Bridging Climate and Earth Observation Data Analytics in a Federated Cloud Infrastructure Using Interoperable Multidisciplinary Workflows

Managing large data sets is a challenge that is compounded when data is distributed across multiple sites. In the case of the combined use of Earth Observation (EO) and climate data, traditional big data approaches are not adequate. This has lead to the development of a new generation of federated cy-berinfrastructures, such as the Platform for the Analysis and Visualization of Climate Science (PAVICS), developed by the Computer Research Institute of Montreal (CRIM) and Ouranos, a Montreal-based consortium on regional climatology and adaptation to climate change. PAVICS also reuses key components of Birdhouse, a collaborative project led by the German Climate Computing Center (DKRZ). PAVICS uses standards, such as the Web Processing Service (WPS) developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) as a standard interface for providing access to pre-defined geospatial processing services to facilitate integration and foster reuse. This paper presents some of the significant advancements that have been made in recent projects conducted in Canada, in the United States, and in Europe.