Expeditious management plan towards digital earth

The breakthrough developments in geospatial technologies and the increasing availability of spatial data make geoinformation a business and a decisional element to the management. Hence, it is important to have a management plan to factor in practical and feasible data sources, in building geo applications. The authors of this paper are motivated by the fact that right data sources could outclass in-house resources in various application scenarios. This paper outlines pragmatic cases for the tangible benefits of the existing potential data and expeditious patterns for digital earth. This work also proposes ‘good-enough’ solutions based on the pragmatic cases, available literature, and the 3D city model developed that could be sufficient in contriving the objectives of the common public usage and open business models. To demonstrate this approach, the paper encapsulated the low-cost development of virtual 3D city model using publicly available cadastral data and web services.     

数字城市建设中的地理空间数据分类与编码

地理空间数据分类与编码是指导数字城市地理空间数据库建设的一项重要标准,本文从分析数字城市项目建设的主要地理空间数据分类与编码的基础上,依据现有国家标准、行业标准和地方标准,将地理空间数据划分为基础地理信息数据、公共管理地理信息数据、公共服务地理信息数据和专题地理信息数据四大类,并综合设计了城市级的地理空间数据编码,为数字城市建设中的多种类、多尺度和多时相的地理空间数据整合、建库、管理及共享提供参考。     

Relaxation‐Based Point Feature Matching for Vector Map Conflation

With the rapid advance of geospatial technologies, the availability of geospatial data from a wide variety of sources has increased dramatically. It is beneficial to integrate / conflate these multi‐source geospatial datasets, since the integration of multi‐source geospatial data can provide insights and capabilities not possible with individual datasets. However, multi‐source datasets over the same geographical area are often disparate. Accurately integrating geospatial data from different sources is a challenging task. Among the subtasks of integration/conflation, the most crucial one is feature matching, which identifies the features from different datasets as presentations of the same real‐world geographic entity. In this article we present a new relaxation‐based point feature matching approach to match the road intersections from two GIS vector road datasets. The relaxation labeling algorithm utilizes iterated local context updates to achieve a globally consistent result. The contextual constraints (relative distances between points) are incorporated into the compatibility function employed in each iteration's updates. The point‐to‐point matching confidence matrix is initialized using the road connectivity information at each point. Both the traditional proximity‐based approach and our relaxation‐based point matching approach are implemented and experiments are conducted over 18 test sites in rural and suburban areas of Columbia, MO. The test results show that our relaxation labeling approach has much better performance than the proximity matching approach in both simple and complex situations.     

Connected Geomatics in the big data era

The development of global informatization and its integration with industrialization symbolizes that human society has entered into the big data era. This article covers seven new characteristics of Geomatics (i.e. ubiquitous sensor, multi-dimensional dynamics, integration via networking, full automation in real time, from sensing to recognition, crowdsourcing and volunteered geographic information, and service-oriented science), and puts forward the corresponding critical technical challenges in the construction of integrated space–air–ground geospatial networks. Through the discussions outlined in this paper, we propose a new development stage of Geomatics entitled ‘Connected Geomatics,’ which is defined as a multi-disciplinary science and technology that uses systematic approaches and integrates methods of spatio-temporal data acquisition, information extraction, network management, knowledge discovery, and spatial sensing and recognition, as well as intelligent location-based services pertaining to any physical objects and human activities on the earth. It is envisioned that the advancement of Geomatics will make a great contribution to human sustainable development.     

地理国情大数据研究框架

地理国情监测作为大数据时代测绘地理信息领域一个新的、重要战略方向,其发展迫切需要顶层设计与新型技术的支撑,需要建立一种灵活、高效、低成本的大数据处理模式与服务方式。本文以地理国情监测与大数据研究相结合为切入点,阐述了地理国情大数据的分类及特点,提出了云计算环境下地理国情大数据研究架构,并从地理国情大数据存储、处理、挖掘、应用服务4个方面探讨了地理国情大数据云平台建设思路。本文将有助于地理国情监测的生产方式与服务模式变革,推动地理国情监测的广泛应用与产业化发展。     

Spatially Clustered Associations in Health Related Geospatial Data

Overlaying maps using a desktop GIS is often the first step of a multivariate spatial analysis. The potential of this operation has increased considerably as data sources and Web services to manipulate them are becoming widely available via the Internet. Standards from the OGC enable such geospatial ‘mashups’ to be seamless and user driven, involving discovery of thematic data. The user is naturally inclined to look for spatial clusters and ‘correlation’ of outcomes. Using classical cluster detection scan methods to identify multivariate associations can be problematic in this context, because of a lack of control on or knowledge about background populations. For public health and epidemiological mapping, this limiting factor can be critical but often the focus is on spatial identification of risk factors associated with health or clinical status. In this article we point out that this association itself can ensure some control on underlying populations, and develop an exploratory scan statistic framework for multivariate associations. Inference using statistical map methodologies can be used to test the clustered associations. The approach is illustrated with a hypothetical data example and an epidemiological study on community MRSA. Scenarios of potential use for online mashups are introduced but full implementation is left for further research.     

贵阳市基础地理信息公共服务平台的建设与应用

地理信息是城市信息资源共享的基础,以地理空间框架为基础,建设城市地理信息公共服务平台,对于整合城市信息资源、促进部门间数据共享、交换与业务协同,推动城市信息化发展及数字城市、智慧城市建设具有重要的意义。本文以贵阳市基础地理信息公共服务平台建设为例,详细介绍公共服务平台建设模式、内容,并对预期效益进行了分析,为其他公共服务平台的建设提供参考。     

GeoPW: Laying Blocks for the Geospatial Processing Web

Recent advances in Web‐related technologies have significantly promoted the wide sharing and integrated analysis of distributed geospatial data. Geospatial applications often involve diverse sources of data and complex geoprocessing functions. Existing Web‐based GIS focuses more on access to distributed geospatial data. In scientific problem solving, the ability to carry out geospatial analysis is essential to geoscientific discovery. This article presents the design and implementation of GeoPW, a set of services providing geoprocessing functions over the Web. The concept of the Geospatial Processing Web is discussed to address the geoprocessing demands in the emerging information infrastructure, and the role of GeoPW in establishing the Geospatial Processing Web is identified. The services in GeoPW are implemented by developing middleware that wraps legacy GIS analysis components to provide a large number of geoprocessing utilities over the Web. These services are open and accessible to the public, and they support integrated geoprocessing on the Web.     

一种基于ISM的空间数据共享、互操作解决方案

随着GIS的蓬勃发展和地理空间数据内容的逐步丰富,面向行业和社会公众的综合地理信息应用成为GIS和地理空间数据存在的生命线.不同的GIS软件和地理空间数据之间由于软件接口、数据格式的不同,很难做到数据和应用的集成,影响了地理空间数据的共享和互操作.本文结合ISM关于地理空间数据组织与管理的思路.提出地理空间数据共享与互操作的解决方案.     

地理信息公共服务平台数据更新技术——以数字沈阳地理空间框架为例

结合沈阳市地理信息公共服务平台数据更新项目,研究地理共享平台数据的更新方式、更新技术以及更新发布一体化流程等关键技术。采用增量更新技术矢量数据,基于历史要素与现势要素节点、分线段的位置关系,检测并提取数据库中更新的要素;利用分词检测方法检测地名信息的匹配度,进行地名数据的更新;基于地名与路网数据,对公交数据进行检测、采集、优化等流程,完成公交数据的更新;并建立平台数据更新与发布一体化流程。经过作业流程控制与编写辅助程序,极大提高数据更新的速度与质量控制水平。     

Geospatial data infrastructure for sustainable development in sub-Saharan countries

Abstract

People are now using geoinformation for many different purposes and consequently one can confidently say that the need for geospatial data infrastructure (GDI) cannot be overstated in sub-Saharan Africa. Geospatial information (GI) is essential to socio-economic planning and development of sub-Sahara African countries. This paper therefore examines: GI during the last centuries in sub-Sahara Africa; recent paradigms in GDI in sub-Sahara Africa; the benefit of GDI to the African economy and the future of GDI in sub-Sahara Africa. This study discovered that most countries in sub-Saharan Africa did not have timely access to accurate geospatial data throughout the last centuries. This significantly hindered meaningful social and economic development. Development of GDI nonetheless, will enhance search and retrieval of geospatial data in Africa. This is one of the benefits that can be derived from implementing GDI in sub-Sahara Africa. Therefore, it is necessary to review cadastral survey laws and regulations so as to incorporate the use of recent geospatial equipment.     

Developing interactive geospatial holograms for spatial decision-making

Spatial decision-making in time-critical situations requires effective and usable two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) cartographic products. Holographic displays allow decision makers to work with auto-stereoscopic maps without the hassle of interacting with complex user interfaces or additional vision hardware. Holographic production processes have advanced greatly in a short period and now support timely and full integration of digital 3D models in geospatial holograms. George Mason University’s and Zebra Imaging’s research on interactive holographic motion displays showcases the leadership in moving cartography and geovisualization research in the US forward. In close cooperation with academic researchers, decision makers, and domain experts, the usability and usefulness of these cartographic products is tested and design guidelines for effective geospatial holograms are being developed.     

Harmonisation requirements and capabilities towards a European spatial data infrastructure (ESDI): the HUMBOLDT protected areas scenario

Abstract

The HUMBOLDT project has the aim of implementing a Framework for harmonisation of data and services in the geoinformation domain, under the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive and in the context of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Initiative. The two-pronged approach of HUMBOLDT comprises a technical side of software framework development and an application side of scenario testing and validation. Among the HUMBOLDT Application Scenarios designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Framework there is the one covering Protected Areas themes and use cases. It aims to transform geoinformation, managed by park authorities, into a seamless flow that combines multiple information sources from different governance levels (European, national, regional), and exploits this newly combined information for the purposes of planning, management and tourism promotion. The Scenario constitutes a step further towards the integration of monitoring systems envisaged in the view of Digital Earth. Protected Areas Scenario creates an examples of the use of the HUMBOLDT tools in Desktop and Web GIS environment, together with setting up a server environment exploiting HUMBOLDT harmonisation framework as taking into account user requirements and needs and providing benefits for making the road to ESDI establishment easier.     

Choosing pasture maps: An assessment of pasture land classification definitions and a case study of Brazil

Pasture land occupies extensive areas and is increasingly of interest for sustainable intensification, land use diversification, greenhouse gas emission mitigation, and bioenergy expansion. Accurate maps of pasture and other managed land covers are needed for monitoring, intercomparison, assessing potential uses, and planning. Yet, land maps can be generated from different types of classification datasets – i.e. as a land use or land cover type – as well as different sources. In this study our aim was to assess and compare land use and land cover definitions for pasture, and examine variability in the resulting pasture land classification maps. First, we conducted a review of pasture definitions in commonly used mapping databases. We then performed a case study involving Brazil, a dominant global producer of pasture-based livestock. Six geospatial databases were harmonized and compared to each other and to MODIS land cover for Brazil including the Cerrado and Amazon biomes, which are internationally recognized for their ecological value. Total pasture area estimates for Brazil ranged by a factor greater than four, from about 430,000 km² to over 1.7 million km². Our analysis showed high variability in pasture land maps depending on the definitions, methods and underlying datasets used to generate them. The results are illustrative of a symptomatic problem for all manage land datasets, demonstrating the need for land categories studies and geospatial data resources that fully define land terms and describe measurable management attributes. Additionally, the suitability of individual geospatial datasets for different types of land mapping must be better described and reported. These recommendations would help bring more consistency in the consideration of managed lands in research, reporting, and policy development, as demonstrated here for pasture land using six case study datasets from multiple sources.     

政务地理空间大数据研究进展综述

近年来,地理空间大数据引起了产学研及政府部门的高度关注,甚至引发了许多变革。面向电子政务的地理空间大数据技术为政府信息管理和决策提供了新的手段。本文在阐述政务地理空间大数据的内涵及特点的基础上,重点梳理了政务地理空间大数据处理的关键技术,包括政务地理空间大数据整合、存储与管理、挖掘与分析、可视化以及决策支持服务技术,最后分析了当前和未来政务地理空间大数据所面临的机遇和挑战。     

Cartographica incognita: ‘Dijital Jedis’, Satellite Salvation and the Mysteries of the ‘Missing Maps’

Like Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) and Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) crowdsourced collaborative mapping is often imagined as an alternative to conventional cartographic practice. This paper examines collaborative mapping projects designed to assist in humanitarian work and respond to catastrophes. These projects, their technological complexity and wide range of collaborators, including affected locals, international Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and anonymous online contributors, invite closer consideration. In this article I unpick the gnarly question of how the remote sourcing of information through cloud collaboration and satellite imagery jostles with grounded work encouraging local control of local geoinformation. My critical analysis of these projects explores: (1) justifications for action – what is being promised through digital mapping as aid or satellite salvation?; (2) forms of participation – the role of ‘hotties’ ‘nodders’ and ‘digital jedis’; and (3) contingencies of mapping practices and the assemblages of actors within which they are embedded – as the mysteries of the ‘missing maps’. The conclusion considers differing approaches towards the inclusion of local knowledges within participatory digital aid mapping and identifies remote mapping practices that are both incognito and incognisant.     

Community Geography: Addressing Barriers in Public Participation GIS

Early advocates of Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) envisioned a future in which members of the public (broadly) and members of marginalized communities (specifically) would utilize geographic information and spatial technologies to affect positive change within their communities. Yet in spite of the emergence and success of PPGIS, open source geospatial tools, and the geoweb, access barriers recognized by proponents of PPGIS in the mid-1990s persist. As a result, PPGIS facilitators continue to be instrumental in addressing access barriers to geospatial technologies among resource poor organizations and marginalized groups. ‘Community geography’, is a growing area of academic geography that leverages university community partnerships to facilitate access to spatial technology, data, and analysis. Experiences from community geography programmes at three universities (Chicago State University, Syracuse University, and Columbus State University) demonstrate the benefits and challenges of a facilitated model of PPGIS.     

Harnessing the power of immersive virtual reality - visualization and analysis of 3D earth science data sets

ABSTRACT

The availability and quantity of remotely sensed and terrestrial geospatial data sets are on the rise. Historically, these data sets have been analyzed and quarried on 2D desktop computers; however, immersive technologies and specifically immersive virtual reality (iVR) allow for the integration, visualization, analysis, and exploration of these 3D geospatial data sets. iVR can deliver remote and large-scale geospatial data sets to the laboratory, providing embodied experiences of field sites across the earth and beyond. We describe a workflow for the ingestion of geospatial data sets and the development of an iVR workbench, and present the application of these for an experience of Iceland’s Thrihnukar volcano where we: (1) combined satellite imagery with terrain elevation data to create a basic reconstruction of the physical site; (2) used terrestrial LiDAR data to provide a geo-referenced point cloud model of the magmatic-volcanic system, as well as the LiDAR intensity values for the identification of rock types; and (3) used Structure-from-Motion (SfM) to construct a photorealistic point cloud of the inside volcano. The workbench provides tools for the direct manipulation of the georeferenced data sets, including scaling, rotation, and translation, and a suite of geometric measurement tools, including length, area, and volume. Future developments will be inspired by an ongoing user study that formally evaluates the workbench’s mature components in the context of fieldwork and analyses activities.     

Hypercube-Based Visualization Architecture for Web-Based Environmental Geospatial Information Systems

The geospatial field significantly influences the development of the environmental domain, including a wide range of geospatial and cartographic information systems, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Multimedia Atlas Information Systems (MAIS) and more recently web-based GIS (Web-GIS). In this context, we introduce web-based environmental geospatial information systems (Web-EGIS) as a special case of Web-GIS, aiming to integrate the functionalities of geospatial information systems with the enormous quantity of specialized, distributed and highly heterogeneous environmental geo-referenced data and services. We define three main characteristics of the Web-EGIS. The first is a generic hypercube-based data organization and visualization. The next characteristic is a standard-based, three-tier service-oriented architecture. The third and last characteristic is the traceability of the architectural and design decisions, for which we introduce the new concept of an ‘Environmental Application Context’, arguing that not only the functional but also the non-functional requirements (NFRs) have an important role in defining the architecture, software components and data services of such systems. In a nutshell, a Web-EGIS is characterized by a coherent user experience through the hypercube-based visualization concept, technically supported by a service-oriented architecture that is structured according to an extensive analysis of NFRs. On this basis, we introduce the Geodata visualization and interactive training environment (GeoVITe) Platform for Interdisciplinary Environmental Research as a reference implementation of a Web-EGIS with its basic design requirements, integrative hypercube-based visualization for heterogeneous data sources, extended web cartography functionalities, and its de facto system architecture. The concept of the hypercube-based visualization is better transferred to the system architecture by understanding the ‘Environmental Application Context’ of this particular Web-EGIS, which also makes it easier to maintain and enhance. The resulting system is a support platform for research activities in the environmental domain.