Specification of a framework for semantic annotation of geospatial data on the web

The Web is a huge repository of geospatial information (GI), distributed all over the world. Efficient retrieval of this information is a key factor in planning and decision-making in a variety of domains. However, the proposed standards and specifications for data annotation and exchanging enable only syntactic interoperability. Semantic heterogeneity still presents challenges for GI retrieval. One possible approach to tackle these problems is to elicit knowledge by means of semantic annotations, based on multiple ontologies. This work describes a framework to support management of semantic annotations for digital content on the Web, for agricultural planning and monitoring. This will help end-users (agronomers, farmers, Earth scientists) to work cooperatively in developing integrated practices for land management. Content to be annotated in this context includes, for instance, satellite images, sensor data temporal series (e.g., from ground sensors or weather stations), and all kinds of textual data files.