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Geospatial Information and Systems
Geospatial Data Standards and Interoperability
Environment Canada is adopting and promoting the use of national/international standards and specifications for improved data and information interoperability and sharing. Standards provide for consistency in interfaces between data, users and systems. The use of common standards for geospatial data and metadata allow for interoperability among all stakeholders and increases the availability, access, sharing and harmonization of data sets. More information on standards for geospatial data and metadata.
Finding Geospatial Data and Metadata
There are several discovery portals which will allow users to find and display geospatial data and services published to standards and registered on-line. Multiple data layers can be mapped, overlayed and integrated using these viewers. More information on geospatial data discovery.
Sharing Geospatial Data and Metadata
Various resources are available to help you to publish your geospatial data to standards and share it on-line. You can also choose to share only your metadata. More information on data publishing and sharing.
Standards for Geospatial Data and Metadata
Data Standards
The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are the sources of geospatial data standards and specifications endorsed by Environment Canada.
- The Geospatial Standards Thrust of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure. Background information on geospatial standards.
- The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) OGC is a non-profit, international, voluntary consensus standards organization that is leading the development of specifications for geospatial and location based services. When an OGC specification meets certain requirements, ISO adopts it as a standard.
- ISO/TC211 Geographic Information/Geomatics Standardization in the field of digital geographic information. These standards specify methods, tools and services for data management, acquiring, processing, analyzing, accessing, presenting and transferring such data in digital/electronic form between different users, systems and locations.
Metadata Standards
The following tools and resources will help you to meet the endorsed geospatial standards
- Geospatial metadata creation:
- Geospatial metadata registration:
- Biological metadata creation (link to Data Management side)
Geographic Data Sources and Viewers
These discovery portals rely on a distributed architecture wherein the information remains under the custodianship of the data provider but is found and accessed on demand at a click of a button.
Geospatial Data Sharing
To publish geospatial resources, you will need to:
- Choose a discovery mechanism;
- Use metadata to describe your data collection or services;
- Register as a provider of data or services with the discovery mechanism.
To publish web maps, you will need to:
- Choose and install a web map server;
- Post your data on the server; and
- Register as a provider of maps with a discovery mechanism.
The following tools will help you to share geospatial data:
- CGDI On-Line Training Course This on-line training course introduces users to the various components of the CGDI, their functionality, and geospatial standards and specifications.
- OpenGIS® Cookbooks guide users in implementing WMS/WFS using popular commercial open source and freeware products.
Geospatial Tools and Resources
- General Tools and Resources
- Community Mapping Resources
- Mapping
- Satellite imagery
- Choosing Geospatial Software Products
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