Dimitra Palantza
Dimitra Palantza is a Scientific Associate at i-BEC and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, holding a BSc in Geology and an MSc in Physical and Environmental Geography. She specializes in soil science and environmental monitoring, with research interests focused on remote sensing, soil pcience, erosion processes, environmental assessment, and sustainable land management.
Within i-BEC, she is actively involved in data analysis and interpretation, the application of geospatial and Earth Observation techniques, and the preparation of scientific and technical reports, contributing to evidence-based approaches for environmental sustainability. Her work is closely linked to EU-funded HORIZON projects, supporting the development and implementation of harmonised monitoring frameworks and innovative methodologies for soil and environmental assessment.
She is a data-driven professional with an interdisciplinary background spanning physical geography, environmental sciences, soil science, and erosion processes, complemented by strong foundations in the social sciences. This interdisciplinary profile enables her to address complex environmental challenges by integrating biophysical data with policy-relevant and socio-environmental perspectives.
Sessions
The MRV4SOC Knowledge Hub (KH) is a central component of the project’s digital infrastructure, designed as a CKAN-based platform to support Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) of soil organic carbon across Europe. It provides a unified and scalable environment for storing, managing, and disseminating heterogeneous datasets, including remote sensing products, in-situ measurements, and process-based model outputs. By harmonizing these diverse data streams, the KH facilitates access to high-quality, well-documented information for scientific, policy, and practitioner communities.
A core strength of the KH lies in its robust data repository architecture, which ensures secure storage, version control, and full provenance tracking. This enables transparency, reproducibility, and long-term data stewardship. All datasets are accompanied by detailed metadata compliant with the INSPIRE Directive and aligned with Joint Research Centre (JRC) and EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) guidelines. Metadata profiles capture key attributes such as data origin, spatial and temporal coverage, processing workflows, and licensing conditions, ensuring consistency and interoperability across datasets and platforms.
The KH is closely connected to the SoilWise project and its repository under the EUSO framework, serving as a key data provider and integration node. Through standardized vocabularies and controlled terminologies aligned with European soil data standards, the KH ensures semantic interoperability, enabling consistent interpretation of datasets across systems. Its RESTful API supports automated metadata harvesting and synchronization (e.g., via OAI-PMH and CKAN APIs), allowing SoilWise to seamlessly access, ingest, and integrate harmonized MRV4SOC datasets into the broader European soil data ecosystem.
Advanced search and discovery functionalities further enhance accessibility, enabling users to locate datasets through keyword queries, metadata filters, and semantic search supported by integrated glossaries. In addition, geospatial visualization capabilities, enabled through a GeoServer infrastructure, allow users to explore spatial datasets interactively and assess their relevance before download.
By combining standardized metadata, interoperable APIs, semantic harmonization, and direct integration with SoilWise, the MRV4SOC Knowledge Hub demonstrates a practical implementation of FAIR data principles. It not only preserves and disseminates project outputs but also strengthens European soil data infrastructures, supporting coordinated monitoring, modelling, and evidence-based decision-making under the EUSO mission.