Research Questions
The research is based on three pillars: VKG data modeling, impact chain conceptualization, and integration with openEO.
- How can impact chains be formally modeled within VKGs?
- How can openEO processes be integrated into VKG queries, and which parts should be delegated?
- How can dynamic EO data be semantically linked to VKG instances of impact chain concepts?
Workflow
This workflow illustrates the integration of expert knowledge, semantic technologies, and Earth Observation data to support climate risk assessment and adaptation planning.
1. Expert Knowledge is captured through structured frameworks such as the Impact Chain, representing cause-effect relationships between climate hazards, vulnerabilities, and impacts.
2. Virtual Knowledge Graph: This conceptual knowledge is transformed into a virtual knowledge graph, allowing it to be navigated, queried, and extended. Semantic web technologies (e.g., ontologies) help link concepts and ensure consistency across data and domains.
3. Process Graphs: The virtual knowledge graph connects to process graphs, which define workflows for data processing using platforms like openEO. These workflows automate the generation of climate indicators and other analytical outputs.
4. Ontop: Serves as the data virtualization layer that translates high-level queries into efficient access to distributed data sources, enabling seamless integration between user queries and the underlying data and process graphs.
5. Users: Users interact with this system through structured or natural language queries, allowing them to assess climate risk, support adaptation strategies, and monitor environmental changes over time.
6. Data: The data layer includes satellite imagery, spatial datasets, and derived products that are processed and visualized in the context of the conceptual models, ensuring transparent, traceable, and actionable insights.
This approach ensures that scientific knowledge and real-world data are interoperable and accessible to decision-makers, fostering informed climate resilience planning.