EarthCube Building Blocks: GeoLink -- leveraging semantics and linked data for data sharing and discovery in the geosciences

A key challenge for EarthCube is to enable data discovery, access, and integration in a sustainable way. Existing data repositories and networks must be linked, while retaining their independent missions and services to existing disciplinary communities. In this project, we propose to develop an EarthCube Building Block, GeoLink, based on: 1) digital publication of geoscience data and knowledge as “Linked Open Data”; combined with 2) semantic integration using design patterns and vocabularies shared among federated repositories; and 3) an underlying cyberinfrastructure extendable in both depth and breadth, that can become a central building block for EarthCube data harmonization.