Grid-technologies in Earth observation
Sustainable development of informational community is impossible without active application of observations of Earth from space to satisfy vitally important needs of mankind: loss reduction from natural and technological disasters, protection of environment, management of energy and water resources, improving quality of life etc.
Among the most significant examples of international systems supplying users with Earth observation data in one or another form there are European Initiative GMES (Global Monitoring for Environmental Security), oriented on solving tasks of safety and environmental monitoring; and international "system of systems" GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems), which main aim is to unite all systems, connected with Earth observation.
Such systems are usually based on Grid-technologies because this technologies are optimal for tasks of Earth observation:
- complex mathematical models
- large volumes
- high heterogeneity of data
- the need for data integration
- geospatial infrastructure development in the direction of Grid-services
- nessecity for cooperation of various groups