Metadata Concepts

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Metadata Concepts for Hydrology
Michael Piasecki Department of Civil,
Architectural, and Environmental
Engineering Drexel University CUAHSI HIS
Symposium Austin, TX March 7-9, 2005
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Background
Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of
the Hydrologic Sciences, Inc.
Hydrologic Information Systems Group The
objective of HIS is

• a hydrologic information system prototype of
  mapping and hydrologic data from the Neuse
  basin.
• a structure for the hydrologic data model
• a hydrologic metadata definition that is
  compatible with the hydrologic data model and
  is interoperable with other Metadata
  profiles
• conduct hydrologic case study in interpretation
  and visualization to estimate and represent
  streamflow and rainfall continuously in space
  and time across the stream network in the
  Neuse basin

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The Demands
METADATA
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Metadata Standards
ISO 19115 International Standard Organisation
DIF Data Interchange Format, NASA
ANZLIC Australia New Zealand Land Information
Council DC Dublin Core FGDC Federal Geographic
Data Committee ADN ADEPT, DELESE, NASA
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Related Markup Languages
Markup Language Origin Based on .
Ecological Markup Language, EML KNB (LTER, NCEAS, SDSC) Community XML schema
Geographical Markup Language, GML OpenGIS Consortium ISO 19115 XML schema
Earth Science Markup Language, ESML U. of Alabama NASA FGDC ECS XML schema
Sensor Markup Language, SENSORML U. of Alabama openGIS ISO 19130 XML schema
Hydrologic Markup Language, HYDROML USGS, National Water Information System FGDC XML schema
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Meta-Semantics
Categorization of Metadata Elements
Category   Subcategory   Description  
Content metadata   General Same for all data types
Content metadata   Specific Different for different data types  
Syntactic metadata   Descriptive part Information about the data variable
Syntactic metadata   Structure part Structure of the data  
Semantic metadata   Data description
search
use
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Semantics Problem1
Metadata Standards lack domain specific elements
They do not suggest if area and outlet location
should be defined when a watershed is being
described ? They do not incorporate a list of
possible stations and variables related to
surface water collected by a particular
Hydrologic Information Community, HIC
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Semantics Problem 2
Metadata Standards do not resolve semantic
heterogeneities
Metadata (ISO) about dataset X keyword Stage
Height thesaurusName GCMD
Metadata (FGDC) about dataset Y Theme_Keyword
Gage Height Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus USGS
Finds only data set X
and not data set Y
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Semantics Solution
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Ontologies for Metadata Profile
Prepare the CUAHSI Metadata Profile for the
Future!
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Resolve Semantic Heterogeneity
e.g. search for Stage Height
Finds data set X and Y
Metadata repository
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0

1. Extend ISO
2. Set as core (Metadata elements selected to be
   used by CUAHSI)
3. Controlled Vocabulary
4. Create domain list to fit needs

Express in machine readable format OWL/XML
fully interoperable with original ISO
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0
1) Extend ISO 19115 and use other ISO 19___
family standards
ISO 19108 (temporal objects)
ISO 19103 (units)
ISO 19110
ISO 19115 (general)
CUAHSI Profile
In progress
Features-Profile
TimeSeries-Profile

HUC

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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0
2) Set as core
Using flag to mark the core elements
ltowlAnnotationProperty rdfID"core"gt
core
true
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0

• Core Metadata Version 1.0
• selected 77 descriptive elements that are
  CUAHSI core, i.e that are mandatory for any
  data set within CUAHSI
• made available online for review and comments
• output is in SDSC formats MTF template
  format MIF interchange format
• entire ISO 191xx family of metadata norms is
  also available for inclusion in CUAHSI profile
  

Metadata Tree Visualization
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0
Mandatory
1. SensorDescription
Mandatory
2. SensorName (long)
Mandatory
3. SensorModelNumber
MD_Classification Code for Observation
Metadatabased on SensorML
Mandatory
4. SensorType
Mandatory
5. SenorName (short)
Mandatory
6. SensorDeployAgency
Mandatory
7. SensorInServiceDateTime
Mandatory
8. SenorManufacturer
Mandatory
9. ObservableProperty
10. SensorDocumentationOrganization
Mandatory
Mandatory
11. SensorOperatedOrganization
Optional
15. SensorPlatfomType
Optional
11. MeasurementMethod
Optional
12. SamplerType
Optional
13. SensorIdentificationNumber
Optional
14. SenorNotOperatioanSinceDateTime
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0
3) Controlled Vocabulary
Ontologies
Labels
Annotations
Pangloss TOOL
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0

• Created a
• CUAHSI Keyword Controlled Vocabulary
• based on
• UNESCO Intl Glossary of Hydrology
• Global Change Master Directory
• Work still in progress
• need to identify additional terms
• cast it in ontology

Hydrology Hydrologic Model Runoff
Direct Runoff Base Runoff
Surface Runoff Surface water
Discharge or Flow Water Depth
Stage Height Base flow Pressure
Water yield Ground water Ground
Water Discharge or Flow Safe yield
Infiltration Hydraulic Conductivity
Drainage Moisture Wells
Aquifer
Water Quality Fundamental Parameters
BOD5 COD TSS MLVSS
Ammonia Phosphate Dissolved
Oxygen . .
Meteorology Fundamental Parameters Air
Temperature Dew Point Humidity
Wind Chill Evaporation Land Surface
Temperature Precipitation Standardized
Precipitation Index Rainfall Sleet
Snow Hail . .
Topography Barometric Altitude
Bathymetry Contours Geotechnical
Properties Land Use Classes Soil
Classification Landforms Terrain
Elevation Vegetation Snow/Ice Cover
Satellite Imagery . .
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CUAHSI Profile V.1.0
4) Set New Codelists

• MD_Classification Code for security Constraints
• World
• Group
• Owner

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More Ontologies
We currently have
What we need is
Ontology Examples
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Thank you Questions?
http//loki.cae.drexel.edu8080/web/how/me/metadat
acuahsi.html
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The Solution
Hydrology Community Metadata Profile
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e.g. Restrict the descriptor code to only have
W-station values
Dynamic HTML form using the extension
Program could infer
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Metadata Standards
Which one to pick?
ANZLIC has recommended to use ISO 19115 FGDC is
about to recommend for its 3rd Content Standard
for Digital Geospatial Metadata,
CSDGM, version to use ISO 19115. Since the
beginning they have developed
cross-walks from FGDC to ISO DC is based
on library science and therefore not very
suitable, even though it is compact,
DCMI has also developed cross-walks to ISO ADN
is based on a collaboration between the ADEPT,
DLESE and NASA (DIF), there is no
basic standard and only very few cross-walks
exist, none to FGDC, which is
interesting as its use has been mandated
gt ISO 19115 is bound to become reference
standard, also it is the only one
that has been conceptualized in UML.
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