The International Archives of the Photogrammetry. Remote Sensing and Spatial In formation Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B4. Beiiing 2008 
Accordingly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport 
Kanto Regional Development Bureau Yokohama Research and 
Engineering Office for Port and Airport (hereinafter referred to 
as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) 
developed a web-based information system for sharing the 
valuable environmental data gathered thus far by the each body. 
2. CONCEPT OF STANDARDIZATION AND 
INVESTIGATION MATTERS 
2.1 Concept of Standardization 
The method used for sharing environmental data has been to 
share data format, measurement methods, analysis methods and 
instrumentations. On the other hand, the standardization of the 
environmental data, examined in this study, is aimed at sharing 
the data structure in order for information to be shared between 
various bodies. Since environmental data possess coordinates 
on the globe, it can be treated as a form of “geographic 
information”. In connecting with this “geographic information”, 
“data structuring definition” work is being carried out from 
among the ISO/TC211, if this is applied then environmental 
data may be standardized in the same way as other geographical 
information. The ISO/TC211 considers that “geographic 
information comes from geographic feature data and metadata”. 
Geographic feature data is considered to be environmental data 
obtained through practical study such as analysis values and 
observation values and metadata is data attributes, content, 
information acquisition source and storage location and is 
characterized as data used for explaining environmental data. 
Therefore, the metadata taken up in this study has been 
structured to permit representation of the outline of the 
environmental data based on the JMP2.0 
(JapanMetadataProfile2.0) (Geographic Survey Institute, 2003), 
which is domestic metadata specifications conforming to the 
ISO/TC211 (ISO/TC211, 2003). In addition, the environmental 
data has been structured based on the data structure in 
ISO/TC211 (ISO/TC211, 2007). 
2.2 Standardization Investigation Matters 
ElementName 
Definition 
Obligation/ 
Condition 
Maximum 
occurrence 
Environmental Data 
Title 
unique identifier for the dataset 
Mandatory 
, 
Cruise Information 
name of ship and cruise project 
Optional 
1 
Abstract 
brief narrative summary and purpose of the 
content of the dataset 
Mandatory 
1 
Point Of Contact 
identification of.and means of communication 
with,person and organizations associated with the 
dataset 
Mandatory 
" 
observation Items 
name of observation items(ex.WaterTemperature) 
Mandatory 
n 
Observation Points 
observed position with coordiate of the dataset 
Mandatory 
n 
Observation Areas 
observed area with coordiate of the dataset 
n 
Reference 
description of the spatial reference systems used 
in the dataset 
Mandatory 
1 
Observation Date 
period of the observation 
Mandatory 
n 
Format 
description of the computer language construct 
that specifies the presentation of dataset 
Optional 
n 
Distribution 
Information 
information about the distributor of and options for 
obtaining the dataset 
Optional 
n 
Quality Information 
information about an event in the creation process 
for the dataset 
Optional 
n 
Language 
language used for documenting dataset 
Mandatory 
Description 
text description of the dataset 
Optional 
1 
Point Of Contact 
(Metadata) 
party responsible for the metadata information 
Mandatory 
1 
Date Of Metadata 
Creation 
date that the metadata was created 
Mandatory 
1 
Language(Metadata) 
language used for documenting metadata 
Mandatory 
1 
Point Of Contact 
(Result) 
party responsible for the result of using 
dataset(ex.article) 
Optional 
n 
Format Of Result 
description of the computer language construct 
that specifies the presentation of the result of 
using dataset 
Optional 
n 
Distribution 
Information Of Result 
information about the distributor of and options for 
obtaining the result of using dataset 
Optional 
n 
Table 1. Scheme of OOMP 
2.2.1 Metadata Structuring: Since the purpose of the 
metadata is to explain the environmental data, it must allow 
users to examine the necessity of the environmental data. 
Therefore, questionnaires were sent out to users of the 
environmental data on sea areas and interviews were conducted, 
while a review meeting was held including academic experts in 
the field of sea area environment, to set metadata items that 
would permit judgment of the possibility of utilization by users. 
Metadata items were set based on the JMP2.0, and some 
intrinsic items that showed the outline of the environment data 
were added, to make the OOMP (Oceanographic Observation 
Metadata Profile). (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and 
Transport, 2004). Table 1 shows the outline of the OOMP. 
2.2.2 Environmental Data Structuring: The first task to 
be done to advance the standardization of environmental data is 
to systematically organize the data structure. As shown in 
Figure 1, the systematic organization of the data structure 
involves extracting the common sections (elements) from the 
data groups, and structuring the data while identifying the 
relation between the elements. 
The Common Data Structure 
ElementName 
Definition 
Obligation/ 
Condition 
Maximum 
occurrence 
projected 
observation point 
projected coordinate of observation point 
Mandatory 
n 
projected 
observation line 
projected coordinate of observation line 
n 
projected 
observation area 
projected coordinate of observation area 
n 
definition of 
observation item 
name of observation item 
Mandatory 
n 
definition of unit 
units using dataset 
Mandatory 
n 
definition of 
instrument 
information of observation instrument 
Optional 
n 
information of 
calibration 
information of calibration about observation 
instrument 
Optional 
1 
definition of method 
information of observation method 
Optional 
n 
observation point 
observed coordinate of observation point 
Optional 
n 
observation line 
observed coordinate of observation line 
n 
observation area 
observed coordinate of observation area 
n 
time instant 
observation date and time 
Mandatory 
1 
time period 
range of observation date and time 
1 
organization 
organization of observation 
Mandatory 
1 
reference system 
description of the spatial and temporal reference 
systems used in the dataset 
Mandatory 
1 
location determing 
method 
method of determination of observation point 
Optional 
1 
depth instant 
the depth which the observation had been 
conducted 
Optional 
1 
depth extention 
the depth between upper level and lower level 
which observation had been conducted 
1 
water depth 
water depth at observation point 
Optional 
1 
observation category 
category of observation item (water quality.bottom 
material) 
— 
Mandatory 
1 
value 
observed value 
Mandatory 
n 
Table 2. Scheme of CML 
Based on the result, the items that should be described as the 
environmental data, as well as their relations, were structured 
based on the UML (Unified Modeling Language) and a class 
diagram was created. The authors examined the validity of the 
data structure based on the class diagram in question together 
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