GEOSSanditsCommonInfrastructure

Established in 2005, GEO (http://www.earthobservations.org/) is a voluntary partnership of governments and organizations that envisions "a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information." GEO Member governments include 96 nations and the European Commission, and 87 Participating Organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in Earth observations. Together, the GEO community is creating a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that will link Earth observation resources world-wide across multiple Societal Benefit Areas - agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, water and weather - and make those resources available for better informed decision-making. Through the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI), GEOSS resources, including Earth observation data (satellite, airborne, in situ, models), information services, standards and best practices, can be searched, discovered and accessed by scientists, policy leaders, decision makers, and those who develop and provide information services across the entire spectrum of users. The presentation will cover the GCI overall architecture and some possible future developments.