Empowering geoscientists with Deep-time Digital Earth
Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE, ), launched by the IUGS in 2018, is dedicated to enabling and enhancing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Inter-operable and Reusable) data principles in open science practice by building a data-driven cloud computing platform for geosciences. Such a platform has been designed, developed, tested and validated with help of well over 500 participating geoscientists from 21 Members and 25 Working and Task Groups of DDE and was officially launched in 2022, alongside the DDE Open Science Forum co-organized by UNESCO, International Union of Geological Sciences, International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development and DDE.
The DDE Platform is an online research platform built for enabling and empowering geoscientists globally to undertake collaborative innovation and discoveries. Deep-time Engine is the core module of the DDE Platform. It contains four levels of sub-engines, which corresponds to computing, data, knowledge and research services, respectively.
Through its globally accessible DDE cloud infrastructure, the platform provides analytical tools and workflow services and large-scale, high-performance computing services. Several working platforms, such as the Dental Zircon Analysis Platform and the Global Heat-flow Mapping Platform, have been created. Many DDE working and Task Groups and other earth science research communities make use of the Platform. For example, the DDE Paleogeography Reconstruction Alliance has contributed data and models that enable paleogeographic reconstructions through community collaboration and crowdsourcing.
The principal challenges include attracting geoscientists who are attached to conventional modes of data collection and analyses to experiment with machine-driven modes that will enable them to access and use much larger vast volumes and range of data. Demonstrating the value of data-driven approaches to raise public awareness and education also requires that DDE undertakes efforts to facilitate the use of the Platform by interest groups with a general interest on Earth’s history.
DDE sponsored sessions in African conferences in Namibia (2023) and Nigeria (2024) have boosted interest among African scientists to use the Platform for their research, education and other relevant activities. More actions to enhance the access to, and use of the Platform by African scientists, researchers and students are foreseen during 2024–2025.
The development of the Platform cost about US$ 830,000. DDE financial support to the annual work plans, projects and cloud infrastructure was US$ 2.5 million. The rest came from in-kind contributions of hundreds of scientists and collaborating institutions. Access to the platform is open and the user incurs no cost.
Contributed by DDE Secretariat (secretariat@ddeworld.org) and the DDE Platform Team.
Dr. Hu Linshu, Secretary General DDE Platform, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province, China