A Smarter Way to Analyse Big Earth Observation Data
A Smarter Way to Analyse Big Earth Observation Data
The sheer volume of Earth Observation (EO) data available today is immense, but this abundance of information often comes with significant technical challenges that get in the way of meaningful analysis. To address this, LEONSEGS partner PLUS has developed a new, open-source framework designed to change how users work with big EO data.
A Framework that Understands the Data
Unlike most existing data cube frameworks, this semantic, knowledge-based approach enables data to be processed beyond its simple numerical representation, with structured integration and communication of expert knowledge from the relevant domains. This means the system can create on-demand, semantic EO data cubes, which allow knowledge-based, semantic querying of multimodal data for mesoscale analyses anywhere on Earth, allowing users to move beyond the raw information to gain improved analytical insights. With every new acquisition, for example through the LEONSEGS system, the data available to users grow automatically and can be queried.
The Benefits
This innovative framework is designed to make big EO data analysis easier and more efficient. It allows users to:
- Analyse with Ease: Perform complex tasks with just a few lines of code.
- Work Anywhere: Use the system on your own computer or on a cloud-based platform.
- Get to the Point: Focus on the analysis itself, rather than the technical complexities of data access and integration.
The framework’s potential has been demonstrated with two practical examples: quickly finding cloud-free images and analysing the extent of forest disturbances. This work is a valuable step forward in making EO data analytics more accessible for everyone.
Framework overview (Kröber et al., 2025 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
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