SWEing the groundwater data workflow: from data collection to reuse, opportunities of interoperable sensorWeb approaches
Résumé
Thanks to recent evolutions in environmental sensors, new data transmission associated with better autonomy, it is now feasible to
consider raw data quality with more confidence. Even if human QA/QC activity is still required (at least to check the overall workflow
status), raw data can be considered as fitted for direct reuse.
Groundwater level data and their near real time availability (raw data) answer to important societal needs:
- Natural resource management in a climate change context with even more frequent drought episodes and their impact on quality
and quantity of the resource,
- But also civil security in specific geological contexts where surface/ground water connexion associated with water table rise have a
direct impact on flood events.
Parallel to these, the ICT context is also evolving with more mature international open standards for sensorWeb interoperability
(namely the OGC SWE - Sensor Web Enablement Framework) along with their endorsement by Legal obligations (INSPIRE directive)
and communities.
BRGM is conducting a dedicated joint SensorWeb activity between its IT and Water/Environment/Ecotechnologies division for several
years. This transversal activity enables both:
- The appropriation of the IT context and opportunities by domain experts,
- And the possibility to be active on the international IT context (OGC, INSPIRE) so that international interoperability standards
definition and application is close to domain needs.
This presentation will focus on the IT changes the French national piezometric network is currently going through. From the sensor on
the field, to the central information system, data validation, exploitation and reuse the system is progressively proposing a change of
paradigm in hydrogeologists activities.
As a conclusion these changes will be linked to new opportunities, partnerships with other institutions (ex: dynamic Groundwater
level forecast – MétéEau des nappes) and but also to new challenges (vendor specific formats, big data, data accessibility) they
create.