DEVELOPMENT OF A GEOSCIENCE KNOWLEDGE NODE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Earth science research is heavily dependent on observational and/or experimental data in spatial, temporal, and non-spatial/temporal domains. Earth science researchers either collect new data or gather existing data sets that help them conduct their scientific research. However, data and information management has always been a major obstacle in sharing and accessing data already collected. Even when a data set is available, it usually requires significant preparation for it to be utilized in research activities. Often, the same preparation is conducted by many researchers, thus collectively hundreds of person-hours are spent in redundant efforts.

To eliminate these problems and allow researchers and educators to easily access a variety of reviewed data sets we have been developing a Geoscience Knowledge Node (GKN). The GKN also includes web-based interactive tools that allow users to easily view, browse, and study the data sets with efficiency, hence speeding the discovery process (http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu). The knowledge node provides high quality data sets that are collected digitally and/or developed/constructed at Cornell thus eliminating many problems researchers and educators face today in locating, preparing, and quality checking the data sets they need. The Cornell Geoscience Knowledge Node also accepts earth science data sets from those researchers who do not wish to manage their own data for the long term. Finally, our GKN provides an expanding range of new opportunities for educators at all levels. With the data and tools made available via the Internet, students and faculty at the undergraduate and secondary school levels, as well as the public, are able to access research quality data and gather information on different earth science topics, and use the available tools in classroom settings.