SPASE AND THE HELIOPHYSICS VIRTUAL OBSERVATORIES

The Space Physics Archive Search and Extract (SPASE) project has developed an information model for interoperable access and retrieval of data within the Heliophysics (also known as space and solar physics) science community. The diversity of science data archives within this community has led to the establishment of many virtual observatories to coordinate the data pathways within Heliophysics subdisciplines, such as magnetospheres, waves, radiation belts, etc. The SPASE information model provides a semantic layer and common language for data descriptions so that searches might be made across the whole of the heliophysics data environment, especially through the virtual observatories.