Digital Twin Earth Framework Specification (DTE-FS)

Digital Twin Earth Framework Specification (DTE-FS): A Model Based Systems Specification for a Digital Twin Earth Framework proposes a specification for an interoperable Digital Twin Earth Framework (DTE-F) to overcome the communication-structure-based barriers to universal data interoperability in the earth science community, which limit the capability of a shared representation of the earth system for decision-making. The specification, DTE-FS, focuses on enabling syntactically and schematically interoperable processes, viewing the DTE as a system of systems composed of user-contributed processes rather than monolithic systems. It details requirements for universal syntactic interoperability through schema-standardized, machine-readable interfaces for DTE processes, and for schematic interoperability through defining process structure in terms of classified subprocess tasks (acquisition, identity, transformation, delivery) with constrained connections, all accessible via a uniform, model-based interface that couples workflow and persistence structure. This document has been used on NOAA as an internal specification standard since 2021. It has previously been presented at several conferences including AGU and ESIP, and has been previously referenced in publications from NASA.