1. The GeoScience Mark-up Language, GeoSciML, is a language to allow the exchange of geological data.
I had intended to announce the release of version 2 today.
However, as a result of the Testbed 3 testing, the modelling team made additional changes last week in Uppsala. So what I’ll be presenting here is a look at the geological content of release candidate 3.
Testing of this is planned to be completed by October, with the release of version 2.0 in December 2008.
GeoSciML 2.0: Significant changes and additions to the CGI-IUGS geoscience data model
Bruce Simons

2. Co-Authors Eric Boisvert - GSC Boyan Brodaric - GSC
Dominique Janjou - BRGM
Christian Bellier BRGM
Simon Cox - CSIRO
Yuichiro Fusejima - GSJ
Bruce R. Johnson - USGS
John L. Laxton - BGS
Oliver Raymond - GA
Steve Richard - AzGS
The development of the model is carried out under the IUGS Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information – the CGI
The co-authors listed here are the members of the version 2 Design Team.
However, the work has also benefited from many others working on related areas.

3. Interoperability in the Geosciences
“the ability of software and hardware on different machines from different vendors to share data”
Efficiencies for government
Efficiencies for industry
Benefits for the wider geoscience community
The aim is to establish a geoscience model that allows Interoperability.
Interoperability is about being able to share data, without reformatting, and potentially without human involvement in the exchange.
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This results in Efficiencies for both government and industry, as well as benefits for the wider community.

4. Traditional paper map
We are all used to, and comfortable with our traditional representation of data on Geological maps.
It is a very efficient mechanism for transmitting information.
Once you understand its structure and language

5. Traditional Paper Maps
Advantages
Presents lots of information
Readily understood by experts (~0.2%)
Targeted to specific end-users
Disadvantages
Stand-alone product
Hard copy only
Allows only limited analysis
Doesn’t allow data exchange
Single legend
Requires further ‘explanation’
It presents lots of information that can be readily understood.
Requires first year geology to understand a geological map, which limits it to about 0.2% of the population
Specifically targeted to the end user requirements,
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It does have Disadvantages:
a stand alone product that makes its end-use less flexible
only in hard copy or a scanned equivalent
It’s not easy to carry out any machine based analysis
It doesn’t readily allow data exchange
It only provides a Single Legend. The map features descriptions, such as the Geologic units, faults etc, applies only to that map. Same features on adjacent maps, or at different scales, may differ without the user being aware of these differences.
It requires Further explanation. Even though the maps may be quite succinct at delivering complex information, there is usually an associated ‘Explanatory Notes’ required. I believe 339 pages for a 1: map is the biggest GSV has so far produced. And the authors assure me that there is not a word wasted in it.

6. Digital Maps
During the 1980s, surveys started moving towards digital data capture and mapping and there have been significant advances in this area, to the point where hard copy maps have almost, but not quite, been replaced.
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This digital map, or GIS, approach captures most of the map information, and humans can, mostly, make sense of it.

7. Digital Maps Advantages Disadvantages Captures most map information
Human readable
Some data exchange capacity
Allows queries and analysis
Disadvantages
Targeted end-user
Single legend
‘Flat’ data structure
Vendor specific format
No relationships, cross- sections, face notes
Advantages:
allows data exchange,
allows some querying and analysis functionality, particularly if in GIS format.
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Disadvantages:
It has the same targeted end use and single legend capacity as the geological map format.
It only handles simple, or relatively flat, data structures
This data is usually in vendor specific formats
The main limitation, and one of the reasons that hard copy maps are still with us, apart from their field-friendly format, is that it is extremely difficult to deliver all the other information, such as rock relationship diagrams, structured legends, cross-sections, and face notes, that maps traditionally contain.
So are there alternatives?

8. Structured Digital Data
Well believe it or not there are, and they look something like this.
Although unfamiliar to most of us, there are standards developed, or being developed, that allow us to convert the data we see represented on a geological map into this format, known as XML, short for Extensible Mark-up Language.
Although its considered human readable, clearly geologist should not be reading this.
As such, although this is the language we use to deliver data, we won’t be seeing anymore of it during this talk.
Instead, What we will be seeing is a graphical representation of it, using UML – the Unified Modelling Language.

9. Structured Digital Data
Advantages
Handles all the information
Is well-structured
Allows establishing data exchange standards
Caters for all end-users
Suitable for computer analysis
Machine readable
Disadvantages
Difficult for humans to read
Requires agreed standards
Advantages:
we can structure it, which makes it possible to establish standards for this structure.
There is no need to tailor it to suit a particular end-user.
But the real benefit is that it is machine readable, and client applications can be written to allow analysis of this data.
This means that the same data source could potentially be used by GIS applications to make maps, statistical packages to carry out analysis and stereonet packages to plot foliations. And these applications will work on any data provided in this format.
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It has some Disadvantages:
In its raw state it isn’t quite as friendly as our geological maps,
But The real disadvantage is that it requires work in the geoscience community to define and agree on a standard structure for geological data.
The agreed standard for geology data is the GeoScience Mark-up Language, referred to as GeoSciML.

10. GeoSciML Benefits Data to GeoSciML Schema mapping Canada
WMS
WFS
Canada
GSV GA
BGS
USGS
GSC
GeoSciML Format
GSC mapping
WMS
WFS
GeoSciML
USA
USGS mapping
GeoSciML
GML
Client UK
BGS mapping
Australia
So why are we so interested in establishing this standard?
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Each organisation can map there data to that standard without redeveloping the backend databases,
Any software client that is OGC and GeoSciML compliant, can access that data, no matter where the source is.
The user of that client doesn’t need to map their client to each organisations different data sources structure, which is what is currently required.
This is what interoperability is all about.
GA mapping
GSV mapping
Datasources
OGC Services

11. Interoperability Requirements
Systems (Data Services)
Syntax (Data Language)
Schematic (Data Structure)
Semantic (Data Content)
interoperability
Current ‘World’
Organisation specific
Few standards
Access, Excel, Proprietary GIS
Files, DVD, CD
GeoSciML, O&M
Controlled Vocabularies
GML, XML
WFS, WMS, WCS
GeoSciML ‘World’
To achieve interoperability requires agreed standards on many levels.
The CGI Interoperability Working Group has been involved at all levels on the right hand side,
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I’m only talking about the Schematic, or Data Structure aspects.

12. Schematic Agreement RockMaterial consolidationDegree
compositionCategory
geneticDescription
lithology
Schematic Agreement
Victoria
South Australia
lithology
So what is Schematic Agreement.
If we look at Two delivery structures from adjacent Australian states
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We see the Lithology value is stored in two places in Victoria and only one place in SA.
For an agreed schema we need to specify whether
this is one attribute or two,
where it occurs in the data structure, and
what format the values it can take are.
In GeoSciML we have specified that a Rock class, represented by the green box,
has at least 4 attributes,
one of which is the lithology value.

13. Schematic Agreement GeologicUnit Lithology Cardinality RockMaterial+
bodyMorphology: [0..*]
compositionCategory: [0..1]
exposureColor: [0..*]
outcropCharacter: [0..*]
rank: [0..1]
CompositionPart +
lithology: ControlledConcept [1..*]
material: RockMaterial [0..1]
proportion:
role:
+composition
0..*
Cardinality
Lithology
RockMaterial
consolidationDegree: CGI_Term
compositionCategory: CGI_Term [0..1]
geneticDescription: CGI_Term [0..1]
Lithology: ControlledConcept [1..*]
So obviously Rocks have lithology
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But GeologicUnits may also have lithology
So we can describe the lithology of a rock, or the lithology of a GeologicUnit
But we could also describe the lithology of the GeologicUnit by describing the Rocks it contains
So we can describe the lithology of the Rocks that make up the GeologicUnit, or we can simply describe the lithology of the unit, without describing the rocks
Not only do we need to agree on what properties are appropriate, but also need to agree on the cardinality of the various properties.
For instance a GeologicUnit may have 0 or many composition descriptions, and each of these may have 1 or many Lithology terms.
This representation is UML (Unified Modelling Language), which is a graphical way of representing the XML we saw previously
Advantage that we (now) have software to convert from this to XML.

14. What is GeoSciML? machine readable GeoScience Markup Language
a Geological Data Model based on real world concepts that represents the complexity of geology
tells users what geological information goes where
developed by the international scientific community
builds on established standards such as GML
uses the ISO ‘feature’ model
So recapping:
GeoSciML is the machine readable GeoScience Mark-up Language
From the geologists perspective the important points are that
Its based on real world concepts, such as Geologic units, faults, contacts and the like. This is based on work carried out at a number of jurisdictions, but the most influential has been the NADM work from 1999 to 2004
It handles the complexity required to describe these concepts
3. it specifies what information goes where and what the associations are between the various pieces of information
4. It has been developed by the international geoscience community, and it makes use of the GML standard of the Open Geospatial Consortium and the ISO standards.

15. MappedFeature – geologic map elements
The map sheet
Map polygons and lines, described by GML geometries
Geologic description (map legend)
An important point is that GeoSciML obtains its framework from other non-geoscience domains.
This framework shows up in:
1. the use of standard UML stereotypes;
2. Reference to standard external components
E.g. Geometry GM_Object (from ISO 19107), metadata MD_Metadata (from ISO 19115), SamplingFeatures (from OGC O&M)
<Click> Here the mapsheet description comes from Observation & Measurements
<Click> The Map geometries from GML
<Click> and the map legend or geological description from GeoSciML

16. Vocabularies Features Sampling Features Units Structures ‘Rocks’
AnyDefinition
GeologicFeatureRelation
GeologicEvent
GM_Object
SurveyProcedure
SamplingFeatureRelation
VocabRelation
AnyDictionary
GeologicFeature
MappedFeature
AnyFeature
SamplingFeature
Observation
ControlledConcept
GeologicVocabulary
SpatiallyExtensiveSamplingFeature
Specimen
SamplingPoint
DiscreteCoverageObservation
AnyEntity
StratigraphicLexicon
Units
Structures
SamplingCurve
CV_DiscreteCoverage
WeatheringDescription
BoreholeDetails
CompositionPart
GeologicUnit
GeologicUnitPart
GeologicStructure
Borehole
BoreholeCollar
PhysicalDescription
MetamorphicDescription
ShearDisplacementStructure
Contact
Lineation
NonDirectionalStructure
Foliation
DisplacementValue
Fault
DuctileShearStructure
FaultSystem
FoldSystem
Fold
Layering
‘Rocks’
MaterialRelation
SeparationValue
SlipComponents
NetSlipValue
Obviously any model covering a domain as complex as geology, is also going to be complex and difficult to describe.
But perhaps we can get a quick overview of some of the scope of the model in the time remaining.
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Broadly the model covers Geologic Features.
These may be
<Click> GeologicUnits,
<Click> GeologicStructures or
<Click> from Observation & Measurements Sampling Features
<Click> EarthMaterials such as Rocks and Minerals, may be used to describe these features and
<Click> Vocabularies and Values used to contain the geological terms used.
Clearly a large proportion of geological concepts are covered, the model has extensive breadth.
I will now look at a some of these concepts in more detail to demonstrate the ‘depth’ of the model
ConstituentPart
EarthMaterial
Values
CGI_Value
CGI_GeometricDescriptionValue
ParticleGeometryDescription
CompoundMaterial
Mineral
OrganicMaterial
CGI_Range
CGI_PrimitiveValue
CGI_NumericRange
CGI_PlanarOrientation
CGI_LinearOrientation
InorganicFluid
CGI_TermRange
CGI_TermValue
CGI_NumericValue
CGI_Vector
CGI_Term
CGI_Numeric

17. GeologicFeature Relation
GeologicEvent
eventAge
eventEnvironment [0..*]
eventProcess [1..*]
geologicHistory
0..1
preferredAge
0..*
GeologicFeature Relation
GeologicRelation
relationship
sourceRole [0..1]
targetRole [0..1]
sourceLink
0..*
target 1
targetLink
source
GM_Object
boundary
buffer(Distance)
centroid
closure
convexHull
coordinateDimension
dimension
distance
envelope
isCycle
isSimple
maximalComplex
mbRegion
representativePoint
transform
shape
MD_Metadata
metadata
0..1
GeologicUnit
GeologicStructure
GeologicFeature
observationMethod [1..*]
purpose
MappedFeature
observationMethod [1..*]
positionalAccuracy
specification 1
occurrence
0..*
So what do we mean by GeologicFeatures?
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GeologicFeatures may be Units or Structures
These Units or Structures may be mapped, and we use all the GML defined properties, which cover polygons, lines, points etc to describe the spatial properties of the GeologicFeatures
Features may be related to other features, that is Units intrude other units, faults cut units etc
Geologic Features may have a geologic history that is a series of events that created the feature
These events are described by their age, environment and process properties
link to the GML Metadata classes.
Note the classes are colour coded:
green was defined in GeoSciML 1, Yellow is new to GeopSciML 2, blue is from Observation and Measurements and fawn from GML
SpatiallyExtensive
SamplingFeature
samplingFrame
GeologicFeature

18. Geologic Unit CompositionPart GeologicUnitType ControlledConcept
Allostratigraphic
Alteration
ArtificialGround
Biostratigraphic
Chronostratigraphic
Deformation
Excavation
Geomorphologic
GeophysicalUnit
Lithodemic
Lithogenetic
Lithologic
Lithostratigraphic
LithotectonicUnit
MagnetostratigraphicUnit
MassMovement
Pedoderm
Pedostratigraphic
PolarityChronostratigraphicUnit
CompositionPart
lithology
material
proportion
role
composition
ControlledConcept
identifier
name
classifier
GeologicUnit
geologicUnitType
bodyMorphology
GeologicUnitPart
proportion
role
part
contained
Unit
PhysicalDescription
density
magneticSusceptibility
permeability
porosity
physicalProperty
exposureColor
outcropCharacter
rank
compositionCategory
unitThickness
weathering
Character
WeatheringDescription
weatheringDegree
weatheringProduct
weatheringProcess
environment
BeddingDescription
beddingPattern
beddingStyle
beddingThickness
+bedding
MetamorphicDescription
metamorphicFacies
metamorphicGrade
peakPressureValue
peakTemperatureValue
protolithLithology
metamorphic Character
All types of Geologic Units are catered for
These GeologicUnits may be described by various properties such as:
<Click> Weathering character using the Weathering Description,
<Click> Metamorphic character using the MetamorphicDescription
<Click> Bedding can be described
<Click> as can the Physical Properties
<Click>
We’ve already seen that GeologicUnits have composition descriptions.
They can also be considered as parts of other GeologicUnits, such as members, formations and groups.
The Name of the Unit could be a ControlledConcept, that is it is defined in some Stratigraphic Lexicon
Geologic Unit

19. ParticleGeometry Description
ConstituentPart
proportion
role
material
part
target
MaterialRelation
relationship
sourceRole
targetRole
source
EarthMaterial
color
purpose
particleGeometry
ParticleGeometry Description
size
sorting
particleType
shape
aspectRatio
particleGeometry
Organic
Material
InorganicFluid
Mineral
mineralName
RockMaterial
compositionCategory
geneticCategory
consolidationDegree
lithology
metamorphic
Character
MetamorphicDescription
metamorphicFacies
metamorphicGrade
peakPressureValue
peakTemperatureValue
protolithLithology
FabricDescription
fabricType
fabric
PhysicalDescription
density
magneticSusceptibility
permeability
porosity
physicalProperty
EarthMaterials may be RockMaterials covering consolidated and Unconsolidated Material, such as sand and gravel.
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Or they may be Minerals, organic material or Inorganic fluid. These last two are empty ‘placeholders’, ie we haven’t filled out their attributes. These are areas where we would like to see other specialist propose the properties required to describe these classes.
EarthMaterials, such as Minerals or RockMaterials, can be used to make up other RockMaterials, which allows describing the constituent parts of any Rock, such as its clasts, matrix, phenocrysts and the like.
We can specify the relationships between these various constituent parts
Like GeologicUnits there are a number of classes we can use to describe the various properties of the Rocks

20. NonDirectionalStructure
Lineation
definingElement
intensity
lineationType
mineralElement
orientation
Contact
contactCharacter
contactType
orientation
NonDirectionalStructure
structureType
BoundaryRelationship
constraints
{source must be GeologicUnit}
{target must be GeologicUnit}
boundary
Occurrence
boundedUnitLink
DeformationUnit
definedUnit
defining
Structure
GeologicStructure
Displacement Event
incremental
ShearDisplacement
Structure
planeOrientation
Fold
profileType
axialSurfaceOrientation
hingeLineOrientation
geneticModel
amplitude
hingeLineCurvature
hingeShape
interLimbAngle
limbShape
span
symmetry
higherOrder
FoldPart
foldSystem
Member
Foliation
continuity
definingElement
foliationType
intensity
mineralElement
orientation
spacing
Layering
Rock
consolidationDegree
lithology
layer
Composition
FoldSystem
periodic
wavelength
FaultSystem
faultSystem
Member
DisplacementValue
hangingWallDirection
movementSense
movementType
total
Fault
segment
DuctileShear
Structure
segment
NetSlip
Value
Separation
Slip
Components
slipComponent
Geologic Structures are way to complex to discuss here, but suffice it to say that it covers:
<Click> brittle and ductile shears,
<Click> folds,
<Click> foliations,
<Click> lineations,
<Click> contacts and
<Click> nondirectional structures, such as mudcracks and miarolitic cavities

21. SpatiallyExtensive SamplingFeature Specimen SamplingPoint
Relation
role
relatedSamplingFeature
0..*
source
target
SurveyProcedure
surveyDetails
0..1
AnyFeature
Intention
sampled
Feature
1..*
SamplingFeature
SpatiallyExtensive SamplingFeature
Specimen
SamplingPoint
position
Outcrop
CV_DiscreteCoverage
Observation
DiscreteCoverage
relatedObservation
0..*
result
SamplingCurve
length [0..1]
shape
Borehole
BoreholeCollar
location
collarLocation
borehole
0..*
The model also extends Observation and Measurements to include boreholes.
BoreholeDetails
dateOfDrilling
driller
drillingMethod
inclinationType
nominalDiameter
operator
startPoint
indexData
0..1

22. Governance Tony Cragg, Subcommittee, 1991 IWG
Establishing standards inevitably involves Committees, sub-committees, task groups, working groups and the like
Establishing the Geoscience Mark-up Language, GeoSciML, is no exception.
It was Created by the Interoperability Working Group, established in late 2003
Under the CGI which is A Commission of the IUGS.
This is the governance structure for GeoSciML
The GeoSciML standard also makes use of the standards established by ISO and OGC.
So GeoSciML comes with a very credible pedigree and governance framework.
Tony Cragg, Subcommittee, 1991

23. Interoperability Requirements
Summary
availability of appropriate technologies - OGC, ISO, W3C
common data structure
common data content
commitment to these standards - GGIC, INSPIRE, 1G-Europe, NSF-GIN
- CGI-IUGS
For all this to work we need:
The availability of appropriate technologies.
For this we are dependent on the International standards bodies
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We need common data structure – that’s GeoSciML
But we also need agreement on standard data content using Controlled Vocabularies and the like.
This is the responsibility of the CGI
Finally, and most importantly, we need a commitment to these standards.
And that is where Regional and National standard setting projects and organisations must play a crucial role

24. GeoSciML Documentation http://www.geosciml.org
Web Services Workshop
9:00 – 14:00 Sunday 10 August
Room D1
GeoSciML Documentation
Remind you that the use of GeoSciML in Web services will be demonstrated at tomorrow’s workshop