Building the Digital Earth

The Cornell University's Geoscience Information System Project, started in
1995, is a major initiative that targets to develop a comprehensive Geoscience
Information System for the geosciences. The initiative is largely due to
acceptance that existing information systems and knowledge extraction
techniques are inadequate. In order to handle the changing needs of the
geoscience community that is striving to understand the Earth's complex system
composed of myriad interrelated mechanisms drastic changes are needed. The ways
geoscientists approach solving the Earth System Science problems require a new
look. This is essential if we are to succeed in utilizing interdisciplinary
studies in the geosciences.

Specific goals in these research efforts are to:

-increase scientific productivity and the ability to deal with
multidisciplinary data sets at all spatial scales by collecting, developing,
and organizing data sets, data access tools, and codes to model and study the
collected data sets;

-raise the quality of instruction from graduate to K-12 levels by
promoting discovery-based learning and critical thinking skills with available
tools, data sets and information;

-provide a vehicle to disseminate scientific knowledge to the general
public;

-provide a Geoscience Information System that can link eventually with any
future unified physical, natural and social science knowledge system.