Drawing from search engines like Yahoo Maps, MapQuest, or TerraServer, the GeoWeb aims to make all geographically referenced, or georeferenced, data available over the Web.

Clearly, the sheer volume of georeferenced data about our world, including satellite and aerial imagery, 3D models of terrain and buildings, and maps, is so large that no single organization can possibly produce, store, or even index all of the data. It is a massive undertaking. What is needed, therefore, is an infrastructure, that can be used to georeference any type of data from around the world.

The Digital Earth Project works to build the standards, tools, browsers, and infrastructure necessary for a version of the Digital Earth. And the new GeoWeb infrastructure allows for open, global, and scalable Internet searches associated with a specific latitude/longitude location.

The data can be used, for example, with Internet-connected cell phones and car navigation systems. The website describes the project goals and work on building the standards, tools, browsers, and infrastructure necessary to develop GeoWeb.

GeoWeb is part of SRI International's DARPA-sponsored Digital Earth Project.