Building the GeoInformatics System: A Workshop on Planning and Coordinating Environmental Cyberinfrastructure Activities in the Earth Sciences

San Diego Supercomputer Center,
University of California, La Jolla, California
May 14 and 15, 2003

Approximately 25 representatives of each of the self-organizing sub-disciplines of the earth sciences community and representatives of other scientific disciplines including ocean sciences, biodiversity, and atmospheric sciences, who are organizing to pursue development of the environmental cyberinfrastructure will meet in San Diego to discuss the organizational framework for the earth sciences component of the national environmental cyberinfrastructure (ECI), often referred to as "GeoInformatics."

One of the goals of the workshop will be to assess community desires and the resources necessary to fulfill them.

• What needs to be done?
• Identify the EAR community elements
• Identify goals for the community
  • Coordination vs. management
  • Distributed vs. centralized
• Develop a community-based system
  • What are the alternative organizational models?
  • What does the organization do?
  • Who runs it?
  • How are decisions made?
  • Where are the components housed?
• Coordination and collaboration with extra-EAR groups
• Interactions with NSDI/FGDC, ESIP, and other federal initiatives

Rationale and Expected Outcomes

The Workshop will produce a formal report and summary for wide distribution. A position statement, or "white paper," with visions, strategic plans, organizational outline, and other recommendations, and discussions of major issues will be prepared at the Workshop. This "white paper" will be distributed to appropriate NSF staff and an extensive list of leaders in GeoInformatics that we have compiled. A summary of the workshop will be submitted for publication in one or more of GSA Today, EOS, Geotimes, and AAPG Explorer. We hope to work with the participants from the other sciences to prepare reports for publication in their professional trade journals.

Another important, but less tangible product will be the promotion of informal long-term coordination and collaboration among the elements of the earth sciences community.