Thematic Seed Groups

The idea of Thematic Seed Groups is to discuss methodical needs and the potential of data science approaches in a group consisting of interested scientists from all Helmhotz E+E Centers plus invited/interested external experts. Seed Groups will build the basis to achieve the project goals (short term perspective); they will also transfer the knowledge generated within Digital Earth into the PoF IV Phase (long-term groups). They will build contact points towards HGF-internal discussions as well as external discussions to scientists and other stakeholders. Members of the different Seed Groups bring their specific expertise from the different work package tasks into the group and guarantee a close interconnection between the different WPs, tasks and centres. Digital Earth initiates five Seed Groups pursuing following objectives.

EARTH MONITORING

This Seed Group intends to

  • Improve the capabilities in field observation
  • Improve already existing investigation methods and development and promotion of standards and best practive for field observation
  • Close data gaps and optimize data acquisition for adaptive hierarchical monitoring

DATA PROVISIONING AND DATA QUALITY so called 'Data Flow'

This Seed Group will

  • Find practical solutions for data provision and data quality that are in alignment to common community standards for data handling according to seamless data flows.
  • Descripe sensors over near real-time data formats and near real-time data transmission, and delayed mode data transmission and (meta-) data description
  • Develop methods and technical interfaces supporting data analytics and data exploration

DATA EXPLORATION

This Seed Group has the following focal points

Machine learning/ computational data analyses

  • Develop algorithms for automated data harvesting, data imputation and uncertainty estimation, for automated support for data analysis and information extraction
  • Evaluate and inform about access performance and characteristics of existing techniques
  • Identify weaknesses and biases inherent in existing approaches and screen latest developments on the field of knowledge discovery for their suitability in Earth and Environmental sciences

Visual data analyses

  • Introduce concepts, methods and the potential of advanced visual data exploration
  • Develop and discuss novel approaches that meet the methodical gaps defined in Digital Earth
  • Distribute the developed approaches to further Earth and Environmental scientists

DATA MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

This Seed Group has  the following tasks:

Technical Platforms

  • Joined use of data storage, HPCs or VisLabs
  • Implemenation of data storage strategies on national/ international context

Governance, policies & agreements

  • Setting up governance structures in support of collaborative developements and operations in HGF' s Reasearch Area E & E
  • Development of a common set of data policies, building blocks for data management plans, shared operative data sevices

SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE - CONCEPT

This Seed Group involves the

  • Development of joint software developments for scientific workflows and software products
  • Development of best practices for code structure and documentatin as well as versioning respositories and tools