Geoinformatics Technology Optimization (GTO) Project
Geoinformatics Technology Optimization (GTO) Project
Developing applications, databases, and other technologies for GEMSC researchers
The Geoinformatics Technology Optimization (GTO) project develops applications, databases, and other related technologies to assist Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center (GEMSC) scientists in their research activities and distribution of their data to the public.
Background
The GTO team’s development of key GEMSC databases/services allows GEMSC to enhance its research activities, unify service exposure, broaden its user base, and streamline internal workflows. The recent incorporation of modern technologies and workflows, including Active Programming Interfaces (APIs), analytics, big data platforms, and machine learning, is crucial for optimizing future scientific operations and fostering innovation within GEMSC.
The GTO team collaborates with the Central Energy Resources Data Management Services Project in Denver, CO, to upgrade and maintain a range of energy-related infrastructure, software, and public-facing web services. The GTO project is tasked with providing GEMSC scientists with network-attached storage systems and offsite backup/archiving pipelines. The project also oversees a variety of energy databases and related infrastructure, such as the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, and the National Coal Resources Data System.
GTO staff support GEMSC scientists in disseminating USGS data release products, conducting metadata/data reviews, deploying geospatial web services, integrating API frameworks, and archiving data. This comprehensive approach ensures that GEMSC’s scientific endeavors are well-supported, and GEMSC data is effectively managed and distributed.
Databases and Web Services
The GTO staff develop, update, and maintain a broad array of web applications, technology platforms, service architectures, and data services. Key GEMSC geospatial assets include databases and services such as the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, CO2 Sequestration, Produced Waters, Hydraulically Fractured Oil and Gas Wells, World Coal Quality, Gulf Coast Source Rock Database, and the National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS). The GTO project facilitates the integration of GEMSC data assets with USGS-approved enterprise systems and technologies, including ArcGIS Online (AGOL), ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, GitLab, ArcGIS Experience Builder, Tableau, Cloud Hosting Services (CHS), Mapbox GL, and Power BI. For example, the publicly available suite of GEMSC spatial data/services can be found via the GEMSC AGOL service collection.
GTO staff develop/maintain interactive, mobile-first applications and data-driven services like the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database Viewer.
Data Management and Infrastructure
The GTO team equips GEMSC staff with a scalable networked storage solution to streamline the organization and consolidation of GEMSC data. The storage platform offers a range of benefits, including the ability to identify infrequently accessed data and formulate automated policies to transition this data to a more cost-effective archive storage environment.
The GTO team is committed to continuous collaboration with project data stewards to refine and enhance data management practices at GEMSC. They also work closely with GEMSC researchers to facilitate the hosting of applications and services across various endpoints. This includes on-premise server/database technologies, off-site USGS EROS infrastructure, CHS solutions, and high-performance computing access through the USGS Advanced Research Computing group.
In 2023, over 5 billion Line of Sight (LOS), Distance, Bearing, and Vertical Angle Calculations were processed for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) leveraging high-performance computing systems.
Outreach and Data Dissemination
The GTO project is responsible for providing tools and technical expertise required for delivering products derived from GEMSC research efforts to USGS customers and stakeholders. This includes content creation, structured vocabulary tagging, and maintenance of the USGS GEMSC and Energy and Minerals Mission Area webpage content. GTO staff contribute to the GEMSC quarterly newsletter by maintaining a dynamic layout template and providing data release product content. The staff also creates various forms of visual imagery, often technical in nature, for usage within official USGS publications. In addition, GTO staff manage GEMSC publications database content and ensure GEMSC publications are distributed throughout USGS federated endpoints including ScienceBase and the Science Data Catalog.
Code Repositories
The GTO project leverages/maintains enterprise version control software via dedicated GitLab GEMSC endpoints. These endpoints allow GEMSC scientists to share code, pipelines, and create/publish software releases. The use of computational notebooks to assist in processing and visualization of data has become more prevalent throughout the USGS. The GTO project also assists GEMSC projects with configuration/utilization of programming languages required for data-driven analysis in a notebook environment.
API/ML Frameworks
A variety of core GEMSC resources, including the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, the Produced Waters Database, and the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database are deployed by GTO staff and made publicly accessible through a GEMSC catalog of APIs. The alliance of APIs and analytics, big data platforms, and machine learning is a natural one, as these technologies are critical to streamlining science operations and unlocking innovation. GEMSC APIs are utilized for internal application development and open the door for third party developers to extend use of GEMSC data through innovative application development.
GTO staff leverage deep learning algorithms for the automatic detection, feature extraction, and annotation of energy infrastructure to populate national-scale GEMSC databases like the U.S. Wind Turbine Database and the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy via the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The Geoinformatics Technology Optimization (GTO) project develops applications, databases, and other related technologies to assist Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center (GEMSC) scientists in their research activities and distribution of their data to the public.
Background
The GTO team’s development of key GEMSC databases/services allows GEMSC to enhance its research activities, unify service exposure, broaden its user base, and streamline internal workflows. The recent incorporation of modern technologies and workflows, including Active Programming Interfaces (APIs), analytics, big data platforms, and machine learning, is crucial for optimizing future scientific operations and fostering innovation within GEMSC.
The GTO team collaborates with the Central Energy Resources Data Management Services Project in Denver, CO, to upgrade and maintain a range of energy-related infrastructure, software, and public-facing web services. The GTO project is tasked with providing GEMSC scientists with network-attached storage systems and offsite backup/archiving pipelines. The project also oversees a variety of energy databases and related infrastructure, such as the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, and the National Coal Resources Data System.
GTO staff support GEMSC scientists in disseminating USGS data release products, conducting metadata/data reviews, deploying geospatial web services, integrating API frameworks, and archiving data. This comprehensive approach ensures that GEMSC’s scientific endeavors are well-supported, and GEMSC data is effectively managed and distributed.
Databases and Web Services
The GTO staff develop, update, and maintain a broad array of web applications, technology platforms, service architectures, and data services. Key GEMSC geospatial assets include databases and services such as the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, CO2 Sequestration, Produced Waters, Hydraulically Fractured Oil and Gas Wells, World Coal Quality, Gulf Coast Source Rock Database, and the National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS). The GTO project facilitates the integration of GEMSC data assets with USGS-approved enterprise systems and technologies, including ArcGIS Online (AGOL), ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, GitLab, ArcGIS Experience Builder, Tableau, Cloud Hosting Services (CHS), Mapbox GL, and Power BI. For example, the publicly available suite of GEMSC spatial data/services can be found via the GEMSC AGOL service collection.
GTO staff develop/maintain interactive, mobile-first applications and data-driven services like the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database Viewer.
Data Management and Infrastructure
The GTO team equips GEMSC staff with a scalable networked storage solution to streamline the organization and consolidation of GEMSC data. The storage platform offers a range of benefits, including the ability to identify infrequently accessed data and formulate automated policies to transition this data to a more cost-effective archive storage environment.
The GTO team is committed to continuous collaboration with project data stewards to refine and enhance data management practices at GEMSC. They also work closely with GEMSC researchers to facilitate the hosting of applications and services across various endpoints. This includes on-premise server/database technologies, off-site USGS EROS infrastructure, CHS solutions, and high-performance computing access through the USGS Advanced Research Computing group.
In 2023, over 5 billion Line of Sight (LOS), Distance, Bearing, and Vertical Angle Calculations were processed for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) leveraging high-performance computing systems.
Outreach and Data Dissemination
The GTO project is responsible for providing tools and technical expertise required for delivering products derived from GEMSC research efforts to USGS customers and stakeholders. This includes content creation, structured vocabulary tagging, and maintenance of the USGS GEMSC and Energy and Minerals Mission Area webpage content. GTO staff contribute to the GEMSC quarterly newsletter by maintaining a dynamic layout template and providing data release product content. The staff also creates various forms of visual imagery, often technical in nature, for usage within official USGS publications. In addition, GTO staff manage GEMSC publications database content and ensure GEMSC publications are distributed throughout USGS federated endpoints including ScienceBase and the Science Data Catalog.
Code Repositories
The GTO project leverages/maintains enterprise version control software via dedicated GitLab GEMSC endpoints. These endpoints allow GEMSC scientists to share code, pipelines, and create/publish software releases. The use of computational notebooks to assist in processing and visualization of data has become more prevalent throughout the USGS. The GTO project also assists GEMSC projects with configuration/utilization of programming languages required for data-driven analysis in a notebook environment.
API/ML Frameworks
A variety of core GEMSC resources, including the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, the Produced Waters Database, and the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database are deployed by GTO staff and made publicly accessible through a GEMSC catalog of APIs. The alliance of APIs and analytics, big data platforms, and machine learning is a natural one, as these technologies are critical to streamlining science operations and unlocking innovation. GEMSC APIs are utilized for internal application development and open the door for third party developers to extend use of GEMSC data through innovative application development.
GTO staff leverage deep learning algorithms for the automatic detection, feature extraction, and annotation of energy infrastructure to populate national-scale GEMSC databases like the U.S. Wind Turbine Database and the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy via the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.