Grid-Enabling the Global Geodynamics Project: Automatic RDF Extraction from the ESML Data Description and Representation via GRDDL

An eXtensible Markup Language (XML) based data model for the Global Geodynamics Project (GGP) has been previously developed. Mindful of the need to incorporate metadata into the description and representation, a Resource Description Framework (RDF) based approach is introduced that extends the previous data model. Specifically, use of RDF allows relationships to be described and represented, and will eventually result in an ‘informal ontology’. The bottom-up approach makes use of GRDDL (Gleaning Resource Descriptions from Dialects of Languages) - a vehicle that allows for the extraction of RDF from XML according to rules. Because there exists some latitude in such extractions, complimentary top-down approaches will be required - especially when reconciling with formal ontologies. From this ‘information science’ perspective, GGP data has the potential to factor in the broader context being defined by the ‘new geoinformatics’.