Basic version BRO 3D webservices ready for use
The Geological Survey of the Netherlands, part of TNO, together with ESRI, Kadaster and BZK, has developed the very first 3D web services on the National Key Registry of the Subsurface. This is an important milestone in the possibilities of 3D geodata. The first basic version of BRO 3D is now ready for use.
With the development of 3D web services on the National Key Registry of the Subsurface, the subsurface can be used directly in a GIS system. This saves an enormous amount of time and technical handling. This makes the subsurface even more accessible. The first basic version of BRO 3D webservices can be viewed in an internet browser and in GIS software systems that support the OGC standard I3S, such as ArcGIS online. Depending on the application, several functionalities are available.
Insight into the subsurface in 3D
Thanks to the BRO 3D web services, now employees of municipalities, provinces, water boards and, for example, engineering and consultancy firms working with spatial geo-information can carry out more easily and more insightfully studies about climate adaptation, sustainable energy and housing construction for example. It helps to look at the surface in an integrated and coherent way. Being able to look in 3D contributes a lot to this.
Underground more accessible
It is a lot of work to load BRO data and models into a GIS system. After all, we are dealing with huge amounts of data and a large scale of the models. Moreover, the visualisations and functionality to work with this data involve many technical challenges and require a lot of geological expertise. Therefore the launch of the basic version of the BRO 3D web services is a milestone: it makes the subsurface more accessible in 3D (!).
‘Work on Implementation’
The development of these 3D web services was enabled by the government-wide programme ‘Work in Progress’ (WaU-programme). This programme involves a broader nationwide 3D geo-information facility linked to several key registers, with this one being the ‘underground’ part. By making the first BRO 3D web services available for a broad public, practical experience can be gained. This is important in for further development.
See the possibilities
Now the subsurface models GeoTOP and REGIS II are available as 3D web services. Groundwater monitoring wells and cone penetration tests have also been developed as BRO 3D web services. Go to BROloket and choose ‘web services’ to go to the BRO 3D web services. Or go directly to the portal with the BRO 3D web services. The webservices can also be found in Esri’s Living Atlas.
Want to know more?
Want to know more about the development of BRO 3D web services? Follow the news via the project page. Step by step, subsurface information is becoming even more accessible. The development of BRO 3D web services that comply with other OGC standards, such as 3D-Tiles, is also being explored.
