A VERY PRACTICAL GEOINFORMATICS PROJECT: THE REALITY OF DELIVERING A HARMONISED PAN-EUROPEAN SPATIAL GEOSCIENCE DATABASE

This paper will introduce and critically consider a project whose objective was to produce a harmonised geological spatial database for the continent of Europe. As with many informatics projects in other scientific domains, the technical challenges, while substantial, were significantly less than the organisational and cultural challenges. Solutions to all challenges were necessarily pragmatic and the lessons learned may prove relevant to other geoinformatics initiatives.

The IGME5000 (The 1 : 5 Million International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas) is a project within the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), which is being undertaken under the auspices of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW). Its aim is to create a harmonised geological dataset for the whole of Europe and adjacent areas at a scale (or resolution) of 1:5 million. The project's initial focus is on the pre-Quaternary geology and in addition to coverage of the terrestrial areas it also integrates the much less well known off-shore domain. In total there are approximately 2 570 area descriptions and 32 000 polygons, of which on-shore number 27 500 and off-shore 4 500.

The project was initiated in December 2004 and its scope extends not only to the whole of Europe, but also areas of Middle East, North Africa, and North America. 48 national Geological Surveys and more than 20 academic experts from across Europe have made substantial contributions to its goal.

In line with traditional CGMW projects the IGME5000 deliverables included a printed map, which was published in February 2006. However, in contrast to previous CGMW projects this printed map was the product of a digital spatial database. The IGME5000 is very much a geoinformatics exercise and since June 2006 it has been possible to access the dataset via a webmapping application.

The IGME5000 faced some significant challenges. Foremost amongst these was the recognition that few if any true geoscience standards existed (or indeed exist) and that new standards needed to be developed. Another significant challenge was the integration of the onshore and offshore –geological domains, which neccessitate very different approaches to their survey and depiction. Add to these the challenge of the logical classification of tectonic and genetic parameters, plus the complexities of metamorphic terrains and the “special” areas as the Alps or the Mediterranean Sea, and the technical and scientific difficulties become evident.

However, the organisational and cultural issues proved equally challenging. The project team had to deal with “national boundary faults“ and mismatches; differences in the classification of age and lithology, and colours and symbols; idiosyncratic abbreviations; a plethora of input media; the diversity resulting from 48 different countries and geological survey organisations across 4 continents; the „variety“ of opinion from more than 20 academic advisors; the limitations of a small core team in BGR and linked to this a small budget (and hence the need to work on a voluntary basis). In addition the complexity of multiple languages and the need to work in only one: English, the well-established independent (idiosyncratic?) behaviour of geologists coupled with usually inadequate communication between them and informatics experts and finally the seemingly strange concept of deadlines made the scale of the challenges apparent.

The solution to these was pragmatic and as diverse as the challenges themselves. The IGME5000 was a marathon, not a sprint – the project would take time and would need persistence with both contributors and their superiors. The international and diverse nature of the participants meant the project would need to be inclusive and ensure adequate consultation. Lack of budget meant much time would be needed to spread the message and in turn the BGR team would need to inspire and be enthusiastic with contributors. There would be a need for constant communication and patience. Standards would have to be based on the lowest common denominator. Expecting perfection was not realistic and accepting less than perfect contributions would allow progress. There was a need to maintain interest and thus to make sure the project focused on the scientific goals of certain experts. Substantial advantage was gained in choosing a suitable board of advisors and from being part of a global umbrella organisation (the CGMW). Keeping things simple was essential: e.g. a simple data table in addition to a sophisticated (and thus unused!) MS Access data input template. And last but not least the language problem was, paradoxically, helped by being a non-native, and thus by far non perfect, English speaker.

The IGME 5000 has now delivered a digital spatial database of Europe's bedrock geology but work on the project continues. The web mapping application will be further developed and optimised. The project and its team are playing a role in the new EU Directive - INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe). The IGME5000 is providing a basis for new digital standards for the CGMW. The availability of harmonised digital geological data for the whole of Europe has led to active involvement by BGR in a European Union project investigating geochemical fingerprints for determining the origin of food TRACE. The IGME5000 has also started to feed valuable practical experience into the new geoscience project, which is attempting to produce a spatial database of the whole planet – OneGeology.

In undertaking this project many lessons have been learned. An extensive multinational project with many contributing nations/states requires common standards and these standards need to be developed on the basis of a lowest common denominator. Cooperation is a matter of communication … and patience. Lack of budget does not necessarily mean no dedication or contribution … but it will mean that things take longer. Many nations mean many cultures. Adopting one language means indeed a constant source of misunderstanding with which one has to cope. Set your target high but don‘t be disappointed if you don‘t reach all your scientific and technical objectives in full. Keep things simple and consider the end user at all times. Acknowledge and be positive about the support you have been given (even if its not exactly what you need). Be aware that IT people and geologists are different species and that while they need to work closely together they will approach the task differently. Finally, recognise that as in all life's ventures at some point discussions have to stop, and hard decisions have to be made, because other wise a project like this will never be finished.