19th International CODATA Conference
Category: Interoperability

Preparing for eGY

Charles Barton (charles.barton@anu.edu.au), Daniel Baker, V. Papitashvili, B. Thompson, and A. Rodger
Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Australia

An Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) initiative is being pursued for 2007-2008 to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of the highly successful International Geophysical Year. By exploiting the power of modern communications and information management capabilities, eGY aims to accomplish in 21st-Century (e-Science) terms what the IGY achieved through the establishment of a world-wide network of geophysical observatories and World Data Centres - namely ready, open access by the world community to vastly better and more comprehensive information about the Earth and geospace. Theme areas are electronic data access, data discovery, data release, and data preservation, linked to programs of capacity building and outreach. Promoting the development of virtual observatories is a central feature of eGY. Similar themes can be identified in the "data and information" objectives of IPY, IYPE, CODATA, WDCs, various global observing/information networks, and a host of other enterprises. eGY is being developed as an international resolve and a framework for addressing these issues cooperatively and stimulating progress. For further information, visit: www.egy.org

Note: The term Geophysical is used to harmonise with the "G" in IGY, but the term Geoscientific is really more appropriate as eGY spans all of the Earth Sciences and more.