Implementing feature level semantics for spatial data discovery: Supporting the reuse of legacy data using open source components

As the diversity and volume of web-based spatial resources continue to grow, so too do the challenges posed for those wishing to find spatial information on the web, or for those wishing to contribute such information. Alongside the wealth of existing data resources, differing conceptual models are leading to the increasing adoption of methods emerging from Semantic Web initiatives. This paper describes an approach that employs such methods in order to support the use and discovery of spatial resources, presented within the context of a search application. Based upon an architecture of freely available open source software components, the approach incorporates formal semantics through the use of an application ontology associated with a Resource Description Framework (RDF) representation of natively held geospatial data. This prototype is offered as a first step towards a strategy for countering semantic ambiguity in the data and query content, providing a viable path for publishing legacy spatial data holdings in a future Geospatial Semantic Web.