North American Data Model Steering Committee

Notes of meeting May 23, 2002, Salt Lake City, Utah

Attending:

Notes:

  1. Data Model Design Team:

    The majority of the meeting was devoted to the Data Model Design Technical Team's progress report. Their report and accompanying Powerpoint file are provided at . The Team proposed to continue their deliberations on a conceptual data model design, and to provide a draft standard conceptual model before the next meeting. This proposal was approved by the Committee.

  2. Science Language Technical Team:

    The remainder of the meeting was mostly directed toward a discussion of the Science Language Technical Team, and the progress made by its various subgroups. Draft reports by the plutonic, the volcanic, and the sedimentary subgroups were distributed for comment; the surficial subgroup has not yet developed a report. The Committee concluded that this Team's progress has been good and well-directed, especially considering the difficulty in reaching scientific consensus among many geologists. A more mature and integrated report is anticipated for the next meeting.

  3. Documentation Technical Team:

    The Team proposed building a Fact Sheet explaining why a standard data model is useful and necessary (inspired somewhat by the URISA data modeling document). Committee members concurred with this proposal, and were asked to each send to Rob a paragraph stating their personal views on the value of the data model. The fact sheet might contain a graphic showing which agencies are trying to implement the standard data model.

  4. NADMSC logo:

    E-mail discussion on this topic has been inconclusive, so the Committee deferred discussion until some later date.

  5. Next meeting:

    The next meeting will be held October 30, in Denver, Co., during the week of the 2002 GSA Annual meeting