Using geolifespans to model dynamic geographic domains

Geographic objects are characterized by having different durations of existence, or geolifespans. A typology based on the concept of a geolifespan is developed to model variations in the longevity of entities that are stored in geographic information systems. The typology consists of two upper-level classes: Persistent and Ephemeral. The Ephemeral class is composed of three subclasses: Temporary, Transient and Brief. The set of possible transitions between classes in the typology is described, capturing how objects can change from one class to another, e.g., from Temporary to Brief or from Transient to Persistent. A transition sequence models the geolifespan class(es) to which an object belongs over a period of time and captures the evolution of dynamic geographic objects with respect to their longevity. Geolifespan classes are applied to scenarios of spatial change as well as a geosensor network to illustrate their role in modelling geographic dynamics.