The Virtual Solar Terrestrial Observatory (VSTO)
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The image above is a snapshot of the VSTO portal's data search and query interface, which exposes an ontology-based instrument selection capability. The Virtual Solar-Terrestrial Observatory (VSTO) is a production semantic web data framework providing access to observational datasets from fields spanning upper atmospheric terrestrial physics to solar physics. The observatory allows virtual access to a highly distributed and heterogeneous set of data that appears as if all resources are organized, stored, and retrieved/used in a common way. (See larger image.) |
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The Virtual Solar Terrestrial Observatory (VSTO) is an NSF-funded collaboration of the NCAR High Altitude Observatory (HAO), NCAR's Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL), and McGuinness & Associates. The goal of the project is to research and develop a next-generation knowledge environment that will allow seamless integration and data access in the areas of Solar, Solar-Terrestrial, and Space Physics (SSTSP). By providing a higher-level semantic layer on top of the current array of data formats, services, and repositories, the project is aimed at facilitating and empowering data providers, scientists, researchers, and educators across all these domains. The goal of the three-year project, which ends in 2007, is to deliver a fully functional prototype allowing virtual access to selected services comprising observational and model data, different data formats, and different data archives.
Semantic data integration is an increasingly important area across all of our areas of science and technology, especially as we strive to provide capabilities that bridge across domains and disciplines. VSTO thus occupies an important strategic position in NCAR's and CISL's cyberinfrastructure R&D portfolio. The same technologies, design patterns, and interfaces that are being developed for VSTO have substantial promise for other scientific disciplines including climate, weather and forecast, and later for the biogeosciences, geochemistry, and water cycles, and carbon cycles. VSTO primarily addresses two NCAR strategic goals: "Improve Understanding of the Atmosphere, the Earth System, and the Sun" and "Provide robust, accessible, and innovative information services and tools."
In FY2007 a primary project milestone was achieved: releasing a production VSTO system, which is depicted in the image above. Along the way, we completed development of integrated workflows for instruments, dates, and parameters according to a suite of key use cases developed primarily in the earlier phases of the project. VSTO now effectively integrates the holdings of the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) and the CEDAR databases, and it represents a first example of broad semantic integration in its field.
In addition to the operational portal, we also began the process of exposing semantic web services to VSTO's capabilities. Our first thrust in this area was to design, develop, and release a service interface for a sister project: VITMO, A Virtual Observatory for the Ionosphere-Thermosphere-Mesosphere community. As VSTO and other projects like it release such services, we contribute to building the Semantic Web and future Knowledge Networks.
Further, the project team authored several papers and posters, providing excellent visibility for VSTO at conferences, workshops, and in the published literature. Funding support for VSTO will end in 2007, so this phase of the project is now coming to a successful close. The team is now exploring options for broadening our disciplinary focus and complementing other initiatives planned or already underway.
VSTO is primarily supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation, along with NSF Core funding for NCAR.