Metadata on GeoDataCubes – GDDS Sister Projects Work on a Joint Approach
July 13th, 2024
The lack of relevant metadata in geospatial data prevents the identification of useful datasets. The Sister Projects of the GDDS Action Group are comparing the metadata concepts used by each project towards a joint policy brief on metadata requirements for the GDDS.
In the course of the work of the sister projects part of the Green Deal Data Space Action Group, we discovered that there is a serious gap in metadata culture between traditional (vector-based) GeoData and (gridded) GeoDataCubes. This seems rooted in tradition. GeoDataCubes have evolved from Coverages focused on satellite imagery, a close-knit community where the involved players know the relevant satellite missions, therefore there is no need for excess metadata. However, this approach fails badly when dealing with derived products, e.g. from Copernicus Services, where data is available representing a wide range of variables. Simple search by spatiotemporal bounding box plus dataset title does not suffice to identify relevant datasets. In addition, provenance information is usually missing, making it impossible to evaluate if the dataset is actually fit for purpose.
This issue in identifying useful datasets due to the lack of relevant metadata has been recognized by the sibling projects, and a joint effort started to compare the metadata concepts that are in use by the projects. Currently, every project uses a different system:
- FAIRiCUBE uses SpatioTemporal Asset Catalogs (STAC);
- AD4GD works with classic ISO 19115 (GeoNetwork and GeM+);
- USAGE uses a GeoNetwork-based catalog which publishes metadata according to ISO 19115:2003 and ISO 19115-1:2014 and tools/algorithms metadata according to ISO 19115-1:2014. The catalog harvests also CKAN/DCAT catalogues performing automatic conversion to ISO.;
- B-Cubed is working with NetCDF and EBV GeoBon portal.