Weis G1, Guru S, Lan T
1Tern / University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Biography:
Siddeswara Guru is the program lead for the TERN Data Services and Analytics Platform.
Gerhard Weis is the solution architect and technical lead in the TERN Data Services and Analytics Platform.
Tiancheng Lan is a geospatial Data Engineer in the TERN Data Services and Analytics Platform.
Abstract:
The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) provides access to a growing collection of environmental data products spanning continental, regional, and site scales.
These datasets, derived from satellite observations, airborne sensors, drones, and ecological monitoring programs, capture long-term ecosystem change and are increasingly used to support biodiversity, land condition, and climate research.
Building on previous work to establish a cloud-native geospatial data infrastructure for managing and delivering large raster datasets, TERN has implemented a Spatio Temporal Asset Catalog (STAC) specifications to standardise how geospatial information, such as satellite imagery, 3D geospatial images and point clouds, is indexed, discovered and accessed. The STAC browser provides a web interface to search, discover and access collections. In addition, STAC API provides a standard RESTful interface built on STAC specification, enabling users to search, query, and access environmental data using spatial, temporal, and thematic criteria.
This presentation will demonstrate the development of STAC, together with a dedicated browser and API, enable users to efficiently discover relevant datasets, integrate them into reproducible analytical workflows, and access analysis-ready geospatial assets directly within cloud and high-performance computing environments.
The adoption of open standards and cloud-native technologies positions TERN to better serve Australia's environmental research community while contributing to a broader ecosystem of interoperable research infrastructures. By reducing barriers to data discovery, access and integration, the STAC family of specifications helps accelerate ecological research, supports evidence-based environmental management, and creates new opportunities for collaboration across the NCRIS landscape.
