each of these four areas. Furthermore, an example architecture for an earth observation system that involves multiple aligned ontologies illustrates the challenges posed by real world, heterogeneous systems. In combination, the review of related work, applications and challenges in each of the four areas, together with the GEOSS case study and example architecture provide an indication of the state of the art in semantic research as it applies to earth observation system. Furthermore, this summary provides a hint towards the future for semantics in earth observation systems and the need for additional work in this area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.earthobservations.org.

  2. 2.

    http://protege.stanford.edu/.

  3. 3.

    http://code.google.com/p/swoop/.

  4. 4.

    http://compass.edina.ac.uk/.

  5. 5.

    http://geonetwork-opensource.org/.

  6. 6.

    http://www.deegree.org/.

  7. 7.

    http://geoserver.org/display/GEOS/Welcome.

  8. 8.

    http://52north.org/.

  9. 9.

    http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl.

  10. 10.

    http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/cfp/20100129_cfp_aip3_architecture.pdf.

  11. 11.

    http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/committees/adc/200909_11thADC/AR-09--01d_Ontology_Taxonomy_Melbourne.pdf.

  12. 12.

    http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/committees/adc/200909_11thADC/AR-09--01a_20090915.pdf.

  13. 13.

    http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/sensorml.

  14. 14.

    http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/om.

  15. 15.

    http://www.ogcnetwork.net/system/files/Final_20090817_AIP_AQ_ER_1.3.pdf.

  16. 16.

    http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/cfp/20100129_cfp_aip3_architecture.pdf.

  17. 17.

    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/wsbpel/.

References

  1. Agarwal P (2005) Ontological considerations in GIScience. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 19: 501–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Alameh N (2003) Chaining Geographic Information Web Services. IEEE Internet Computing, 7: 22–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bennett B, Mallenby D, Third A (2008) An Ontology for Grounding Vague Geographic Terms. In: C. Eschenbach, M. Gruninger, (eds.) Formal Ontology in Information Systems, Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference (FOIS08), IOS Press.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bernard L, Einspanier U, Haubrock S, Hübner S, Klien E, Kuhn W, Less-ing R, Lutz M, Visser U (2004) Ontology-Based Discovery and Re-trieval of Geographic Information in Spatial Data Infrastructures. In Geotechnologien Science Report No 4.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Borgo S, Carrara M, Garbacz P, Vermaas PE (2009) A Formal Ontological Perspective on the Behaviors and Functions of Technical Artifacts. Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing (AIEDAM), 23: 3–21

    Google Scholar 

  6. Brodaric B, Reitsma F, Qiang Y (2008) SKIing with DOLCE: toward an e-Science Knowledge Infrastructure. In: C. Eschenbach, M. Gruninger (eds.), Formal Ontology in Information Systems, Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference (FOIS08), IOS Press, pp.208–219.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Cardoso J, Sheth A (2005) Introduction to semantic web services and web process composition. In: Cardoso, J., Sheth, A. (eds.), Proceedings First International Workshop on Semantic Web Services and Web Process Composition (SWSWPC 2004). Springer, Berlin, Germany, pp. 1–13. LNCS 3387.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chen C (2004) Information Visualization: Beyond the Horizon. Springer-Verlag, London.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cruz IF, Sunna W, Makar N, Bathala S (2007) A visual tool for ontology alignment to enable geospatial interoperability. Web Semantics: Science, Services and Agents on the World Wide Web 5: 39–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. de la Beaujardiere J (2006) Web Map Service Implementation Specification. Open Geospatial Consortium Specification 06–042.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dean M, Schreiber G, Bechhofer S, van Harmelen F, Hendler J, Horrocks I, McGuinness D, Patel-Schneider P, Stein L (2004) OWL Web Ontology Language Reference. W3C Recommendation 10 February 2004. http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-ref/. Accessed 12 June 2009

  12. Durbha SS, King RL (2005) Semantics-Enabled Framework for Knowledge Discovery From Earth Observation Data Archives. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 43: 2562–2572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Durbha SS, King RL, Younan NH (2008) An Information Semantics Ap-proach for Knowledge Management and Interoperability for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. IEEE Systems Journal, 2: 358–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. ESRI (2010) ArcGIS Server Geoportal Extension. http://geoss.esri.com/geoportal/webhelp/en/geoportal_931/index.htm{\#}srch{\_}ont.htm. Accessed 20 March 2010.

  15. Fitzner D, Hoffmann J, Klien E (2009) Functional description of geoprocessing services as conjunctive datalog queries. Geoinformatica 15, (1), pp 191–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Fu G, Jones CB, Abdelmoty AI (2005) Ontology-Based Spatial Query Expansion in Information Retrieval. Lecture Notes In Computer Science, 3761: 1466–1482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Gardenfors, P (2004) Conceptual spaces as a framework for knowledge representation. Mind and Matter 2: 9–27

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gomez-Perez A, Fernandez-Lopez M, Corcho O (2004) Ontological Engineering. Springer, London

    Google Scholar 

  19. Granell C, Díaz L, Gould M (2010) Service-oriented applications for environmental models: reusable geospatial services. Environmental Modelling and Software, 25: 182–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Group on Earth Observations (2005) Global Earth Observation System of Systems GEOSS - 10-Year Implementation Plan Reference Document. ESA Publications Division, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  21. Group on Earth Observations (2010) GEOSS AIP Architecture. GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Heiler S (1995) Semantic Interoperability. ACM Computing Surveys, 27: 271–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hobona G, James P, Fairbairn D (2006) Multidimensional Visualisation of Degrees of Relevance of Geographic Data. International Journal of Geographic Information Science, 20: 469–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Hobona G, Fairbairn D, James P (2007) Semantically-assisted geospatial workflow design. In H. Samet, C. Shahabi & M. Schneider (eds.), Proceedings of the ACM international symposium on Advances in geographic information systems (ACMGIS) (pp. 194–201). ACM, New York

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hobona G, Fairbairn D, Hiden H, James P (2010) Orchestration of Grid-enabled Geospatial Web Services in Geoscientific Workflows. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 7, (2), pp. 407–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hogeweg M (2008) Portal Semantic Searches. In GEOSS AIP mailing list post of 30/11/2008 [AIP_PortalWG]

    Google Scholar 

  27. International Organisation for Standardisation (2005) ISO 19119:2005 Geographic information – Services.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Khalsa SJ, Nativi S, Geller G (2009) The GEOSS interoperability process pilot project (IP3). IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 47: 80–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Klien E, Probst F (2005) Requirements for Geospatial Ontology Engineering. In: Toppen, F. and Painho, M. (eds.), Proceedings of the 8th Conference on Geographic Information Science (AGILE 2005), Estoril, Portugal, pp. 251–260

    Google Scholar 

  30. Klien E, Lutz M, Kuhn W (2006) Ontology-Based Discovery of Geo-graphic Information Services - An Application in Disaster Manage-ment. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 30: 102–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Klyne G, Carroll JJ (2004) Resource Description Framework (RDF): Con-cepts and Abstract Syntax. W3C Recommendation 10 February 2004. http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-concepts/. Accessed 22 January 2009.

  32. Kottman C (1999) The OpenGIS Abstract Specification Topic 14: Semantics and Information Communities. Version 4. OpenGIS Consortium Document 99–114. http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/as. Accessed 20 March 2010

  33. Kuhn W (1997) Approaching the Issue of Information Loss in Geographic Data Transfers. Geographical Systems 4: 261–276

    Google Scholar 

  34. Lemmens R (2008) Using Formal Semantics for Service within the Spatial Information Infrastructure. In: van Oosterom, P. & Zlatanova, Z. (eds.), Creating Spatial Information Infrastructures. Towards the Spatial Semantic Web, pp. 103–118. CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Lemmens R, Wytzisk A, By R, Granell C, Gould M, van Oosterom P (2006) Integrating Semantic and Syntactic Descriptions to Chain Geographic Services. IEEE Internet Computing, 10: 42–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. McGuinness DL (2003) Ontologies Come of Age. In Dieter Fensel, Jim Hendler, Henry Lieberman, and Wolfgang Wahlster (eds.) Spinning the Semantic Web: Bringing the World Wide Web to Its Full Potential. MIT Press

    Google Scholar 

  37. Maguire DJ, Longley P (2005) The emergence of geoportals and their role in spatial data infrastructures. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 29: 3–14

    Google Scholar 

  38. Mark DM, Egenhofer MJ, (1994) Modeling Spatial Relations Between Lines and Regions: Combining Formal Mathematical Models and Hu-man Subjects Testing. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems 21:195–212

    Google Scholar 

  39. Martell R (2005) OGC Catalogue Services – ebRIM (ISO/TS 15000–3) profile of CSW. Open Geospatial Consortium Specification 05–025r3

    Google Scholar 

  40. Morris C (1971) Writings on the General Theory of Signs. Mouton, The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  41. Nebert D, Whiteside A, Vretanos P (2007) OGC Catalogue Service Specification. Open Geospatial Consortium Specification 07–006r1

    Google Scholar 

  42. Niles I, Pease A (2001) Towards a Standard Upper Ontology. In Chris Welty and Barry Smith (eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Formal Ontology in Information Systems (FOIS-2001), Ogunquit, Maine, October 17–19, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Ram S, Park J, Lee D (1999) Digital Libraries for the Next Millennium: Challenges and Research Directions. Information Systems Frontiers 1: 75–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Raskin RG, Pan MJ (2005) Knowledge representation in the semantic web for Earth and environmental terminology (SWEET). Computers & Geosciences 31: 1119–1125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Schwering A (2007) Evaluation of a semantic similarity measure for natural language spatial relations. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2007), Melbourne, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Schwering A (2008) Approaches to Semantic Similarity Measurement for Geo-Spatial Data: A Survey. Transactions in GIS 12: 5–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Shut P, Whiteside A (2005) Web Processing Service Implementation Specification. Open Geospatial Consortium Specification 05–007r4

    Google Scholar 

  48. Stock, Kristin (2009) OWL Application Profile for CSW 2.0. Open Geospatial Consortium Application Profile 09–010

    Google Scholar 

  49. Stock K, Robertson A, Bishr M, Stojanovic T, Ortmann J, Reitsma F, Medyckyj-Scott D (2009) eScience for Sea Science: A Semantic Knowledge Infrastructure for Marine Scientists. Proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Conference on e-Science, Oxford, UK, December 9–11.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Stock, Kristin (2010) Describing Spatial Relations Using Informal Semantics. Proceedings of GIS Research UK (GISRUK 2010), 14–16 April, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Stock K, Atkinson R, Higgins C, Small M, Woolf A, Millard K, Arctur D (2010) A semantic registry using a Feature Type Catalogue instead of ontologies to support spatial data infrastructures. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 24: 231–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Studer R, Benjamins VR, Fensel D (1998) Knowledge Engineering: Principles and Methods. IEEE Transactions on Data and knowledge Engineering 25:161–197

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  53. Vogele T, Spittel R (2004) Enhancing Spatial Data Infrastructures with Semantic Web Technologies. In Toppen, F. and Painho, M. (eds.) Proceedings of the 7th Conference on Geographic Information Science (AGILE 2004), 29 April – 1 May, Heraklion, Greece

    Google Scholar 

  54. Voges U, Senkler K (2005) Open GIS Catalogue Services Specification 2.0 – ISO19115/ISO19119 Application Profile for CSW 2.0. Reference number OGC 04–038r2

    Google Scholar 

  55. Vretanos P (2005) Web Feature Service Implementation Specification. Open Geospatial Consortium Specification 04–094

    Google Scholar 

  56. Whiteside A, Evans JD (2008) Web Coverage Service (WCS) Implementation Standard. Open Geospatial Consortium Specification 07–065r5

    Google Scholar 

  57. Yue P, Di L, Yang W, Yu G, Zhao P (2007) Semantics-based Automatic Composition of Geospatial Web Service Chains. Computers & Geosciences, 33: 649–665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Yue P, Gong J, Di L (2010) Augmenting geospatial data provenance through metadata tracking in Geospatial service chaining. Computer & Geosciences, 36: 270–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Geospatial Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Kristin Stock

Authors
  1. Kristin Stock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gobe Hobona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carlos Granell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mike Jackson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristin Stock .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California - Irvine, Irvine, 92697, California, USA

    Naveen Ashish

  2. Dept. Computer Science &, Engineering, Wright State University, Colonel Glenn Way 3640, Dayton, 45435-0001, Ohio, USA

    Amit P. Sheth

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Stock, K., Hobona, G., Granell, C., Jackson, M. (2011). Ontology-Based Geospatial Approaches for Semantic Awareness in Earth Observation Systems. In: Ashish, N., Sheth, A. (eds) Geospatial Semantics and the Semantic Web. Semantic Web and Beyond, vol 12. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9446-2_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9446-2_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-9445-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-9446-2

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy