| Abstract
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The vast majority of explorations of the E … The vast majority of explorations of the Earth system are limited in their ability to effectively explore the most important (often most difficult) problems because they are forced to interconnect at the data-element, or syntactic, level rather than at a higher scientific, or semantic, level. In many cases, syntax-only interoperability IS the state-of-the-art. In order for scientists and non-scientists to discover, access, and use data from unfamiliar sources, they are forced to learn details of the data schema, other people's naming schemes and syntax decisions. Our project, the Semantically-Enabled Scientific Data Integration (hereafter SESDI), aims to demonstrate how ontologies implemented within existing distributed technology frameworks will provide essential, re-useable, and robust, support necessary interdisciplinary scientific research activities. Our project is aimed at enabling an evolution to science measurement processing systems (or frameworks) as well as for data and information systems (or framework) support for specific applications areas. Our initial focus is the integration of volcanology and atmospheric data sources in support of investigations into relationships between volcanic activity and global climate. This work is aimed at providing scientists with the option of describing what they are looking for in terms that are meaningful and natural to them, instead of in a syntax that is not. The missing element in enabling the higher-level interconnections is the technology of ontologies, ontology-equipped tools, and semantically aware interfaces between science components. In this presentation, we cover the scope and some details of the current state of the project. SESDI is funded by the NASA-ACCESS and NASA/ESTO programs. by the NASA-ACCESS and NASA/ESTO programs.
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