Overview
ISO 19115-2:2019 - "Geographic information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for acquisition and processing" is the ISO standard that extends ISO 19115-1 to provide detailed metadata structures for describing the acquisition and processing of geographic information (including imagery and gridded data). Published as the second edition in 2019, it documents the properties of measuring systems (sensors, platforms, instruments), the numerical and computational procedures applied, and provides an XML encoding to implement these metadata extensions.
Key Topics and Technical Requirements
- Extension of ISO 19115-1: ISO 19115-2 augments core metadata elements with acquisition- and processing-specific classes and attributes to better capture production workflows.
- Acquisition and processing metadata packages: The standard groups metadata into four principal packages:
- Acquisition information
- Extended lineage information
- Extended spatial representation information (Geolocation information)
- Extended content information (Imagery)
- Equipment and process details: Metadata elements cover sensor/platform/instrument descriptions, passes, bands, resolution, geolocation and georeferencing details, and processing algorithms or numerical methods used to derive products.
- Conformance and profiles: Includes conformance rules and guidance for metadata profiles. Conformance testing references Annex A and the abstract test suite in ISO 19115-1.
- XML schema implementation: Annex C provides information about XML schema encoding, enabling interoperable implementations (linked to ISO/TS 19115-3).
- Normative references: Built on ISO 19103 (conceptual schema language), ISO 19115-1 (fundamentals), ISO 19157 (data quality), and UML standards for modeling.
- Notable changes from previous edition: Broader scope beyond imagery/gridded data, all extended classes now extend ISO 19115-1, and specified MI_Instrument – MI_Sensor class.
Practical Applications and Users
Who benefits:
- GIS data managers and custodians documenting provenance, quality and acquisition parameters.
- Remote sensing and imagery specialists capturing sensor, pass, band and geolocation metadata.
- Data producers and processing teams recording algorithms, processing chains and lineage for QA/QC and reproducibility.
- Software developers and metadata tool vendors implementing XML schemas and metadata editors for interoperable data exchange.
- Archivists and data discovery platforms improving search, access and trust by exposing acquisition/processing metadata.
Typical uses:
- Recording sensor/platform/instrument characteristics and processing steps for imagery and gridded datasets.
- Supporting data quality assessments, provenance tracking, and reproducible processing chains.
- Enabling interoperability and discovery across catalogs by using standardized acquisition and processing metadata.
Related Standards (if applicable)
Keywords: ISO 19115-2:2019, geographic information metadata, acquisition metadata, processing metadata, imagery metadata, geolocation, metadata XML schema, metadata lineage, ISO metadata extensions.
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