GEOSS Platform data content and use

Abstract

The GEOSS Platform is a key contribution to the goal of building the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). It enables a harmonized discovery and access of Earth observation data, shared online by heterogeneous organizations worldwide. This work analyzes both what is made available in the GEOSS Platform by the data providers and how users are utilizing it including multiyear trends, updating a previous analysis published in 2017. The present statistics derive from a 2021 EOValue report funded by the European Commission. The offer of GEOSS Platform data has been the object of various analyses, including data provider characterization, data sharing trends, and data characterization (comprising metadata quality analysis, thematic analysis, responsible party identification, spatial–temporal coverage). GEOSS data demand has also been the object of several analyses, including data consumer characterization, utilization trends, and requested data characterization (comprising thematic analysis, spatial–temporal coverage, and popularity). Among the findings, a large amount of shared data, mostly from satellite sources, emerges with an issue of low metadata quality and related discovery match. Moreover, the trend in usage is decreasing. Therefore, the progressive disconnection of the GEOSS platform from its data Providers and Users and other possible causes are also reported.