Science & Research

Information Systems

Like most other public sector research organizations, the CGS has been responsible for acquiring, storing, and analyzing geoscience data and information since its foundation. In response to the increasing public demand for relevant geoscience information, together with its statuary task of supporting government and local authorities in land-use planning, environmental protection, and sustainable resource development, the CGS had to develop a data management system for the effective delivery of geodata. In order to meet these require-ments and to promote geoscience data to public, the CGS established the independent Division of Informatics in 2001 and started to build up a uniform geological information system. Additionally, an essential part of the Division responsibility is the complete IT support for CGS employees involving technological training and consultant services.

Geoinformation system of the Czech Geological Survey

The CGS geoinformation system has been developed with the following long-term goals in mind:

• to unify the management and development of informatics in the CGS
• to apply unified procedures of collecting, storing, and delivering data
• the standardization of an effective information flow, based on uniform IT equipment
• the better utilization of human, technical, & financial resources
• to improve the presentation and marketing of the CGS and its activities
• to ensure its compatibility with the Uniform Environmental Information System of the Ministry of the Environment, its agency CENIA and the EU directive INSPIRE

The Central Data Warehouse:

serves as a repository for fifty-four CGS data sources with geoscientific themes. The Central Data Warehouse (CDW) archives data gained from CGS research projects, unifies different data sources and formats, defines and applies uniform geological lexicons. The storing of data in the CDW goes together with creation of database applications, enabling easy user access. There are two types of the database applications:

• non-graphic (using RDBMS Oracle)
• graphic (using Map Server services)

Metadata Information System (MIS):

A new catalogue of CGS data sources, stored in the Central Data Warehouse, provides a complete description of individual data sources, including such information as availability, quality, and precision of geodata. The MIS is accessible via the CGS Portal as a database application and has become an efficient data discovery tool.

CGS Information Portal

The www Information Portal, launched in 2001, is an access place to geological data and information rising within the CGS activities. The Portal provides the following functions:

• internal (corporate) information system for authorized users
• external www presentation
• self-publishing of documents
• document management system
• www portal of the Czech geology

The introduction of the CGS Intranet has significantly helped to increase general awareness of the scope of CGS activities among its employees. The Intranet provides among others such services (database applications) as economical agenda, calendar of geological events, over 40 database applications allowing access to CGS data sources, metainformation system of all CGS projects (abstracts, final reports, etc.), library services, and E-mail service, including the remote user access to mail boxes. The users get information depending on assigned users-privileges.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS):

The implementation of GIS technology plays an important role in developing a complex geological information infrastructure for the CGS. GIS technology is applied into:

• the creation and development of the National Geological Map Database
• the access to digital geological data at scales 1 : 500 000, 1 : 50 000 a 1 : 25 000
• production of digital maps
• participation in the research projects.

Map Server

The www Map Server, launched in 2003, is integrated into the CGS Portal and provides such services as:

• metadata catalogue of maps – map coverage applications
• www GIS – GIS applications of digital geological maps and related DB
• distributed GIS – sharing of map services.

Remote sensing

The Remote Sensing Center was established in 2003 in order to provide geological activities with expertise interpretation of earth observation data. Nowadays, GIS and Remote Sensing have become integral components of numerous earth resource applications in the CGS. The specific and extreme natural conditions in Mongolia, Salvador or Peru such as lack of vegetation and rocks exposure enhance the utilization of such advanced methods.