The Electronic Geophysical Year: 2007-2008

eGY Vision and Objectives


Vision

We can achieve a major step forward in geoscience capability, knowledge, and usage throughout the world for the benefit of humanity by accelerating the adoption of modern and visionary practices for managing and sharing data and information.

eGY declaration

eGY Objectives

The mission of eGY is to foster an international resolve, secure a mandate, and provide an international coordination framework to facilitate, inform, stimulate, encourage, and promote the following.

  • Ready, open access to comprehensive data and services (e-Science)
  • Establishment of virtual observatories throughout the geosciences
  • Cooperation among bodies and programs to reduce duplication and encourage standards
  • Data discovery (location): who holds, what, where, how? Promote metadata standards
  • Data release: secure access permission; active rather than passive release
  • Data preservation: make old data accessible, preserve existing data
  • Data integration and knowledge discovery: support needs for information sharing and integration; develop information systems that enable the identification and understanding of relationships
  • Capacity building: boost the scope and output of scientific endeavors; help develop opportunities for growth of science and reduction of the digital divide in countries in need.
  • Outreach: raise awareness and inform students, scientists, decision-makers, and the public; promote environmental literacy.

eGY sets out to secure an international mandate and provide a cooperative environment to help revolutionize geophysical data availability and access worldwide, making use of the capabilities offered by modern digital communications and information management practices. As a key feature, eGY will facilitate in the establishment of virtual observatories that will complement in cyberspace the contribution from physical observatories.