Semantic integration of geospatial data from earth observations

Abstract

We propose an approach to semantically enrich metadata records of satellite imagery with external data. As a result we are able the identify relevant images using a larger set of matching criteria. Conventional methods for annotating data sets are usually based on metadata records (with attributes such as title, provider, access mode, and spatiotemporal characteristics), which offer a narrow view of the world. Enriching metadata with contextual information (e.g., the region depicted in the image has been recently affected by extreme weather) requires formalizing spatio-temporal relationships between metadata records and external data sources. Semantic technologies play a key role in such scenarios by providing an infrastructure based on RDF and ontologies.