Data sharing and collaboration are critical to solving large-scale problems. The prevailing soil data-sharing model is based on different groups sending their data to a lead party. This model is of a centralised nature and, consequently, results in the participants ceding control and governance over their data to the lead party. Here we explore the use of a distributed ledger (blockchain) to solve the aforementioned issues. We explain what a blockchain is and some of its characteristics to then describe some features of a blockchain that make it an interesting candidate for an inter-institutional database. Finally, we describe the potential use case of developing a global soil spectral library with multiple, independent international institutions constituting the network.

中文翻译：

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机构内和机构间土壤数据共享的新模型

数据共享和协作对于解决大规模问题至关重要。现行的土壤数据共享模型基于不同的小组将其数据发送给牵头方。该模型具有集中性，因此导致参与者将对数据的控制和管理移交给领导方。在这里，我们探索使用分布式分类帐（区块链）来解决上述问题。我们将解释什么是区块链及其一些特征，然后描述区块链的一些特征，使其成为机构间数据库的有趣候选对象。最后，我们描述了开发具有多个独立国际机构构成的网络的全球土壤谱库的潜在用例。