Ontology-aided annotation, visualization, and generalization of geological time-scale information from online geological map services

Geological maps are increasingly published and shared online, whereas tools and services supporting information retrieval and knowledge discovery are underdeveloped. In this study, we developed an ontology of geological time scale by using a Resource Description Framework model to represent the ordinal hierarchical structure of the geological time scale and to encode collected annotations of geological time scale concepts. We also developed an animated graphical view of the developed ontology, and functions for interactions between the ontology, the animation and online geological maps published as layers of OGC Web Map Service. The featured functions include automatic annotations for geological time concepts recognized from a geological map, changing layouts in the animation to highlight a concept, showing legends of geological time contents in an online map with the animation, and filtering out and generalizing geological time features in an online map by operating the map legend shown in the animation. We set up a pilot system and carried out a user survey to test and evaluate the usability and usefulness of the developed ontology, animation and interactive functions. Results of the pilot system and the user survey demonstrate that our works enhance features of online geological map services and they are helpful for users to understand and to explore geological time contents and features, respectively, of a geological map.

► Use proper datatype and object properties to represent a subject domain in geoscience.
► Ontology-based annotation and visualization functions for online geological maps.
► Ontology-based interactive functions to help users to access online geological maps.
► Show a novel way of using ontologies to improve geological data interoperability.