1. GRDC Metadata Profile – the way forward
presented by the Global Runoff Data Centre (U. Looser)
at the OGC/TC meeting, Darmstadt, 29 September 2009
Metadata are the key to an effective data management.
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

2. WMO, CHy and International Standards
WMO has been recognised by the International Standardisation Organisation Council as an international standardisation body (ISO Council Resolution 43/2007)
WIS and WIGOS initiated to improve interoperability across all WMO programmes and the sharing of information and data
Inter-Programme Expert Team on Metadata and Data Interoperability (IPET-MDI) established to guide the development of:
WMO Core Profile of the ISO 191xx standards for metadata and data
procedures for the inter-operability of metadata and data
inter-programme metadata and data representation policy
CHy (CHy-XIII) recommended the development of a metadata profile under the overall guidance of WIS/WIGOS to form part of the WMO Core Profile of the ISO Metadata Standard
* WIS: WMO Information System, WIGOS: WMO Integrated Global Observing System
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

3. WMO Documents and their status
WMO and ISO common standards approved by both organisations
WMO Technical Regulations:
Treaty level documents approved by WMO Congress (4 year cycle)
Submit to Executive Council one year before Congress
Comprise standard practices.
“Necessary” for Members to follow or implement
Wording = “Shall”
Comprise recommended practices
“Desirable” for Members to follow or implement
Wording = “Should”
Updating rigorous process
Changes to Technical regulations only by Congress
WMO Technical Manuals:
Part of Technical regulations
Treaty level documents approved by WMO Congress
Countries obliged to follow
WMO
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

4. WMO Documents and their status (continued)
Guides:
No Congress endorsement
Approved at Commission level
Often supplement regulatory material contained in Tech Regs
Recommendation set of Practices (“Best Practices”)
Not obligatory to Members
Reports, Technical reports:
Studies, commissioned reports etc.
Information may feed into higher level documents
This mechanism applies to all areas of the WMO covered by their respective 8 Technical Commissions e.g. Basic Systems, Hydrology, Meteorology etc.
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

5. Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

6. Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

7. Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

8. “network of networks” related to GCOS ECVs
GTN-H:
“network of networks” related to GCOS ECVs
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

9. GRDC GPCC HYDROLARE WGMS GEMS/Water SMOS GGMN GNIP
8 of 11 ECVs are represented in special databases  GTN-H: “network of networks”
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

10. METADATA Service shall facilitate
GTN-H:
METADATA Service shall facilitate
Identification
Evaluation
Access to
observational data
Metadata Service
domain-specific
interdisciplinary
web-based
flexible
metadata
data
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

11. collected from different databases
GTN-H:
METADATA will be
describe hydrologic dataset
describe origin of the dataset (= observation)
describe feature of interest (here: hydrologic feature)
collected from different databases
managed by web-based metadata service
Metadata on dataset
Metadata on hydroFeature
Metadata on observation
GTN-H Metadata
output metadata on dataset
output metadata on observation
output metadata on hydrologic feature
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

12. Domain-specific (  common) meaning
GTN-H
METADATA
represent
Domain-specific (  common) meaning
behind descriptions and naming conventions
on the domain-specific semantic structure
on functional and non-functional requirements
guided by WMO-CHy, based on relevant WMO documents
Metadata on dataset
Metadata on hydroFeature
Metadata on observation
GTN-H Metadata
Metadata on dataset
Metadata on hydroFeature
Metadata on observation
Common Metadata
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

13. Common METADATA include dataset observation hydroFeature descriptions
describe domain-specific dataset
describe domain-specific observation
describe hydrologic feature
Metadata on dataset
Metadata on hydroFeature
Metadata on observation
Common Metadata
output metadata on dataset
output metadata on observation
output metadata on hydrologic Feature
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

14. Common semantic structure required
flexible (extension and modification)
domain-specific and interdisciplinary (abstraction level)
compliant to WMO Core Profile for Metadata and the relevant ISO standards
The semantic model reflects the perspective of the potential user, capturing the common meaning behind naming conventions and syntax. It contains the metadata that should be implemented in a future application, e.g. a online catalogue service.
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

15. Draft GRDC Metadata Profile (semantic structure)
hydrologic data are specific geographic data
hydrologic data result from oberservation
hydrologic data reflect a feature of the real world
meaning of “dataset” ranges from single record to spatial or temporal coverages
meaning of “observation” ranges from measurement to the application of numerical models
Status:
model structure under review (CSIRO, HDWG, ...)
data dictionaries under review (WMO/GRDC)
integration of WMO codelists (WMO/GRDC)
Draft GRDC Metadata Profile
under review
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

16. GRDC’s contribution to the Hydrology DWG
GRDC / HDWG
GRDC’s contribution to the Hydrology DWG
ensure guidance of WMO-CHy for the semantic content
domain-specific meanings of terms (content semantic)
relation between meanings of terms (structural semantics)
ensure compliance to WMO documents
representation of GTN-H metadata requirements
coordination of work on semantic content
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009

17. Thank you for attention!
Contact:
Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC) in the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) Am Mainzer Tor Koblenz, Germany
Tel.: Fax:
Homepage:
Global Runoff Data Centre at the meeting of the Hydrology DWG, Darmstadt, 29 Sep 2009