Added Value of Conceptual Modeling in Geosciences

Added Value of Conceptual Modeling in Geosciences

Tayebeh Kiani, Javad ChamanaraFebruary 2016

Tehran, Iran

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Earth

Data Modeling in GeoSciences, Feb. 2016, Tehran, Iran

• Earth is a complex system

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Geosciences


• The science of Earth is complicated…

Hence, the data!

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Data in Geosciences• Data in Geoscience is VERY

– Big– Diverse– Complex– Volatile– Inter-connected

• Look at– EPA– USGS– OneGeology– GEON– EarthCube


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Paradigm Shift• From:

– Experimental– Theoretical– Computational

• Data Intensive Science has emerged!– Doing science by analyzing data


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Modeling• A representation of:

– Process– Concept– Operation

of a System


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Modeling• Representation often implies

– Simplification– Easy Understanding– Easy Validation


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Data Model• Representation of a system in term of:

– Entities– Relationships– Data Flows– Workflows

Analogous to Geographic mapsData Modeling in GeoSciences, Feb. 2016, Tehran, Iran

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Data Modeling• The process of creating a data model• For an information system• By applying formal techniques• Using proper tools (usually)

Analogous to Cartography


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Data Modeling in Geoscience“A rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids” – Wikipedia


Samples of rocks on Earth and Mars

Should it be natural?

Can’t it be soft?Aggregate OR Composite?What about the proportion of minerals?

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Data Modeling in Geosciences• British Geological Survey

– Open Geological Data Models• Geochemistry Data Model


SITE

SAMPLE

BATCH

ANALYSIS

ANALYTE_DETERMINATION_

LIMITS

ANALYTE_DETERMINATION

DIC_Laboratory

DIC_Analysis_Method

DIC_Analysis_

Preparation

DIC_Analyte

Sample_Ids:ABC

Batch_Ids:XY

Sample_ID, Batch_Id:A,XB,Y

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• NADM Conceptual Model 1.0• Geologic concept hierarchy

The Geologic Map of NADM


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GeoSciML Australia


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GSI Iran• I know of a lot work done

– Unclear licensing!– Not published!!

• So…– Not Accessible!


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Applications• Organizational Information Architecture


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Applications• Information System Development


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Applications• Communication Medium


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Modeling Aspects• Structural Modeling

objects, their classifiers, relationships, attributes and operations


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Modeling Aspects• Behavioral Modeling:

Anything that changes the objects, events, sequences or operations, and object interactions


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Modeling Aspects• Flow Modeling


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Modeling Approaches


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Network/Graph Data Model• Water Grid Modeling• Process Modeling

Modeling Approaches


• RDF• Graph Databases

• Neo4J• IBM System G• Info Grid

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Modeling Approaches

Data Modeling in GeoSciences, Feb. 2016, Tehran, Iran USGS Lithology

Relational Data Model

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Data Container

Extended Property

Globalization Info«enumeration»Measurement Scale

0..1

1{No Duplicate}

Data Container

Extended Property

Globalization Info«enumeration»Measurement Scale

0..1

1{No Dupl icate}

Data Container

Data AttributeMetadata Attribute

{No Extended Property}

Data Container

Data Type Unit

0..1+Applies To1

Data Container

Data Type Unit

0..1+Applies To1

Data Container

Methodology

Aggregate Function

0..1

Data Container

Methodology

Aggregate Function

0..1

Data Container Constraint

Default Value

Domain Value

Validator

Data Container Constraint

Default Value

Domain Value

Validator

Data Container

SemanticDescription

Data Container

SemanticDescription

Modeling ApproachesObject Oriented Modeling


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Modeling Techniques• ERDs:

– Are mostly relational– Do not capture behaviors – Do not capture processes and sequences


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Modeling techniques• OOM (Object Oriented Modeling)

– More natural to Objects/features/behaviors– Flexible relationships– Various aspect models

• Structural• Behavioral• Sequences• Timing


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MetadataStructureMetadata PackageMetadata Attribute

MetadataMetadata Attribute Value

Mapping Info

Dataset Version

Dataset

Metadata Compound Attribute

Metadata Simple Atribute

Metdata Package Usage

Data Container

Metdata Attribute Usage

Metdata Compound Usage

Base Usage

1

+Parent+Children

1111..*

1

10..*

1

{No Extended Property}

2..*

1..*

Modeling Techniques

Structural Aspect


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Why to do modeling?


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Benefits: Communication• Various stakeholders

– Domain experts– Principal Investigators– Developers– Managers

• Visual• Formal (no/very low interpretation possibility)• Contracting/ Outsourcing• Standardization (if well-modeled and comprehensive) • Publishing


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Benefits: System Generation• System Specification• Automatic Database Generation• Model Driven Development (MDD)• Reproducibility• Cost reduction• Multi platform targeting


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Benefits: Project Management• Work Breakdown• Cost/Effort Estimation• Sub contracting/Outsourcing• Monitoring


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Benefits: Ontology• OOMs can be transformed to Ontologies• To provide:

– Formal– Machine enforceable– Domain specific– Semantically annotated– Geosciences Data

• Improves cross project/ cross domain– Data integration– Data Discovery


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Benefits: Data Validation• Model items as rules• Domain specific constraints

can be incorporated• Automatic Data Validation


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Case Study: BExIS• BExIS

– A Generic Data Management System– Complex Conceptual Model– Multiple Teams work on different parts– Automatic database generation– Conceptual Model <-> Ontology


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Case Study: BExIS


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Some resources used• BGS Rock Classification Scheme, see:

https://www.bgs.ac.uk/bgsrcs/• NADM Conceptual Model 1.0—A conceptual

model for geologic map information: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1334

• Semantic Web for Earth and Environmental Terminology (SWEET): http://sweet.jpl.nasa.gov/


https://www.bgs.ac.uk/bgsrcs/

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1334

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1334

http://sweet.jpl.nasa.gov/

http://sweet.jpl.nasa.gov/

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Related Work• A conceptual model for data management in the

field of ecology, J. Chamanara, B. König-Ries, 2013• An Extensible Conceptual Model for Tabular

Scientific Datasets, J. Chamanara, M. Owonibi, A. Algergawy, R. Gerlach

• T. Kiani, 2010, Modeling for geospatial database: Application to structural geology data. Dissertation, Pierre and Marie Curie University, 295 p.


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Online Resources• The BExIS complete conceptual model:

http://fusion.cs.uni-jena.de/bppCM/index.htm

• A public talk on the BExIS conceptual model: http://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/DocumentServlet?id=27235


http://fusion.cs.uni-jena.de/bppCM/index.htm

http://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/DocumentServlet?id=27235

http://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/DocumentServlet?id=27235

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FeedbackThank YOU

Sources of the examples/photos are in the slide notes


Software

Added Value of Conceptual Modeling in Geosciences