Big Data Era in Sky and Earth Observation (BIG-SKY-EARTH)

Since the identified challenges are similar in astronomy and Earth observations,
with computer science as the common denominator, the Action proposal aims at
boosting the communication within and between disciplines by identifying and
clustering relevant common solutions developed within research and industrial
environments. These solutions can be aided by methodologies and tools for large
distributed data management and processing, developed by computer scientists in
academia or industry. For example, metadata is extensively exploited in
multimedia Digital Asset Management to provide effective access to deep
repositories of audio-visual content. This approach can contribute a  valuable
know-how to natural scientists working with similar type of data structures in
large databases. Visual Analytics is another example of a growing field in
computer science, with interesting implications for astronomy and Earth
observation that inherently depend on visual datasets. Therefore, the objectives
are set in a logical framework where a diverse network of experts identifies the
issues to be addressed, followed by joint utilization of their existing resources
to tackle the problems related to these issues, with the emphasis on building
bridges between disciplines needed for success and disseminating the acquired
knowledge, know-how and results to a wider circle of stakeholders.