Released
DatasetA metadata model and catalogue for describing and integrating Controlled Source Seismic data
Cite as:
Lorenz, Henning; Ercoli, Maurizio; Haberland, Christian; Basili, Roberto; Czuba, Wojciech; Funck, Thomas; Juhlin, Christopher; Maesano, Francesco Emanuele; Majdański, Mariusz; Palomeras, Imma; Vico, Giuseppe; EPOS CSS Community (2026): A metadata model and catalogue for describing and integrating Controlled Source Seismic data. V. v2026.01-m1.0. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2026.059Status
I N R E V I E W : Lorenz, Henning; Ercoli, Maurizio; Haberland, Christian; Basili, Roberto; Czuba, Wojciech; Funck, Thomas; Juhlin, Christopher; Maesano, Francesco Emanuele; Majdański, Mariusz; Palomeras, Imma; Vico, Giuseppe; EPOS CSS Community (2026): A metadata model and catalogue for describing and integrating Controlled Source Seismic data. V. v2026.01-m1.0. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/fidgeo.2026.059
Abstract
Controlled Source Seismic data are key to understanding the structure and composition of the lithosphere at different scales. They are highly valuable both in their own right and as input to multidisciplinary studies and Earth system modelling. The aim of the CSS metadata model is to provide broad (transnational) integration of distributed CSS data by a universal approach to describe controlled source seismic data sets. It has been developed by a community of experts with the intention to bring CSS data to the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) data research infrastructure (https://www.epos-eu.org). Its comprehensive set of attributes provides a rich description of CSS data sets, allowing the user to discover data sets and to decide whether the described data set is fit for the intended re-use purpose or not. As not all existing data sources can provide such a rich data description, the obligatory attributes are limited to avoid incompatibilities that exclude potential data providers and legacy data. The metadata model's implementation, the CSS metadata catalogue, provides FAIR (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles) and Open scientific metadata for both open and closed CSS data, including information about licencing and legal constraints. The CSS metadata model is implemented as GeoJSON (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc7946) that is defined by a JSON-schema (https://json-schema.org). The present, initial publication focusses on the metadata model and includes only example data for a metadata catalogue. Subsequent publications will focus on the content of the CSS metadata catalogue and will include an up-to-date data model, documentation and quality assurance.
The version numbering indicates both the status of the metadata catalogue content and the version of the metadata model used. This is achieved by combining the publication date with the model version, formatted as vYYYY.MM-mX.Y (e.g., v2026.06-m1.0).
This publications reflects the content of the GitHub repository (ADD LINK HERE) of the present release:
- epos-css-documentation.pdf is the documentation of the data model.
- epos-css-schema.json is the JSON-schema of the EPOS CSS metadata model.
- controlled_vocabularies (folder) contains the SKOS Turtle files of the controlled vocabularies.
- metadata_catalogue (folder) contains the metadata catalogue GeoJSON file (this initial release, which focusses on the metadata model, contains a file with example metadata of six data instances).
- metadata_submission (folder) contains two GeoJSON files with example metadata on one and two data instances, respectively, as it would be expected when new metadata are submitted for integration.
Methods
The EPOS CSS metadata model and catalogue is the result of a community-driven development.Community building started in 2024 (EGU Session SPM75), continued at the SEISMIX2024 conference and the IAGA/IASPEI Joint Scientific Meeting 2025, complemented by word-of mouth between colleagues. The community evaluated whether standards or best practices for describing CSS data sets exist. As the result was negative, neither an official/published standard nor an unofficial/community standard was known, a new metadata model for the scientific description of CSS data was developed. The metadata model has to fulfil the following requirements:
i) to be flexible enough to describe all diverse varieties of CSS data;
ii) to have sufficient detail to describe complex data sets;
iii) to have a limited set of obligatory attributes, to facilitate broad integration of existing databases by avoiding conflicts that could shut out potential data providers;
iv) to utilise controlled vocabularies wherever possible.
The development process included the following task:
i) review of existing metadata models (not community endorsed, mainly on national or organisational level);
ii) expertise from the community: attributes required to describe CSS data sets, a) (re-)user perspective, and b) data provider perspective;
iii) design of the metadata model based on the insights from points i) and ii);
iv) testing and refinement.
A detailed description is available in the associated journal paper, see "Related work".
Authors
- Lorenz, Henning
;Uppsala University - Ercoli, Maurizio;University of Perugia
- Haberland, Christian;GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
- Basili, Roberto;Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia;INGV Sezione di Roma 1
- Czuba, Wojciech;Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences
- Funck, Thomas;Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
- Juhlin, Christopher;Uppsala University
- Maesano, Francesco Emanuele;INGV Sezione di Roma 1;Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
- Majdański, Mariusz;Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences
- Palomeras, Imma;Geociencias Barcelona
- Vico, Giuseppe;INGV Sezione di Roma 1;Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
- EPOS CSS Community
Keywords
Controlled Source Seismics, Active Source Seismics, Seismic Profiling, European Plate Observing System (EPOS), Metadata Model, CommunityGCMD Science Keywords
- Science Keywords > EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING > CATALOGING
- Science Keywords > EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING > DATA SEARCH
- Science Keywords > EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > METADATA HANDLING > DATA DISCOVERY
More Metadata
- datacite: download xml
- iso19115: download xml
- schema.org download
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