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Data, Information and Knowledge in the British Geological Survey

Jeremy Giles

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Data Rich

BGS is a data rich organisation– 863,919 onshore boreholes– 7,694 pallets of borehole cores– 138,896 digital borehole logs– 35,755 field slips from geologists– 7,694 lithostratigraphical definitions– 153,752 rock samples– etc. etc.

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A Bit of History

BGS has been collecting for 164 years Oldest records predate BGS Manual index systems have served for the

bulk of that period Digital systems developed from the bottom

up to meet the needs of specific projects Need to bring control recognised in mid-90s

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Data Management

Two projects have been initiated to improve situation– Geoscience Integrated Database System

(BGS-geoIDS) – Digital Geoscience Spatial Model (DGSM)

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Time Table

BGS-geoIDS

1998 2000 2005

DGSM

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BGS-geoIDS Vision

The overall aim of the project is to produce a single unified Corporate database of

geoscience information that will enable BGS scientists to undertake R&D more

effectively and help BGS to maximise its competitive advantage.

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BGS-geoIDS

Compilation of Discovery Metadata Data Model of Existing System Data Policy and Management Desktop Data Delivery

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Compilation of Discovery Metadata Entry point to BGS-geoIDS for most users Tells potential users what is available and

other key details National Geospatial Data Framework

(NGDF) Discovery Metadata Standards has 36 fields of which 13 are mandatory.

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Discovery Metadata Report

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BGS-geoIDS

Compilation of Discovery Metadata Data Model of Existing System Data Policy and Management Desktop Data Delivery

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Data Model of Existing System

Reverse engineer a physical data model Identify and implement missing links Identify and migrate workstation database

to corporate databases Technical Metadata

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Technical Metadata Reports

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Technical Metadata Report

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BGS-geoIDS

Compilation of Discovery Metadata Data Model of Existing System Data Policy and Management Desktop Data Delivery

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Data Policy and Management

Development of a corporate data policy Development of a corporate data

management plan Development of data management plans for

individual projects

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BGS-geoIDS

Compilation of Discovery Metadata Data Model of Existing System Data Policy and Management Desktop Data Delivery

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Boreholes near Burlington House

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Boreholes near Burlington House

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Query by Form

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Answer by Report

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DGSM Vision

The DGSM is a framework for managing BGS's knowledge of the UK and its surrounding

continental shelf. It will foster a model-centred ethos with BGS in which all geoscience

disciplines will contribute to and enhance the development of a set of multidimensional, coherent, integrated geoscience models.

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Selection/conversion

Selection/conversion

Maps

ReportsPlotting/reporting

Analysis

GIS/Cartography

Standardgeometric

data

Warehouse geometric

data

Observational data

Metadata layer

Spatially- referenced data Other data

Textimages

statistics

Data ProcesslinksData flowKey

Visualisation

BGS-geoIDS

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DGSM Framework 1

Enhance existing data model to deal with geometrical and topological relationships

Design a data warehouse to contain application specific datasets

Definitions of metadata necessary to identify standard geometric and Warehouse models

Defining and disseminating best practice

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DGSM Framework 2

Setting project software standards DGSM policies covering procedures for

model validation and approval, ensuring standards in model development and update

Developing the approaches to geoscience 'authoring' of documents and knowledge

User training programme

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DGSM Trail Areas

Selected trail areas to test a variety of geological environments– London and the SE – Midland Valley of Scotland– Atlantic Margin of the UK Continental Shelf– Great Yarmouth– Cheshire Basin

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BGS-geoIDS

Information

Data

Solutions

DGSM

Knowledge

Exp

ertise

Overview