The key objective of this task is to “develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines. This will allow sharing not just data but also how these data can be used to address key policy or scientific question, and link also to the community of users addressing similar problems.

The Knowledge base will document the relationships between the data and the processes (models, workflows, algorithms) needed to develop the selected information/indicators.

The functionality of the knowledge base will support the GEOSS infrastructure in facilitating availability and accessibility of the observations to user communities. The knowledge base will include the rules for defining the observational needs and how to link them to user requirements, addressing a wide range of environmental and socio-economic information needs. Of particular interest are those information needs that are linked to indicators supporting the advocacy and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The knowledge base will include rules to define the observation needs for these indicators.

The GEO Knowledge Base will be developed by leveraging existing knowledge repositories and databases and documenting what is being developed in association with GEO activities.

It will include user feedback with respect to the fitness for purpose of both data and processes.

The activities will be performed by a Task Team lead by Hans Peter Plag, IEEE hpplag@odu.edu and Stefano Nativi, CNR Italy stefano.nativi@cnr.it

The Secretariat, will ensure dialogue between the Community-developing Knowledge- and the GCI development Team, developing solutions to make it available through the Portal. Key inputs are expected to come from task GD-8.

A. Contributors (IEEE. CNR, others TBD)

1. Identify relevant existing and developing knowledge bodies in various domains.
2. Develop the concept for a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines, including the rules for deriving the observational needs from user’s requirements.
3. Design and develop the functionalities in order to support the GEOSS infrastructure, including the DAB, in facilitating discoverability and usability of observations to user communities;
4. Implement a prototype of the knowledge base and import the contents of the GEOSS User Requirements Registry to the prototype –i.e. one of the knowledge bodies.

B. GEO Secretariat

1. Support the task Team
2. Support the development and population of the Knowledge Base and engage user communities, including S&T communities, in these activities.
3. Document the relevant existing and developing knowledge bodies in various domains and establish organizational links where needed.
4. Coordinate the utilization of the knowledge base (e.g. in the GCI) and contribution to the knowledge base from all GEO activities (community, initiatives, flagships) and ensure coordination with capacity building activities.

Form and convene the Team

• Issue a report on GEOSS knowledge base concept and development approach
• Start the compilation of available knowledge resources
• Design and prototype a database to host GEO-developed knowledge

Proposed GEO Foundational TASKS