About eGY

What is eGY?

The Electronic Geophysical Year, 2007-2008 (eGY) provides an opportunity for the international geoscientific community to focus effort on a 21st Century e-Science approach to issues of data stewardship: open access to data, data preservation, data discovery, data rescue, capacity building, and outreach. The development of Virtual Observatories and Laboratories is a central feature of eGY.

eGY is an internationally-recognized resolve by the science community to achieve a step increase in making past, present, and future geoscientific data readily, rapidly, conveniently, and openly available. eGY provides the international framework and a target for stimulating and coordinating activities to make this happen. eGY focuses on themes of electronic data location and access, permission and release of data, conversion of data into modern digital form, data preservation, capacity building, particularly in developing countries, and outreach. Promoting the development of a network of virtual observatories is a central feature of eGY.

eGY Philosophy

In the geosciences, as in other disciplines, providing ready and open access to the vast and growing collections of cross-disciplinary digital information is the key to understanding and responding to complex Earth system phenomena that influence human survival. To that end, we have a shared responsibility to create and implement strategies to realise the full potential of digital information for present and future generations.

This philosophy is in harmony with the mantra of Adama Samassékou, President of the Preparatory Committee for the UN World Summit for the Information Society (Geneva, July 2004): "Knowledge is the common wealth of humanity."