What

The OneGeology-Europe project is delivering a web-accessible, interoperable geological spatial dataset for the whole of Europe at 1:1 million scale based on existing data held by the European geological surveys. It is developing a European specification for basic geological map data and making significant progress towards harmonising the dataset (an essential first step to addressing harmonisation at higher data resolutions). It is accelerating the development and deployment of a nascent international interchange standard for geological data – GeoSciML, which will enable the sharing and exchange of the data within and beyond the geological community within Europe and globally. It is facilitating re-use and addition of value by a wide spectrum of users in the public and private sector and identifying, documenting and disseminating strategies for the reduction of technical and business barriers to re-use. It is addressing the multilingual aspects of access through a multilingual discovery portal. In identifying and raising awareness in the user and provider communities, it is moving geological knowledge closer to the end-user where it will have greater societal impact and ensure fuller exploitation of a key data resource gathered at huge public expense. The project is providing examples of best practice in the delivery of digital geological spatial data to users, e.g. in the insurance, property, engineering, planning, mineral resource and environmental sectors. Last but not least, OneGeology-Europe is ensuring that Europe plays a leading and pivotal role globally in the development of a geoscience spatial data infrastructure (SDI) – a major and significant contribution to INSPIRE.

Within ten Work Packages OneGeology-Europe is producing:

1. an interoperable geology spatial dataset at a ~1:1 million scale for onshore EU (specifically composition and structure of the surface geology);
2. scientific specifications as a base for the interoperability of geological data at this resolution and progress towards a harmonised European dataset;
3. a view service providing access to best practice high resolution geological spatial data services for six Member States;
4. several pilot and case studies on cross-border delivery of harmonised high resolution data access;
5. multilingual discovery metadata for all data provider participants’ geological and applied map data;
6. a robust data model, schema and mark-up language for the geosciences, which is OGC compliant and documented and deployed across the EU and internationally;
7. a web portal providing easy multilingual access to the above data and examples of user-focused web services;
8. documented best practice examples of the delivery of geological data to the range of users (available for download and as high quality published book);
9. guidance and proposed code of practice on licensing and clearing arrangements facilitating re-use of geological spatial data;

10. exchange of science, technology, informatics and communication skills and experience across the EU and globally.

These products and achievements are allowing substantial progress towards INSPIRE goals: users will be able to discover, view and download geological data across the EU. This will be a test case for other themes of the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive and may not only benefit the geology theme but also will provides a template for other environmental data themes. OneGeology-Europe will deliver data for the EU Geoportal and aspires to position Europe as a world leader in developing a geoscience SDI for a continent. OneGeology-Europe will provide a reference base on which other valuable data products and services can be built.