During the last decades, geosciences and science in general, has entered a new mode of operation. Data science - defined as a combination of science, informatics, computer science, cyberinfrastructure, and information technology to process and analyse large corpora of data - has emerged as the "fourth paradigm" of science alongside empirical, theoretical, and computational approaches. This profoundly changes the way geoscientists work. It is clear that the community of Earth and planetary scientists needs to develop a set of clear guidelines that detail the types and extent of project- or publication-related data that should be accessible. Besides, accessible storage of scientific data is usually mandated, but not often achieved. The task needs people who are interested in information technology and regard it as their primary focus. The goal of this session is to assess the current state of data storage and exchange and indicate successful progress made to date and the challenges that presently exist. The session will also highlight the progress and perspectives in data assimilation studies in various fields of geosciences.