Geoportal
Encyclopedia
A geoportal is a type of web portal
used to find and access geographic information (geospatial
information) and associated geographic services (display, editing, analysis, etc.) via the Internet
. Geoportals are important for effective use of geographic information systems (GIS) and a key element of Spatial Data Infrastructure
(SDI).
Geographic information providers, including government agencies and commercial sources, use geoportals to publish descriptions (geospatial metadata
) of their geographic information. Geographic information consumers, professional or casual, use geoportals to search and access the information they need. Thus geoportals serve an increasingly important role in the sharing of geographic information and can avoid duplicated efforts, inconsistencies, delays, confusion, and wasted resources.
), is considered the earliest geoportal concept. The U.S. Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) coordinated development of the NSDI Clearinghouse Network, the first large geoportal. It has many distributed catalogs that can be searched via a client interface.
First released in 2003, the Geospatial One-Stop
(GOS) geoportal was developed as part of a U.S. e-government initiative. Unlike the NSDI Clearinghouse Network, GOS was built around a centralized metadata catalog database, with an architecture that links users to data providers through a Web-based geoportal. The user of GOS may employ a simple Web browser (thin client) or may interface directly with a GIS (thick client).
More recently, there has been has been a proliferation of geoportals for sharing of geographic information based on region or theme. Examples include the INSPIRE, or Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community geoportal, the NatCarb
geoportal, which provides geographic information concerning carbon sequestration in the United States, and UNSDI
, the United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure.
Modern web-based geoportals include direct access to raw data in multiple formats, complete metadata, online visualization tools so users can create maps with data in the portal, automated provenance linkages across users, datasets and created maps, commenting mechanisms to discuss data quality and interpretation, and sharing or exporting created maps in various formats. Open portals allow user contribution of datasets as well.
National Geoportals
State and Province Geoportals
Theme Geoportals
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
used to find and access geographic information (geospatial
Geospatial
Geospatial analysis is an approach to applying statistical analysis and other informational techniques to geographically based data. Such analysis employs spatial software and analytical methods with terrestrial or geographic datasets, including geographic information systems and...
information) and associated geographic services (display, editing, analysis, etc.) via the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Geoportals are important for effective use of geographic information systems (GIS) and a key element of Spatial Data Infrastructure
Spatial Data Infrastructure
A spatial data infrastructure is a framework of spatial data, metadata, users and tools that are interactively connected in order to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way...
(SDI).
Geographic information providers, including government agencies and commercial sources, use geoportals to publish descriptions (geospatial metadata
Geospatial metadata
Geospatial metadata is a type of metadata that is applicable to objects that have an explicit or implicit geographic extent, in other words, are associated with some position on the surface of the Globe...
) of their geographic information. Geographic information consumers, professional or casual, use geoportals to search and access the information they need. Thus geoportals serve an increasingly important role in the sharing of geographic information and can avoid duplicated efforts, inconsistencies, delays, confusion, and wasted resources.
Background
The United States National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), started in 1994 (see OMB Circular A-16OMB Circular A-16
OMB Circular A-16, revised August 19, 2002, is a Government circular that was created by the United States Office of Management and Budget to provide guidance for federal agencies that create, maintain or use spatial data directly or indirectly through the establishment of the National Spatial...
), is considered the earliest geoportal concept. The U.S. Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) coordinated development of the NSDI Clearinghouse Network, the first large geoportal. It has many distributed catalogs that can be searched via a client interface.
First released in 2003, the Geospatial One-Stop
Geospatial One-Stop
The Geospatial One-Stop is a geoportal that provides public access to geospatial information as part of a United States e-government initiative .-External links:**-References:...
(GOS) geoportal was developed as part of a U.S. e-government initiative. Unlike the NSDI Clearinghouse Network, GOS was built around a centralized metadata catalog database, with an architecture that links users to data providers through a Web-based geoportal. The user of GOS may employ a simple Web browser (thin client) or may interface directly with a GIS (thick client).
More recently, there has been has been a proliferation of geoportals for sharing of geographic information based on region or theme. Examples include the INSPIRE, or Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community geoportal, the NatCarb
NatCarb
The NatCarb geoportal provides access to geospatial information and tools concerning carbon sequestration in the United States.-External links:***-References:...
geoportal, which provides geographic information concerning carbon sequestration in the United States, and UNSDI
UNSDI
is an initiative of the .UNSDI is an institutional and technical mechanism for establishing system coherence for the exchange and applications of geospatial data and information for UN activities and supporting SDI development activities in Member Countries....
, the United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure.
Modern web-based geoportals include direct access to raw data in multiple formats, complete metadata, online visualization tools so users can create maps with data in the portal, automated provenance linkages across users, datasets and created maps, commenting mechanisms to discuss data quality and interpretation, and sharing or exporting created maps in various formats. Open portals allow user contribution of datasets as well.
External links
International GeoportalsNational Geoportals
- IDE Andorra (Andorra)
- Geoportal de Chile (Chile)
- Geoportal (Croatia)
- Geodata-info (Denmark)
- Geoportal (Finland)
- Geoportail (France)
- GeoVisitGuatemala (Guatemala)
- India NSDI Portal (India)
- Portale Cartografico Nazionale (Italy)
- Geoportal (Lithuania)
- Geoportal (Luxembourg)
- UNSDI Netherlands GeoNetwork portal (Netherlands)
- Geospatial Data Service Centre (Netherlands)
- GeoNorge (Norway)
- Geoportal (Poland)
- SNIG (Portugal)
- Geoportal (Serbia)
- IDEE (Spain)
- Geoportal Bund (Switzerland)
- UK GeoPortal (UK)
- Go-Geo! (UK)
- Geospatial One-Stop (USA)
- NSDI Clearinghouse Network (USA)
State and Province Geoportals
- Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure (Abu Dhabi,UAE)
- GeoStor (Arkansas, USA)
- CaSIL, California Spatial Information Library, USA
- IDEC, Spatial Data Infrastructure of Catalonia, Spain
- New Mexico Resource GIS, USA
- Geoportal Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
Theme Geoportals
- Conservation GeoportalConservation GeoportalThe Conservation Geoportal was an online geoportal, intended to provide a comprehensive listing of geographic information systems datasets and web map service relevant to biodiversity conservation. It is currently defunct. The site, its contents and functionality were free for anyone to use and...
, external link: Conservation GeoPortal - NatCarb, National Carbon Sequestration Geoportal, USA