Enhancing integrated environmental modelling by designing resource-oriented interfaces

Integrated environmental modelling is gaining momentum for addressing grand scientific challenges such as monitoring the environment for change detection and forecasting environmental conditions along with the consequences for society. Such challenges can only be addressed by a multi-disciplinary approach, in which socio-economic, geospatial, and environmental information becomes inter-connected. However, existing solutions cannot be seamlessly integrated and current interaction paradigms prevent mainstream usage of the existing technology. In particular, it is still difficult to access and join harmonized data and processing algorithms that are provided by different environmental information infrastructures. In this paper we take a novel approach for integrated environmental modelling based on the notion of inter-linked resources on the Web. We present design practices for creating resource-oriented interfaces, driven by an interaction protocol built on the combination of valid linkages to enhance resource integration, accompanied by associated recommendations for implementation. The suggested resource-oriented approach provides a solution to the problems identified above, but still requires intense prototyping and experimentation. We discuss the central open issues and present a roadmap for future research

Which service interfaces fit the model web?

Ponència presentada a The Fourth International Conference on Advanced Geographic Information Systems, Applications, and Services, GEOProcessing 2012, celebrat a València del 30 de gener al 4 de febrer de 2012The Model Web has been proposed as a concept for integrating scientific models in an interoperable and collaborative manner. However, four years after the initial idea was formulated, there is still no stable long term solution. Multiple authors propose Web Service based approaches to model publication and chaining, but current implementations are highly case specific and lack flexibility. This paper discusses the Web Service interfaces, which are required for supporting integrated environmental modeling in a sustainable manner. We explore ways to expose environmental models and their components using Web Service interfaces. Our discussions present work in progress for establishing the Web Services technological grounds for simp lifying information publication and exchange within the Model We b. As a main outcome, this contribution identifies challenges in respect to the required geo- processing and relates them to currently available Web Service standards