eGY, The Electronic Geophysical Year
William Peterson, Electronic Geophysical Year, USA
Authors: W.K. Peterson(1), C.E. Barton(2), and the eGY Team
(1) Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, USA,
(2) Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Australia.
The Electronic Geophysical Year, 2007-2008 is an opportunity for advancing an "e-Science" approach to issues of data stewardship in order to make past, present, and future geoscientific data and information openly and readily available. Modern information management and communications technologies have evolved to match both our ability to gather information about the Earth and geospace and our need to share that information. This opens up exciting new scientific opportunities provided we cooperate worldwide on issues of interoperability and data management practices. The willingness by governments around the world to develop a Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) demonstrates a widespread recognition of the benefits of doing this.
The forthcoming 50-year anniversary of the International Geophysical Year, 1957-1958 (IGY) is a timely occasion to focus attention on these new challenges and promote cooperation worldwide. eGY is a vehicle for capitalizing on this opportunity. A key feature of eGY is to promote the development of virtual observatories to complement in cyberspace the contribution from physical observatories. A coordinated international effort spanning all geoscience disciplines will help us maximize the value to society of e-Science developments and to share the benefits equally between all nations.
This paper covers opportunities offered by eGY, practical details about the implementation, suggested activities for participants, and relationships with the other three geoscience international year programs - the International Polar Year, and the International Year of Planet Earth, and the International Heliophysical Year.
Keywords: e-science, virtual observatories, international cooperation