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Adaptation & Use of OpenGIS Web Technologies for Multi-Disciplinary Access To Planetary Data
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| We propose to adapt the OpenGIS standards and technologies for the access, processing, and display of Earth geospatial data to the lunar and planetary domains. In particular, we will implement prototype WMS and WCS servers to present high level data products derived from the Mars and lunar datasets archived within the Planetary Data System (PDS). The specific information technologies used for this work are the rapidly developing and well-supported OpenGIS methodologies for Earth data. We will extend and generalize these standards for terrestrial planetary bodies, using Mars and the Moon as both subject of the prototype implementations and the exemplar for standards extensions. GIS software is being increasingly used by the planetary, and, in particular, the planetary geologic mapping communities. To our knowledge, however, this would be the first concerted effort to build a general data delivery service that would feed and augment the use of GIS commercial software for data processing and analysis. The basic motivation is that, while the World Wide Web has brought a revolution to the PDS in terms of ease of access, the accessible products remain relatively low level. Planetary and lunar investigators will benefit from a unified methodology for accessing higher-level products that serve as substrate, background, and currently known detail pertinent to their ongoing work. The thrust of this effort is to capitalize on a large body of existing technology and bring it to bear for the benefit of the planetary community. To be successful we will need to determine the minimum changes to that existing technology needed for the adaptation process. The central challenge is to craft a coherent set of changes that are comprehensive enough to apply to planetary bodies in general, while circumscribed enough to keep the work within the prescribed scope. This work directly pursues a major objective of the AISR call: ìIncrease science or educational return from the data through, for example, advanced knowledge discovery, data synthesis and data presentation methodologies.î Since we anticipate our results will have the most impact relative to the study of the Moon and the terrestrial planets, we connect most directly to the following NASA Goals, Science Objectives, and Research Focus Areas: Goal II, Solar System Exploration Theme, RFA 1(c); Goal II, Solar System Exploration Theme, RFA 4(c); and, Goal II, Solar System Exploration Theme, RFA 6(a). The nature of our work will lead to the broad publication of global multi-phenomenological maps of lunar and planetary bodies. These maps will be hierarchical and afford both synoptic and high-resolution views of each body published. The multiple views will make clear what differences exist, and, because they present the different phenomena as a composite, this capability should provide a basis to better understand planetary processes. We have assembled a highly expert and broadly based team for these tasks. With balance in both Information Technology and Planetary Science, we bring many years of direct experience with the PDS and with the scientific mapping of planetary bodies. Most pertinently, we have successfully brought OGC specification and technology to the management and publication of massive geospatial datasets. |
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