OGC Disasters Resilience Pilot User Guide: Image Matters GeoPlatform User Guide

In 2014, Colombia’s interior and justice minister declared a wave of forest fires affecting a large swath of territory in 12 of the country’s 32 provinces to be a national disaster¹. Recurring, widespread wildfires pose a logistical challenge to Colombia’s society and threatens the livelihoods of rural communities. The demo will focus on the rural town of Ciénaga, which supports both agriculture and a coal depot. An emergency response manager will be tasked with assessing information, identifying hazards, and quickly communicating a strategy to first responders.

In 2019, heavy rainfall had been affecting the central coast of Ghana, especially Accra, causing floods. According to media reports, as of 16 April at 8.00 UTC, seven people died in different parts of Accra, four in the suburb of Adjei-Kojo and three in the suburb of Sakaman². In a simulated flooding event, an emergency response manager will be using topographic, social, and flood inundation data to chart paths for emergency responders to reach stranded civilians.

Haiti is frequently subjected to hazardous weather conditions that can cause critical damage to local infrastructure and cause loss of life during and after a disaster event. An emergency manager in Port-au-Prince will be using geospatial data to formulate a plan for mitigation and preparedness in the face of an impending hurricane disaster. This plan will be constructed in SOF4D, a fast-response mapping and operational planning web application with GeoPackage capabilities. The emergency manager will outline evacuation routes and triage centers for victims of the event and deploy to disaster preparation teams on the ground.

¹http://laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=350134&CategoryId=12393

² https://reliefweb.int/report/ghana/ghana-floods-noaa-nadmo-gmet-media-echo-daily-flash-16-april-2019

GeoPlatform’s architecture integrates external data gathering with a registry application and web applications for data and metadata visualization.

Fig. 1 visualized the GeoPlatform architecture.

The integrated systems architecture for disaster resilience brings together data providers, a Spatial Data Infrastructure, an interoperable web application for data deployment (as well as other applications and tools that analyze or package data), and data consumers. The Spatial Data Infrastructure is a central pillar around which all other activities revolve, with data providers registering and semantically tagging their asset metadata, which acts as an index and reference tool to help data consumers find relevant data for their missions.

The integrated systems architecture combines the native capabilities of two web-based applications: The GeoPlatform serves as a national SDI that pulls together metadata for registration and discovery by users. SOF4D serves as a GeoPackaging webtool that allows the user to combine data layers found in the GeoPlatform with Augmented Reality (AR) InfoAids and deploy them to the emergency responder in the field.

The GeoPlatform indexes metadata from a wide variety of data providers. Disaster-related data and layers also spans a large range of topics and audiences, from land cover, to precipitation, to fire alerts, flood inundation, housing data, mineral resources, and more. For the purpose of this pilot, data has been used from governmental providers such as USGS, NOAA, HIFLD, and NASA. Data was also gathered from NGOs such as AmeriGEOSS and Esri. For all web-based activities, open web services were required, specifically OGC standard open web services (e.g. WMS, WFS, WCS, etc.).

Data Consumers in this architecture are primarily emergency response managers and secondarily emergency first responders. Emergency response managers are tasked with assessing data relevant to a disaster event and identifying hazards and other important information to be communicated to first responders. First responders must react to contextualized data and rely on data accuracy and quality in the middle of a disaster. Both parties rely on an interoperable architecture where data is easily accessible and the flow of information back and forth is facilitated by the capabilities shown in applications such as SOF4D.

Emergency Response Manager use case involving data discovery and integration for disaster response in a timely manner. 3 major data sets to address 3 scenarios 1) Colombia Wildfire 2) Ghana flood 3) Haiti hurricane

Data was registered in the GeoPlatform and SOF4D during the "operational phase". There are two primary methods for data to be quickly registered in GeoPlatform. GeoPlatform aggregates available relevant data for cross-agency access and sharing. This guide helps GeoPlatform users with best practices and procedures for discovering, accessing, and re-using resources registered to the GeoPlatform. This is best achieved through a suite of tools in the GeoPlatform for registering, curating, and publishing geospatial resources. Both GeoPlatform’s Object Editor and Register Resource Plugin can import metadata from an open web service’s getcapabilities document as long as the service has robust and properly formatted metadata.

In-Scenario, data discovery is being accomplished using GeoPlatform’s Semantic Search capabilities. Where normal search queries reference a database using a keyword, Semantic Search functions off of searching for assets tagged with semantic concepts that exist in a authoritative vocabulary. Authoritative vocabularies allow for agencies to differentiate technical terms and connect those terms with a broader semantic context. When the user searches for a semantic concept, they can search within the target vocabulary, which searches not only for the semantic concept, but also any other concepts semantically linked to that original concept. This casts a wider net for assets, but only within a certain curated knowledgespace.

The data used in this use case was contained primarily in OGC standard open web services obtainable from government and NGO sources. These can be registered to the GeoPlatform and SOF4D easily by using the URL of the getcapabilities document and plugging it into the registration page of either application. The layers are accessible over the web and can be loaded into either application’s map viewer tool.

Data integration takes place at the SOF4D stage. Once data has been found in GeoPlatform, it can be integrated by registering it to SOF4D and creating a new mission in the system. A user can then create Mission Specific Operation Pictures (MSOPs) which are tailored to specific objectives, themes, or domains. At this point a user can load their layers into an MSOP, which can be seen below.

Fig. 4 shows how users interact with data and AR InfoAids in a SOF4D Mission Specific Operating Picture.

Once a user has completed a Mission Specific Operation Pictures, it can be deployed as a GeoPackage from the SOF4D system. This GeoPackage can be downloaded onto the user’s computer and shared, or deployed to the SOF4D mobile application for use by other clients. All the layers that were in the MSOP will be contained in the GeoPackage.

Currently SOF4D does not support custom symbology in its infoaids. While this is planned for a future release, current limitations required demoing only the native symbols in the SOF4D system. In the future, users will be able to import their own custom symbol libraries and use them as InfoAids, augmenting the ability of the end user to communicate effectively with first responders on the scene.

The disaster resilience lifecycle sometimes allows only a small window of time for data discovery and deployment. Finding the relevant data to the mission, analyzing it, packaging it, and deploying it to a client can be an onerous task in the midst of a disaster event, when a response center might be inundated with various data requests. The web applications in this integrated systems architecture provide features which help mitigate the challenges that emergency response managers may face in a disaster event.

Data discovery and accessibility can be critical issues in a disaster event. Sifting through incomplete or vague metadata is already difficult without the added burden of having to access offline datasets such as KMLs, shapefiles, CSVs, and GeoDatabases. GeoPlatform encourages data providers to carefully consider these metadata concerns, but to also tag their geospatial assets with semantic concepts. Semantic search is an evolution beyond simple keyword search queries, finding relevant resources that have been tagged within the same common vocabulary, ontology, or taxonomy. GeoPlatform’s Semantic Search capabilities ensures that users are looking for data within the parameters of these approved vocabularies. This organizational tool allows data consumers to find the data they need faster. In the case of open web services, data consumers can also quickly assess whether or not the data is useful for their mission by visualizing the layers in GeoPlatform’s MapViewer application. This capability emphasizes the importance of open web services in the disaster resilience lifecycle, due to their ease of use over individual files such as KMLs, Shapefiles, CSVs, and GeoDatabases.

Once the right data has been discovered, how will it be deployed to the right user? SOF4D’s MSOP capability allows the user to package different sets of layers and InfoAids for different recipients, with clear metadata that describes each MSOP and its intended audience. These MSOPs are deployed as GeoPackages that can be specified to their particular user group, who are able to pull them onto their mobile platform as packaged data with augmented reality InfoAids. This process can potentially reduce the amount of time needed to find and deploy data by hours or more.

Image Matter’s augmented reality tool, SOF4D, takes strides forwards in providing data to the right user in a timely manner by creating an augmented reality experience for mission-specific tasking. In SOF4D a user can create a mission and assign layers and other data to that mission’s specific operation pictures that can be then deployed as a GeoPackage to a mobile device such as a smartphone. The mobile user can then pull those MSOPs onto the mobile platform and interact with tthem in an augmented reality experience. InfoAids are an essential part of this architecture, capturing information in an augmented reality view to enhance the mobile user’s understanding of their geography.

SOF4D supports GeoPackage capability as part of an ongoing effort to work within standardized geospatial data practices. It is suited to the 4D aspect of the tool’s workflow, addressing the problem of timely geospatial data being shared within a short response time to a hazardous situation. In a disaster scenario, there may not be a lot of time to compile information and make it available to first responders on the ground. The GeoPackage capability allows users to send out concise packets of timely information to the right user in a simple format that can be unboxed and plugged into the mobile application immediately. The value of GeoPackage is its ability to be generated from authoritative and curated sources for dissemination to a variety platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile devices. This ease of use empowers field operators with current information, even in disconnected environments. GeoPackage provides access to a wide variety of geographic data types such as both raster and vector; points, lines, and polygons; and now, even 3-D information such as information aids. This flexibility is eminently suitable for the Disaster Response community.

The scenarios' intended audience is emergency response managers and first responders such as firefighters, EMS workers, and other rescue-oriented workers. The goal is to illustrate how a national Spatial Data Infrastructure can make data discovery easier in the midst of a chaotic disaster scenario, and how that data can be deployed to responders on the ground quickly to answer the tough questions.

SOF4D currently only supports OGC standard open web services (e.g. WMS, WFS, WCS) and GeoJSON files for generating layers in its system. It relies heavily on existing online geospatial assets, diminishing the importance of KMLs, Shapefiles, GeoDatabases, and CSVs as acceptable formats for dissemination.

Like GeoPlatform, SOF4D will harvest existing metadata from the getcapabilities document as long as the metadata is properly formatted.

The downloading process does not differ enough amongst the scenarios to differentiate the approach taken by the user. Once relevant web services have been found in the GeoPlatform, it is imported into SOF4D through its registration function. Metadata is harvested from the service’s getcapabilities xml document, which populate the newly registered asset.

Once the user has completed integrating the data in Mission Specific Operation Pictures, it is then deployed in a GeoPackage

Currently SOF4D does not support custom symbology in its InfoAids. While this is planned for a future release, current limitations required demoing only the native symbols in the SOF4D system. In the future, users will be able to import their own custom symbol libraries and use them as InfoAids, augmenting the ability of the end user to communicate effectively with first responders on the scene.

SOF4D has three standard military symbols for designating Information, Navigation, and Objectives.

The first scenario is based on the challenges faced by the Colombian government in combatting wildfires across the country. In 2014, Colombia’s interior and justice minister declared a wave of forest fires affecting a large swath of territory in 12 of the country’s 32 provinces to be a national disaster. Particularly the scenario be focuses on the rural town of Ciénaga, which supports both agriculture and a coal depot.

The second demonstration is based on the challenges faced by the government of Ghana. Frequent flooding can be devastating to local infrastructure and bring society to a standstill, while also inflicting civilian deaths. In 2016, heavy rainfall had been affecting the central coast of Ghana, especially Accra, causing floods. According to media reports, as of 16 April at 8.00 UTC, seven people died in different parts of Accra, four in the suburb of Adjei-Kojo and three in the suburb of Sakaman. Based on this, the demonstration will outline the locations of stranded families in a flooded area, with instructions for first responders on how to rescue the civilians.

Fig. 2 shows Water Extents data in Accra.

Haiti is frequently subjected to hazardous weather conditions that can cause critical damage to local infrastructure and cause loss of life during and after a disaster event. An emergency manager in Port-au-Prince will be using geospatial data to formulate a plan for mitigation and preparedness in the face of an impending hurricane disaster. This plan will be constructed in SOF4D, outlining evacuation routes and triage centers for victims of the event, and deployed to disaster preparation teams on the ground.

Fig. 3 shows Weather Radar Service data over Haiti.