The Eos data and information system: concepts for design

A functional architecture for the Earth observing system (Eos) is presented and a variety of management issues are surveyed, including longevity, coordination with agencies, scientific programs, and other nations, incorporation of existing data, and the importance of effective and responsible scientific governance by the users. The author concludes that to meet its objectives, the system must facilitate the development of abstract higher-level data structures and data manipulation languages. If that occurs, the Eos data and information system will, he believes, stimulate novel and more powerful modes of thought about the information that portrays the evolution of the Earth system