GeoWS

"The GeoWS approach is to enable search, discovery, and access by similarly constructed URLs containing a traditional directory structure and query parameters in the URL. Each GeoWS partner has a base URL from which their services can be accessed.  For instance, the base for GeoWS compliant services at IRIS is http://service.iris.edu/fdsnws. Specific services and versions are available under the base URL such as /event/1 for the IRIS event service version 1.  This can be followed by a series of parameters that provide constraints for the query.  By default, information is returned as XML but to aid usability GeoWS services also supports easily understood, simple text content.

We have all heard that researchers spend 80 to 90% of their time and effort finding and accessing needed data for their specific research problem and only 10% actually doing science.  The fundamental goal of the GeoWS Building Block is to provide more uniform ways to discover, access, and use data from various earth science data centers.  The GeoWS strategy is to promote the use of similar web services as methods of interacting with domain data centers.  While the standardization of the space-time query for discovery is a high priority, the GeoWS approach is flexible enough for the general approach to be implemented at all of the GeoWS data centers on a variety of domain-specific data sets. Very deliberately, the GeoWS primary partners include centers from solid earth, atmospheric and ocean sciences, which represent the largest sections of the GEO Directorate at NSF, along with secondary partners from other geoscience-related disciplines.

GeoWS will benefit a wide range of scientists by reducing the burden currently required to discover, access and use data across multiple scientific domains.  While the services can be accessed directly at the providers’ service locations, GeoWS is also working closely with two other Building Block proposals: the CINERGI Building Block (http://earthcube.org/group/cinergi) that serves as an EarthCube wide registry of services as well as the BCube (http://earthcube.org/group/bcube) building block that offers a brokering capability and a single portal through which the GeoWS data assets can be accessed."

https://www.earthcube.org/group/geows-geoscience-web-services

http://earthcube.org/workspace/geows-geoscience-web-services/geows-web-services-summary