The Evolution of SDI Geospatial Data Clearinghouses

Geospatial data and the technologies that drive them have altered the landscape of our understanding of the world around us. The data, software and services related to geospatial information have given us the opportunity to visualize existing phenomena, to understand connections, and to address problems from environmental management to emergency response. From the everpresent Google Earth images we are shown in our televised weather reports to the 3D flyovers of war zones on the news, geospatial information is everywhere. In the decade or so since U.S. President William Clinton set the stage by announcing the establishment of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the concept of the geospatial data clearinghouse has shifted dramatically to fulfill the increasing need to streamline government processes, increase collaboration, and to meet the demands of data users and data developers (Clinton, 1994). The announcement of the NSDI gave birth to a Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) movement that would be supported by a network of SDIs or geospatial data clearinghouses from local, state, and national levels. From this point on, the evolution of the geospatial data clearinghouse has been rapid and punctuated with challenges to both the developer and the user. From the earliest incarnations of these now pervasive resources as simple FTP data transfer sites to the latest developments in Internet Map Services and real time data services, geospatial data clearinghouses have provided the backbone for the exponential growth of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this section, the authors will examine the background of the geospatial data clearinghouse movement, address the basic phases of clearinghouse development, and review the trends that have taken the world’s clearinghouses from FTP to Internet Map Services and beyond.