Geographic Information Resources Research Articles

Technical Framework and Preliminary Practices of Global Geographic Information Resource Construction

Abstract. High-precision and real-time global geographic information data are fundamental and strategic resources in various fields such as safeguarding global strategic interests, studying global environmental changes, and planning for sustainable development. However, due to challenges related to ground control and obtaining reference information, the development of global geographic information resources faces significant hurdles in terms of geometric positioning, information extraction, and data mining. This paper starts with the characteristics of domestically produced remote sensing images and proposes a comprehensive technical framework centered around "uncontrolled geometric positioning, intelligent interpretation of typical elements, mining of multi-source data from abroad, and intelligent hybrid collection and compilation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)." The paper elaborates on the key technical challenges that need to be overcome and their corresponding solutions. It also outlines the development of relevant data products and production technical specifications. Multiple production-oriented software tools were developed, leading to the creation of a variety of data products in multiple types and scales, including global 30-meter land cover data, DEM data, core vector data, and more.

Enhanced multiobjective optimizer for GIS-based siting of solar PV plants in Red Sea Governorate, Egypt

Choosing a suitable location for solar photovoltaic (PV) plants depends on several conflicted selection criteria such as technical, economical, and social restrictions. For handling such a problem, this paper proposes two Computational Intelligence (CI) based frameworks called Genetic Algorithm with Repairing operator (GAR) and Map-Reduce-based Genetic Algorithm with a Repair operator (MRGAR). The governorate of the Red Sea in Egypt is selected as a case study which is a privileged area for harvesting solar energy. Firstly, all gathered maps and geographic information resources are manipulated. Secondly, the regarded problem is formulated as a binary-constrained multiobjective optimization problem. Finally, this problem is solved with two proposed frameworks and the results are simulated. The experimental results conclude that both frameworks are efficient for solving the regarded site selection problem. However, GAR and MRGAR have diversified performances. In particular, the percentage of gathered solar energy of GAR is better than MRGAR whereas MRGAR is significantly faster than GAR. Therefore, MRGAR is recommended to deal with large-scale problems.

Geospatial factors of the organization of sustainable forest management

The paper analyzes the importance of the geospatial factor in the development and transformation of the forest complex of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation over the past century, as well as the conditions that ensure the implementation of the sustainable development of the country’s forest territories. Based on a detailed analysis of the factors affecting the sustainability of forest management in the country, the authors conclude that the geospatial characteristics of the territory used in forestry are a key factor. It is also emphasized that the successful consideration of the geospatial characteristics of forest areas has always been associated with the availability of labor resources that ensured the maximum use of the geospatial and environmental properties of the territory. Among the main reasons of modern problems in the development of forest management, there is a lack of the necessary territorial infrastructure, as well as information on the ecological state of forest areas. The paper indicates the need to form modern geographic information resources as the basis of the forest industry. It also shows that the implementation of the forest management system should be carried out in close connection with the land use and land management system as the basis for the sustainable development of the natural and ecological framework of the state, while digitalization, which is currently actively developing in the country, should be one of the key tools that will provide the forestry complex of the Russian Federation with reliable and operational information. The paper highlights the need to create a new legislative framework that allows regulating forestry on a conceptually new basis of forest management, based on the principles of environmental and economic balance, ensuring the sustainability of the development of this most important sector of the country, as well as the need to strengthen the role of the state in forest management on the basis of a planned system for regulating forest consumption, including strengthening control functions that prevent illegal trafficking in forest products and its theft. Based on the analysis of project documents and state programs, other justified recommendations and proposals are also given to solve a number of current problems of the Russian timber industry in the framework of the implementation of the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Rural Territories of the Russian Federation for the Period until 2030.

RESEARCH ON QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF GLOBELAND30 UPDATE DATA

Abstract. GlobeLand30 update data is one of the important products of the Construction Maintenance and Update of Geographic Information Resources Project (hereinafter referred to as the Update Project). It provides important basic information for national geographical conditions monitoring, eco-environmental assessment and global geographic information integrated services. Different from the land cover classification data in National Geoinformation Surveying and Monitoring Project, GlobeLand30 update data is a completely new type of scientific research outcomes with new setup of resolution, its data format and data structure are newly set according to the requirements of the Update Project. Therefore, current inspecting methods are of limitations and incompatibility and cannot be firmly reasonable for inspecting the accuracy of GlobeLand30 update data. Combining with the practice of quality control for the Update Project, this paper proposes a set of methods and processes for the quality inspection of the GlobeLand30 update data. It also summarizes the key points of its inspection and analyses the common errors found in the actual inspection practice of the Update Project from 2017 to 2018. It can provide a certain technical reference for the quality control and quality improvement of GlobeLand30 update data in the Update Project.

An image cube subscription service prototype based on 3D topological relationship and its case study

The normalization, standardization and unification of GIS image cube services support the effective sharing of geographic information data, solve problems of incompatibility and non-uniformity of image cube data services, significantly improve the sharing and socialized use of geographic information resources, and promote the development of digital earth. By reviewing and comparing various geographic information subscription and service standards in the mainstream of GIS industry, this study analyzed requirements of standardized GIS image cube data subscription services, proposed a standardized subscription service prototype considering relationships among three-dimensional entities, and explored an industrial application implementation mechanism according to case demands of specific fields.

ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF SRTM3 DEM AND ASTER GDEM V2

Abstract. Global Geographic Information Resources Construction and Maintenance Renewal Project is in urgent need of digital elevation model worldwide. At present, the errors of ASTER GDEMv2 and SRTM3 DEM data widely used are unevenly distributed. In this paper, high-precision and high-resolution WorldDEM data are taken as true values, and flat areas in Turkey and alpine region in Nepal are selected respectively as two test areas A and B. The vertical accuracy of ASTER GDEMv2 and SRTM3 DEM data is verified and compared by using DEM elevation difference numerical analysis, spatial differentiation analysis, slope spectrum curve and other methods. The results show that the two digital elevation models in flat terrain conform to the nominal accuracy, and the vertical accuracy of SRTM3 DEM has an advantage, while the vertical accuracy of ASTER GDEMv2 in high elevation area with large terrain fluctuation is obviously higher than that of SRTM3 DEM , and the area of SRTM3 DEM data accuracy exceeding nominal accuracy is larger. On this basis, the applicability of the two kinds of DEM is analyzed. It is concluded that SRTM3 DEM data with better accuracy should be selected in low altitude plain areas, ASTER GDEM data with higher resolution should be given priority in hilly areas with complex terrain and high mountain areas with severe topographic fluctuations, and ASTER GDEM data can be used to supplement the uncovered areas of SRTM3 DEM。In addition, in areas with high vegetation coverage, the accuracy of the two data is greatly affected, which can be supplemented by ICESAT/GLAS and ICESAT2/GLAS data with strong vegetation penetration ability. The results can provide scientific basis and data support for global space information projects.

Самые крупные озера Курильских островов: морфометрия и географическое распределение (материалы к базе данных)

The work presents modern data on the location, morphometry, and genesis of the largest lakes basins of the Kuril Islands obtained in the volcanological expeditions of the IMGG FEB RAS during 2005– 2018 and using open geographic information resources. 1099 lakes were sampled according to the criterion S ≥ 1 km², the list of studied objects included 20 reservoirs, represented by 7 volcanic and 13 lagoon lakes. The considered lakes are clearly divided according to their origin, area and height of the mirror, and maximum depth. The most part of large lakes falls on the Southern Kurils, and the largest water body – the volcanic lake Koltsevoe – is located on Onekotan Island, which is a part of the group of the Northern Kurils. Volcanic lakes occupy an area of 48.26 km² (60 % of the total area of 20 lakes), the depth varies in the range from several tens to several hundred meters. This category of lakes is characterized by relatively high levels of the mirror, which range from 50 to 648 m above sea level. Lagoon lakes occupy an area of 32.15 km² (40 % of the total area of 20 lakes), the depth of water bodies is small – from 1 to 23 m, the absolute height of the lake mirror is from 1–5 to 8–9 m.

Геоінформаційна система моніторингу техногенної безпеки закладів освіти м. Жовті Води

The purpose of the work is to substantiate and develop technical bases for ensuring the protection of the population and territories and dangerous processes that may lead to the threat or occurrence of emergencies through the use of modern geographic information systems for emergency monitoring. Method. Methods of analysis and generalization of separate researches in the field of technogenic safety monitoring of, information systems and geoinformation modeling were used for development of system of organizational and organizational-technical measures directed on maintenance of technogenic safety of the inhabited cities in the conditions of changes of their building. Results. The generalization of the content, features and tasks of geoinformation monitoring of technogenic safety is made, the concept of creation of geoinformation system is developed, the structure and features of functioning of its separate blocks are described. A geoinformation system for monitoring the technogenic safety of educational institutions in Zhovti Vody has been developed, a geoinformation model of sanitary protection zones of the city has been created to identify the impact on land use of educational institutions, which allows to quickly predict the development of possible emergencies taking into account spatial data. Scientific novelty. The choice of indicators for assessing the microclimate in functional zones, the impact of potentially dangerous objects and their sanitary protection zones on the territory of educational institutions is substantiated, the geoinformation technology of monitoring of technogenic safety of educational institutions is developed. Practical significance. It is determined by the development of practical methods of creating a system of organizational and technical measures aimed at ensuring man-made safety of settlements in terms of changes in their development using GIS emergency monitoring, formation of geographic information resources for man-made safety monitoring on the example of educational institutions in Zhovti Vody.

Technologies for Creating Geographic Information Resources for Monitoring the Socio-Ecological Conditions of Cities

Geo-information resources have been developed for monitoring socio-ecological conditions (using the example of cities in Central Russia). The technologies of the developed GIS allow to take into account the variability of scale, the transformation of cartographic projections, changing the composition of the mapped objects, the formation of queries in numerous databases in real time, variations in the ways of displaying objects. The developed GIS system consists of hierarchically subordinate database sections and thematic cartographic tools reflecting the natural resource potential, the socio-economic and environmental-hygienic situation in the cities of Central Russia.

A semi-automated workflow for processing historic aerial photography

Abstract. Libraries, museums and archives were the original big geospatial information repositories that to this day house thousands to millions of resources containing research-quality geographic information. However, these print resources (and their digital surrogates), are not easily incorporated into the contemporary research process because they are not structured data that is required of web-mapping and geographic information system tools. Fortunately, contemporary big data tools and methods can help with the large-scale conversion of historic resources into structured datasets for mapping and spatial analysis.Single frame historic aerial photographs captured originally on film (hereafter “photographs”), are some of the most ubiquitous and information-rich geographic information resources housed in libraries, museums and archives. Photographs authentically encoded information about past places and time-periods without the thematic focus and cartographic generalization of historic print maps. As such, they contain important information in nearly every category of base mapping (i.e. transportation networks, populated places etc.), that is useful to a broad spectrum of research projects and other applications. Photographs are also some of the most frustrating historic resources to use due to their very large map-scale (i.e. small geographic area), lack of reference information and often unknown metadata (i.e. index map, flight altitude, direction etc.).The capture of aerial photographs in the contiguous United States (U.S.) became common in the 1920s and was formalized in government programs to systematically photograph the nation at regular time intervals beginning in the 1930s. Many of these photography programs continued until the 1990s meaning that there are approximately 70 years of “data” available for the U.S. that is currently underutilized due to inaccessibility and the challenges of converting photographs to structured data. Large collections of photographs include government (e.g. the U.S. Department of Agriculture Aerial Photography Field Office “The Vault” – over 10 million photographs), educational (e.g. the University of California Santa Barbara Library – approximately 2.5 million photographs), and an unknown number non-governmental organizations (e.g. numerous regional planning commissions and watershed conservation groups). Collectively these photography resources constitute an untapped big geospatial data resource.U.S. government photography programs such as the National Agricultural Imagery Program continued and expanded in the digital age (i.e. post early 2000s), so that not only is there opportunity to extend spatial analyses back in time, but also to create seamless datasets that integrate with current and expected future government aerial photography campaigns. What is more, satellite imagery sensors have improved to the point that there is now overlap between satellite imagery and aerial photography in terms of many of their technical specifications (i.e. spatial resolution etc.). The remote capture of land surface imagery is expanding rapidly and with it are new opportunities to explore long-term land-change analyses that require historical datasets.Manual methods to process photographs are well-known, but are too labour intensive to apply to entire photography collections. Academic research on methods to increase the discoverability of photographs and convert them to geospatial data at large-scale has to date been limited (although see the work of W. Karel et al.). This presentation details a semi-automated workflow to process historic aerial photographs from U.S. government sources and compares the workflow and results to existing methods and datasets. In a pilot test area of 94 photographs in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the workflow was found to be nearly 100-times more efficient than commonly employed alternatives while achieving greater horizontal positional accuracy. Results compared favourably to contemporary digital aerial photography data products, suggesting that they are well-suited for integration with contemporary datasets. Finally, initial results of the workflow were incorporated into several existing online discovery and sharing platforms that will be highlighted in this presentation. Early online usage statistics as well as direct interaction with users demonstrates the broad interest and high-impact of photographs and their derived products (i.e. structured geospatial data).

Research on Deep Web POI Acquisition based on Retrieving Word Optimization and Spatial Adaption

Abstract. POI data is a geographical information resource that is the most closely related to the public life, and has been successfully applied in various fields such as urban planning, urban logistics, and car navigation. With the development of technologies such as mobile networks and Internet of Things, the network contains a large number of high-value POI information resources. How to effectively acquire and utilize data resources has become a research hotspot in the field of spatial information. In this paper, a deep-web POI information search method based on independent coverage ranking and spatial adaptive partition is proposed to solve the problems of difficult construction of retrieval word base and limited data request. By constructing candidate search terms, searching greedily, optimizing dimensionality reduction of search terms, and crawling spatially adaptive partitioning, the maximum coverage optimal solution of POI search is approached step by step, and the full POI information of deep web is obtained. It is of great significance to improve the recall rate and collection efficiency of POI data for enriching geographic information resources and improving the ability of spatial information service and content management.

The Platform for Cybertaxonomy: Standards, services and tools

The Platform for Cybertaxonomy (http://www.cybertaxonomy.org) is a standards-based open-source software framework covering the breadth of the taxonomic workflow, from fieldwork to publication (Ciardelli et al. 2009). It provides coupled tools for full, customized access to taxonomic data, editing and management, and collaborative team work. At the core of the platform is the Common Data Model (CDM, Müller et al. 2017), offering a comprehensive information model covering all relevant data domains: names and classifications, descriptive data (morphological and molecular), media, geographic information, literature, specimens, types, persons, and external resources. Platform compliant software interacts via services and includes the following components: CDM Server Taxonomic Editor Rich Client Web-based editors Drupal-based and highly configurable portal software Map services and map viewer Xper2 descriptive data editor Specimen search tool Import and export modules CDM Server Taxonomic Editor Rich Client Web-based editors Drupal-based and highly configurable portal software Map services and map viewer Xper2 descriptive data editor Specimen search tool Import and export modules Recent platform-based developments include software components for deriving formal species-level descriptions from measurements on individual specimens (Henning et al. 2018) as well as a registration system for nomenclatural acts of algae (Phycobank, https://www.phycobank.org/). Currently, about 30 portals with regional and taxonomic foci are using the Platform for Cybertaxonomy as their technical basis for capturing, managing, and publishing biodiversity data over the World Wide Web. Prominent examples are the Euro+Med Plantbase, the International Caryophyllales Network, and the Flora of Greece.

Geographic Information Metadata—An Outlook from the International Standardization Perspective

Geographic information metadata provides a detailed description of geographic information resources. Well before digital data emerged, metadata were shown in the margins of paper maps to inform the reader of the name of the map, the scale, the orientation of the magnetic North, the projection used, the coordinate systems, the legend, and so on. Metadata were used to communicate practical information for the proper use of maps. When geographic information entered the digital era with geographic information systems, metadata was also collected digitally to describe datasets and the dataset collections for various purposes. Initially, metadata were collected and saved in digital files by data producers for their own specific needs. The sharing of geographic datasets that required producers to provide metadata with the dataset to guide proper use of the dataset—map scale, data sources, extent, datum, coordinate reference system, etc. Because of issues with sharing and no common understanding of metadata requirements, the need for metadata standardization was recognized by the geographic information community worldwide. The ISO technical committee 211 was created in 1994 with the scope of standardization in the field of digital geographic information to support interoperability. In the early years of the committee, standardization of metadata was initiated for different purposes, which culminated in the ISO 19115:2003 standard. Now, there are many ISO Geographic information standards that covers the various aspect of geographic information metadata. This paper traces an illustration of the development and evolution of the requirements and international standardization activities of geographic information metadata standards, profiles and resources, and how these attest to facilitating the discovery, evaluation, and appropriate use of geographic information in various contexts.

A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM SUPPORTING GEOSPATIAL COLLABORATION FOR GIS EDUCATION

Abstract. GIS-related education needs support of geo-data and geospatial software. Although there are large amount of geographic information resources distributed on the web, the discovery, process and integration of these resources are still unsolved. Researchers and teachers always searched geo-data by common search engines but results were not satisfied. They also spent much money and energy on purchase and maintenance of various kinds of geospatial software. Aimed at these problems, a cloud-based geospatial collaboration platform called GeoSquare was designed and implemented. The platform serves as a geoportal encouraging geospatial data, information, and knowledge sharing through highly interactive and expressive graphic interfaces. Researchers and teachers can solve their problems effectively in this one-stop solution. Functions, specific design and implementation details are presented in this paper. Site of GeoSquare is: http://geosquare.tianditu.com/

Design of 3D Digital Earth Resource Mapping System

In order to organize and manage the heterogeneous and volume geographic information resources efficiently for a 3D Digital Earth platform, this paper designs the Resource Mapping System (RMS) and implements it in the Henu Digit Earth (HDE) platform. And the framework and key technologies of the RMS are also discussed.

RSSI Enhanced Microkernel-Based LBS Design

Geographical Information System (GIS) always plays an integral role in LBS systems. But it comes with technology problems, such as less flexible, low efficiency, no redundancy of existing geographic information of application configuration which has high entry cost. At same time, indoors positioning is attracting more and more attention from research domain where GPS-like systems do not work. By RSSI location fingerprint data that sampling from the actual WSN environment, this article analyzed RF signal propagation characteristics in indoor from the point of view of the indoor positioning, and analyzed some factors that may affect the positioning error, which provided a theoretical basis for the positioning algorithm design and positioning system deployment. The aim of this paper is also to present a lightweight, efficient and scalable microkernel plug-in geospatial information application system and its implementation method for GIS in LBS design and practice. In this paper a software model called Resource loading manager (RLM) is designed. Through the RLM efficient allocation of geographic information resources and security management could be achieved.

A model driven approach for the development of metadata editors, applicability to the annotation of geographic information resources

Metadata are a key element for the development of information infrastructures because they facilitate the semantic description of contents and services. However, the diversity and heterogeneity of metadata standards have become a barrier for the generation of these metadata. Many metadata editors are not useful anymore because they do not support the latest version of metadata standards or the new profiles arisen in the market. Thus, this work proposes a model driven approach for the development of metadata editors, more focused on the generic treatment of metadata models than on the development of specific edition forms for a reduced set of metadata standards. This approach has been tested in the context of Spatial Data Infrastructures for the development of an Open Source tool called CatMDEdit. Additionally, the approach could be also applied to improve the efficiency of any metadata editor using a metamodeling development strategy.

Building and Application of GIS Platform in the Provincial Disaster Relief and Emergency Command System

Sichuan is one of the provinces in China with worst natural disasters, which with variety, wide range, and high frequency characteristics. In this paper against the basic geographic information system data and a variety of geographic applications, we design a provincial disaster relief and emergency command GIS platform, and build integration geographic information online service system based on multi-node. This design of GIS emergency command system achieved vertical and horizontal connectivity and effective integration of geographic information resources for city, provincial, and state. It with comprehensive service capabilities of geographic information service and multi-level interact. It also provides one-stop geographic information service. It offers online geographic information services for the government's macroeconomic policy, emergency management, and social welfare services, and enhances geographic information and public service capacity and level under conditions of informatization.

High-Resolution Inventory of Japanese Anthropogenic Mercury Emissions

Heavy metals like mercury that are emitted into the environment remain there indefinitely, posing a long-term threat to both the environment and human health. Elemental mercury is volatile and is in gaseous form, and because of the long residence time, transported over long distances. Comprehensive control of mercury emissions therefore remains an important international issue. The crucial steps for designing effective approaches for such control include the quantification of mercury emissions by sources and the identification of geographical characteristics of the emissions. In this study a detailed, high-resolution inventory of Japanese mercury emissions in 2005 was developed to improve understanding of their geographical distribution. Proceeding from a national emissions inventory per source category, emissions were spatially allocated with increasing geographical resolution in a stepwise procedure using statistics from geographic information resources, yielding mercury emissions per prefecture, per municipality and per grid cell of approximately 1 × 1 km. The five prefectures with the highest emissions were Fukuoka, Yamaguchi, Hyogo, Oita, and Hokkaido, accounting for 35.2% of all emissions. In each prefecture a small number of municipalities account for a major share of emissions. Distribution by grid cell is characterized by a concentration of 50% of all emissions in a mere 32 of the 255 954 grid cells over which emissions are distributed in this study. It was also quantitatively confirmed that use of larger grid cells leads to greater uncertainty in emissions distribution. Problems with data collection are clarified and measures to improve the accuracy of future estimation are proposed.

Cartographic Encounters at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Geographic Information System Center of Calculation

The centering processes of geographic information system (GIS) development at the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was an extension of past cartographic encounters with American Indians through the central control of geospatial technologies, uneven development of geographic information resources, and extension of technically dependent clientele. Cartographic encounters included the historical exchanges of geographic information between indigenous people and non-Indians in North America. Scientists and technicians accumulated geographic information at the center of calculation where scientific maps, models, and simulations emerged. A study of GIS development at the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs will demonstrate some centering processes.