Systems geology
[1][2][3] The systems approach involves study of the linkages or interfaces between the component objects and processes at all levels of detail in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the solid Earth.[5] Since then, considerable progress has resulted from large investments in geoinformatics by the US National Science Foundation[6] and the European Commission,[7] much of it implemented on their high-level computing networks.'Building the Digital Earth' aims to develop a comprehensive geoscience information system, which they see as one of the most important steps that geoscientists could undertake in response to new technological advancements.The systems approach is being actively developed in many other areas, such as biology[11] and medicine (EuroPhysiome) opening the prospect of widely shared concepts, structures and implementations.In the long run, geoinformatics could support integration at a systems level of geological surveys activities world-wide, all contributing to, using, testing and extending a shared cloud-based model.