Towards a Universal Hydrographic Data Model

The International Hydrographic Organization's (IHO) [1] Transfer Standard for Digital Hydrographic Data S-57 [2] standard has been in force for more than a decade, and has successfully been used for official ENCs adopted by Hydrographic Offices around the world and by navigation equipment manufacturers. Additionally S-57 has been used for many additional purposes. However S-57, and especially the administration of the standard, has also experienced limitations. In 2010, IHO released the next generation hydrographic standard called S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model [3]. A move that will open up the door to new possibilities to existing S-57 users and potentially broaden the use of IHO standards in the hydrographic community. This paper will try to explain why an S-57 replacement was needed and give examples on some possibilities with S-100 and its derived product specifications such as S-101.