FAQs

What is GeoSciML?
GeoSciML is a way of identifying and classifying bits of information with geological content in a uniform way allowing a wide variety of different sources of information to be used together without the need for reclassifying them. For more detailed information please click here.

What sort of map do I need?
It is possible to use any type of map, from the scanned paper image to a fully digital format. The target scale is 1:1 million, however any existing map coverage will be possible. It will be up to the contributor to decide ultimately. Map specifications.

What scale of map do I need?
Any existing geological map coverage. As a priority, work will be to enable access to ~1:1 million geological map data. Technical specifications.

What technical expertise/knowledge is required?
No specific knowledge is required, however you will need authority to be able to make decisions for your organisation. It would be beneficial if you have a nominated technical expert who has some experience of GML, however assistance and advice will be available. Please see the technical pages for further information.

What permissions/copyright do I need?
Map data distributed as part of OneGeology will remain in the ownership of the originating geological survey or organisation, and ideally be available at no cost. You will need authority to be able to provide the map for OneGeology use.

How can I get involved?
To fully participate in OneGeology you ideally need to be a member of an organisation that is responsible for geological maps for your nation or region, as the aim of the project is to provide access to geological map data. If you would like more information please contact us here, sending your details and we will be in touch soon.

Is my country already involved?
You can check to see whether your country has already registered by visiting the participating countries map or via the participants page.

Can I attend a meeting?
You need to be registered with the OneGeology secretariat. If you are the nominated representative of your country you will be contacted with updates and invited to any meetings and workshops. All meeting delegates must be registered in advance.

Who do I contact within my region?
In the first instance, please contact the OneGeology Secretariat who will be able to deal with your enquiry.

Can I work for you?
The initiative is a collaborative effort of geological organisations and will draw on their existing data and expertise. We therefore do not have any requirement for, or facility to take on, employees.

What if my country hasn’t registered involvement?
Please click here for details on how to get involved.

My country is already registered but I think I/my organisation should be involved
Please contact us.

How much does it cost to participate? How is OneGeology funded?
There is no charge for participation however, OneGeology is a geological survey initiative that depends upon geological survey data and resources. In the Brighton Accord it was agreed that OneGeology and its participants will seek funding to support its work and goals and also develop strategies to provide mutual assistance to implement OneGeology and build participant capacity.

What are the benefits of this project to the participating countries?
The benefits are many and wide ranging, including increased accessibility to information that will help mitigate natural disasters, increase interest in natural resources, benefit economies and development, bring together organisations and encourage further collaboration, plus many more reasons.

This looks very technical/requires technical skills or facilities that we do not have
Surveys and organisations must not be hesitant or put off by the technical aspects as a system to ensure support and advice is currently being arranged. A series of step-by-step ‘cookbooks’ are also being written to take you through the whole process from collating your data to ‘serving’ it on the web via the Portal.

What is a cookbook?
A cookbook is a best practice manual ‘containing a straightforward set of already tried and tested recipe or instructions for a specific activity’.

What is OGC?
The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc.® (OGC) is a non-profit, international, voluntary consensus standards organisation that is leading the development of standards for geospatial and location based services and it's home website containing all its published specifications and standards can be found at www.opengeospatial.org.

The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc (OGC) is an international industry consortium of more than 300 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface specifications. OpenGIS® Specifications support interoperable solutions that 'geo-enable'; the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. The specifications empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications.

What is ISO?
The International Standards Organisation (www.iso.org). ISO is the world’s leading developer of International Standards. ISO standards specify the requirements for state-of-the-art products, services, processes, materials and systems, and for good conformity assessment, managerial and organisational practice. ISO standards are designed to be implemented worldwide.

What is interoperable/interoperability?
The capability of different software and datasets to communicate with each other.

What is XML?
eXtensible Markup Language is a World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3c.org) recommended way of exchanging a wide variety of data on the Internet. By defining a Markup Language using XML suitable to a type or domain of data to allow the computer production and exchange of data documents in that specified Markup language over the Internet. An XML based markup language describes structure and semantics but not formatting.

What is GML?
The OpenGIS® Geography Markup Language (GML) Encoding Specification is an XML encoding for the modeling, transport and storage of geographic information including the spatial and non-spatial properties of geographic features.

What is a web service?
An OGC web service (OWS), or open web service is a 'self-contained, self-describing, modular application that can be published, located, and invoked across the web. Web services perform functions that can be anything from simple requests to complicated business processes. Once a web service is deployed, other applications (and other web services) can discover and invoke the deployed service.' (Ref: OGC).

Typically a web server is a computer placed on the Internet that offers an OGC web mapping service or WMS (responds to requests from a computer client to send a map in the form of a raster or image over the Internet) and/or an OGC web feature service or WFS (responds to queries from a computer client to send an application of GML representation of some data often with a geographic part in an XML document based on a schema such as GeoSciML).

The OGC WMS specification standardises the way in which web clients request maps. Clients request maps from a WMS instance in terms of named layers and provide parameters such as the size of the returned map as well as the spatial reference system to be used in drawing the map.

The OGC WFS specification supports INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, QUERY and DISCOVERY of geographic features. WFS delivers GML representations of simple geospatial features and other feature attributes in response to queries from HTTP clients. Clients access geographic feature data through WFS by submitting a request for just those features that are needed for an application.

What is IUGS-CGI?
The International Union of Geological Sciences Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information (http://www.cgi-iugs.org/welcome.html).