Temporal Geographic Information System Research Articles

Visualization of Transit Mobility and Performance

The visualization of a transit mobility model is presented in this article. The method described shows transit system capacity and utilization by area and time of day using ride-check data as a proxy for real-time information. It indicates how public transportation resources can be used in a more efficient and effective manner.The visualization process requires the creation of a time/location data matrix of the variable to be analyzed and the linking of the performance measure to spatial data. This creates a temporal Geographic Information System (GIS) platform for the entire transit system or systems at the regional level. The GIS is “animated” to show snapshots of the system in sequence for the entire day. It serves as a powerful tool to evaluate bus route performance.The visual display of transit system utilization facilitates the assessment of where, when, and what type of resources should be allocated to maximize transit utilization at the lowest possible cost. It also can serve as a graphical tool to inform the public and policy-makers about transit system performance. Different demand markets for transit (rail, bus fixed-route, shuttles, community circulators, vanpools, etc.) can be appraised and the effectiveness of current transit in serving these markets can be visualized. The method can be used to show where service can be allocated, thus enhancing the mobility of transit systems.This article seeks to visualize the utilization of transit resources. Ideally, the mechanics of transportation system design and supply would be subject to continuous evaluation and refinement using an integrated scheme of automatic vehicle locators (AVLs), automatic passenger counters, and automated fare collection equipment. Currently, most transit agencies do not have this technology and rely instead on manual or semiautomated ride checks collected periodically. In lieu of real-time data, it is generally agreed that a ride check provides the most comprehensive set of data for operational and transit planning purposes. The methodology proposed in this article uses the ride check to visualize transit system performance by time of day and geographic area.

TENDÊNCIA DE COBERTURA E USO DO SOLO PARA A BACIA DE SEPETIBA: NOVOS ELEMENTOS PARA O PLANEJAMENTO AMBIENTAL E A GESTÃO DO TERRITÓRIO

O tempo é uma das categorias fundamentais para a Geografia, afinal é a partir dele que se compreendem os processos de organização do território, bem como dos problemas ambientais, portanto, elemento peremptório para a gestão do território e o planejamento ambiental. O presente artigo tem como objetivo avaliar as mudanças de cobertura e uso do solo na bacia da Baía de Sepetiba, no município de Rio de Janeiro, oferecendo, a partir de uma metodologia baseada em um Sistema de Informação Geográfica Temporal (SIGT), uma perspectiva de análise que combina o tempo passado (2004), presente (2013) e futuro (tendencial). Através da metodologia aplicada foi possível constatar o intenso padrão de conversão de cobertura e uso do solo para a bacia, explicado, sobretudo, pelo desenvolvimento industrial, orientado pelo Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC), bem como, a ocupação residencial de classe baixa e média, sobretudo, em áreas suscetíveis a enchentes, inundações e deslizamentos, transparecendo os impactos de um ordenamento territorial orientado não pelo poder público, mas pelos agentes produtivos e dinâmica dos megaeventos.

Modeling and Assessment of Land Degradation Vulnerability in Semi-arid Ecosystem of Southern India Using Temporal Satellite Data, AHP and GIS

Globally, land degradation becomes a serious environmental issue in the context of anthropogenic pressure and climate change in the twenty-first century. Modeling and assessment of land degradation vulnerability assume a greater importance especially in the semi-arid ecosystems for sustainable land resource management. Consistent and reliable earth observation satellite datasets, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Geographic Information System (GIS) are the powerful tools to model and assess the land degradation vulnerability. The present study was aimed to model and assess the land degradation vulnerability through analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST), rainfall, terrain characteristics, and pedological parameters by using AHP and GIS in the semi-arid ecosystem of Rayalaseema region of southern India. The NDVI and LST products derived from time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets, rainfall products from Tropical Precipitation Measuring Mission (TRMM), terrain characteristics from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) (30 m), and pedological parameters derived from legacy soil datasets were used in the study. The AHP- and GIS-based modeling shows that about 25.3 and 9.9% of the study area were under high and very high vulnerability to land degradation, respectively. Inadequate rainfall and vegetative cover, high temperature, problematic soils, and lack of adequate conservation measures were found to be the main causative environmental factors for land degradation in the study area. The study clearly demonstrates the potential of AHP- and GIS-based modeling in the assessment of land degradation vulnerability by using the time-series MODIS NDVI- and TRMM-based rainfall products, terrain characteristics, and pedological parameters.

LAND USE CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING USING LANDSAT IMAGERY FOR GIS DATABASE IN LANGKAWI ISLAND

This study examined the land use changes in Langkawi Island for over 12 years. Land use maps were derived by analysing temporally available satellite imageries of that area. Subsequent Landsat imageries of the years 2006, 2014 and 2018 were processed in Environment for Visualising Images (ENVI) software using Normalize Differences Built-Up Index (NDBI) and supervised classification. The land use classes obtained were categorised according to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) land use classification namely URLD, URMD, URHD, FRSE, UINS, UIDU, URTN, RICE, AGRR, and WATR. The analysis of the land use maps provides a comparison for the area of land use class around Langkawi Island based on the Rancangan Kawasan Khas 2020 (RKK). This study will give an overview of the stakeholder on the current land use of Langkawi Island for future land use planning. Moreover, the land use map generated in this study can be used as a functional land use input for the SWAT model and provide a temporal Geographic Information System (GIS) database on the land use of the Langkawi Island.

INTERACT: A comprehensive approach to assess urban form interventions through natural experiments

BackgroundUrban form interventions can result in positive and negative impacts on physical activity, social participation, and well-being, and inequities in these outcomes. Natural experiment studies can advance our understanding of causal effects and processes related to urban form interventions. The INTErventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) is a pan-Canadian collaboration of interdisciplinary scientists, urban planners, and public health decision makers advancing research on the design of healthy and sustainable cities for all. Our objectives are to use natural experiment studies to deliver timely evidence about how urban form interventions influence health, and to develop methods and tools to facilitate such studies going forward.MethodsINTERACT will evaluate natural experiments in four Canadian cities: the Arbutus Greenway in Vancouver, British Columbia; the All Ages and Abilities Cycling Network in Victoria, BC; a new Bus Rapid Transit system in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and components of the Sustainable Development Plan 2016–2020 in Montreal, Quebec, a plan that includes urban form changes initiated by the city and approximately 230 partnering organizations. We will recruit a cohort of between 300 and 3000 adult participants, age 18 or older, in each city and collect data at three time points. Participants will complete health and activity space surveys and provide sensor-based location and physical activity data. We will conduct qualitative interviews with a subsample of participants in each city. Our analysis methods will combine machine learning methods for detecting transportation mode use and physical activity, use temporal Geographic Information Systems to quantify changes to urban intervention exposure, and apply analytic methods for natural experiment studies including interrupted time series analysis.DiscussionINTERACT aims to advance the evidence base on population health intervention research and address challenges related to big data, knowledge mobilization and engagement, ethics, and causality. We will collect ~ 100 TB of sensor data from participants over 5 years. We will address these challenges using interdisciplinary partnerships, training of highly qualified personnel, and modern methodologies for using sensor-based data.

SU133AKT1 GENE AND CANNABIS USE: ANALYSIS OF MODERATION EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN NON-CLINICAL SUBJECTS

Distinguished from mathematical modeling of space and time, a Geographic Information Science (GIScience) approach addresses conceptualization, representation, and database modeling of reality to support spatiotemporal query and analysis in Geographic Information Systems (GISs). Much GIScience progress in space–time modeling parallels to the development of database management; however, the added complexity of geographic properties and structures presents a wide range of challenges to properly and sufficiently conceptualize space and time in geographic worlds and to implement the conceptualization in a GIS environment. The fundamental question of what constitutes a geographic object and how to recognize and handle the persistency of the same object in GIS databases is nontrivial in GIScience. Each approach to space–time modeling of geographic information has strengths and weaknesses. Similar to the handling of time in database systems, space–time modeling in GIScience employs the concepts of valid time, transaction time, and user-defined time to support historical queries about geographic worlds or database versioning. Furthermore, much research progress contributes to the ontological foundation of space–time and capture events, processes, and dynamics in geographic domains. The existing GIScience developments in space–time modeling provide a fruitful ground for the recent popularity of temporal GIS applications and subserve a sound foundation for future research directions.

TEMPORAL GIS AND SPATIOTEMPORAL DATA SOURCES

The recent technological advances in geospatial data collection have created massive data sets with better spatial and temporal resolution than ever. To properly deal with these data sets, geographical information systems (GIS) must evolve to represent, access, analyze and visualize big spatiotemporal data in an efficient and integrated way. In this paper, we highlight challenges in temporal GIS development and present a proposal to overcome one of them: how to access spatiotemporal data sets from distinct kinds of data sources. Our approach uses Semantic Web techniques and is based on a data model that takes observations as basic units to represent spatiotemporal information from different application domains. We define a RDF vocabulary for describing data sources that store or provide spatiotemporal observations.

A Survey of Modelling Trends in Temporal GIS

The main achievements of spatio-temporal modelling in the field of Geographic Information Science that spans the past three decades are surveyed. This article offers an overview of: (i) the origins and history of Temporal Geographic Information Systems (T-GIS); (ii) relevant spatio-temporal data models proposed; (iii) the evolution of spatio-temporal modelling trends; and (iv) an analysis of the future trends and developments in T-GIS. It also presents some current theories and concepts that have emerged from the research performed, as well as a summary of the current progress and the upcoming challenges and potential research directions for T-GIS. One relevant result of this survey is the proposed taxonomy of spatio-temporal modelling trends, which classifies 186 modelling proposals surveyed from more than 1,450 articles.

Surface deformation monitoring of Sinabung volcano using multi temporal InSAR method and GIS analysis for affected area assessment

Sinabung Volcano which located in northern part of Sumatera island is part of a hundred active volcano in Indonesia. Surface deformation is detected over Sinabung Volcano and surrounded area since the first eruption in 2010 after 400 years long rest. We present multi temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time-series method of ALOS-2 L-band SAR data acquired from December 2014 to July 2017 to reveal surface deformation with high spatial resolution. The method includes focusing the SAR data, generating interferogram and phase unwrapping using SNAPHU tools. The result reveal significant deformation over Sinabung Volcano areas at rates up to 10 cm during observation period and the highest deformation occurs in western part which is trajectory of lava. We concluded the observed deformation primarily caused by volcanic activity respectively after long period of rest. In addition, Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis produces disaster affected areas of Sinabung eruption. GIS is reliable technique to estimate the impact of the hazard scenario to the exposure data and develop scenarios of disaster impacts to inform their contingency and emergency plan. The GIS results include the estimated affected area divided into 3 zones based on pyroclastic lava flow and pyroclastic fall (incandescent rock and ash). The highest impact is occurred in zone II due to many settlements are scattered in this zone. This information will be support stakeholders to take emergency preparation for disaster reduction. The continuation of this high rate of decline tends to endanger the population in next periods.

Monitoring spatio-temporal dynamics of urban and peri-urban landscape using remote sensing and GIS – A case study from Central India

In the study, an attempt has been made to map and monitor spatio-temporal dynamics of urban and peri-urban landscape of Nagpur city, Maharashtra, India using urban plan maps (1936), topographical sheets (1976), temporal Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper data for the years 1991 and 2010. Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) technique has been followed to classify the temporal remote sensing data using eCognition software (Ver 9.8) in conjunction with topographic sheets in Geographic Information System (GIS). The analysis shows that urban area has increased from 2272 ha in 1936 to 17344 ha in 2010, this could be attributed to natural increase in urban population and inward migration from villages to city for better education, employment, recreation and living standards. During the urbanization process, about 2806 ha of land has been converted predominantly from double cropped area and degraded scrublands to housing or industrial needs. Interestingly area under water bodies slightly increased from 0.9 to 1.1 per cent of total geographical area (TGA) during the same period. The analysis of urban sprawl shows that eastern, southern and southwestern part of Nagpur city witnessed significant growth of urban sprawl. The generated spatio-temporal information on urban sprawl could be effectively used to monitor the land use/land cover changes and maintain sustainable urban environment of the Nagpur city. The study demonstrates the potential of temporal satellite data and GIS techniques in analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics of urban and peri-urban landscape for management of land resources on sustainable basis.

The GRASS GIS temporal framework

ABSTRACTThe availability of continental and global-scale spatio-temporal geographical data sets and the requirement to efficiently process, analyse and manage them led to the development of the temporally enabled Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS GIS). We present the temporal framework that extends GRASS GIS with spatio-temporal capabilities. The framework provides comprehensive functionality to implement a full-featured temporal geographic information system (GIS) based on a combined field and object-based approach. A significantly improved snapshot approach is used to manage spatial fields of raster, three-dimensional raster and vector type in time. The resulting timestamped spatial fields are organised in spatio-temporal fields referred to as space-time data sets. Both types of fields are handled as objects in our framework. The spatio-temporal extent of the objects and related metadata is stored in relational databases, thus providing additional functionalities to perform SQL-based analysis. We present our combined field and object-based approach in detail and show the management, analysis and processing of spatio-temporal data sets with complex spatio-temporal topologies. A key feature is the hierarchical processing of spatio-temporal data ranging from topological analysis of spatio-temporal fields over boolean operations on spatio-temporal extents, to single pixel, voxel and vector feature access. The linear scalability of our approach is demonstrated by handling up to 1,000,000 raster layers in a single space-time data set. We provide several code examples to show the capabilities of the GRASS GIS Temporal Framework and present the spatio-temporal intersection of trajectory data which demonstrates the object-based ability of our framework.

DETERMINING SPATIO-TEMPORAL CADASTRAL DATA REQUIREMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OF LADM FOR TURKEY

Nowadays, the nature of land title and cadastral (LTC) data in the Turkey is dynamic from a temporal perspective which depends on the LTC operations. Functional requirements with respect to the characteristics are investigated based upon interviews of professionals in public and private sectors. These are; Legal authorities, Land Registry and Cadastre offices, Highway departments, Foundations, Ministries of Budget, Transportation, Justice, Public Works and Settlement, Environment and Forestry, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Culture and Internal Affairs, State Institute of Statistics (SIS), execution offices, tax offices, real estate offices, private sector, local governments and banks. On the other hand, spatio-temporal LTC data very important component for creating infrastructure of Land Administration Model (LADM). For this reason, spatio-temporal LTC data needs for LADM not only updated but also temporal. The investigations ended up with determine temporal analyses of LTC data, traditional LTC system and tracing temporal analyses in traditional LTC system. In the traditional system, the temporal analyses needed by all these users could not be performed in a rapid and reliable way. The reason for this is that the traditional LTC system is a manual archiving system. The aims and general contents of this paper: (1) define traditional LTC system of Turkey; (2) determining the need for spatio-temporal LTC data and analyses for core domain model for LADM. As a results of temporal and spatio-temporal analysis LTC data needs, new system design is important for the Turkish LADM model. Designing and realizing an efficient and functional Temporal Geographic Information Systems (TGIS) is inevitable for the Turkish LADM core infrastructure. Finally this paper outcome is creating infrastructure for design and develop LADM for Turkey.

DETERMINING SPATIO-TEMPORAL CADASTRAL DATA REQUIREMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OF LADM FOR TURKEY

Abstract. Nowadays, the nature of land title and cadastral (LTC) data in the Turkey is dynamic from a temporal perspective which depends on the LTC operations. Functional requirements with respect to the characteristics are investigated based upon interviews of professionals in public and private sectors. These are; Legal authorities, Land Registry and Cadastre offices, Highway departments, Foundations, Ministries of Budget, Transportation, Justice, Public Works and Settlement, Environment and Forestry, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Culture and Internal Affairs, State Institute of Statistics (SIS), execution offices, tax offices, real estate offices, private sector, local governments and banks. On the other hand, spatio-temporal LTC data very important component for creating infrastructure of Land Administration Model (LADM). For this reason, spatio-temporal LTC data needs for LADM not only updated but also temporal. The investigations ended up with determine temporal analyses of LTC data, traditional LTC system and tracing temporal analyses in traditional LTC system. In the traditional system, the temporal analyses needed by all these users could not be performed in a rapid and reliable way. The reason for this is that the traditional LTC system is a manual archiving system. The aims and general contents of this paper: (1) define traditional LTC system of Turkey; (2) determining the need for spatio-temporal LTC data and analyses for core domain model for LADM. As a results of temporal and spatio-temporal analysis LTC data needs, new system design is important for the Turkish LADM model. Designing and realizing an efficient and functional Temporal Geographic Information Systems (TGIS) is inevitable for the Turkish LADM core infrastructure. Finally this paper outcome is creating infrastructure for design and develop LADM for Turkey.

Application of temporal GIS to track areas of significant concern regarding groundwater contamination

This study is intended to explain discrimination of permanent and temporary groundwater quality zones using temporal geographic information system. The test area for this work is Lahore, Pakistan, where both quality and quantity of underground aquifer are under pressure due to anthropogenic activities. The analysis has been performed after developing precise interpolated surfaces, and verified through cross-validation, for the quality parameters of pH, TDS, Ca, Mg, Cl and HCO3. All the parameters have been studied from the year 2010–2013 for their individual as well as combined geographic distribution in the form of water quality index (WQI). Time series maps of individual parameters with same spatial scale have led the analysis to the extreme behavior of pH and Mg in the year 2011 and concentration of TDS crossing WHO limits in year 2010 (1323 mg/L), etc. Spatio-temporal analysis of WQI figured out temporary as well as permanent epicenters of groundwater pollution, the one around Anarkali region is not only permanent but also expanding gradually. On the basis of WQI scores, five categories have been introduced; WQI 110 is “poor.” It is found that categories attributed to “good” and “moderately good” are spatially transforming to “moderate” and “poor.” The results are endorsed by WQI for the year 2014, exhibiting the same contamination plume with an expansion rate even higher than the previous years. This study can be useful to channelize the limited resources of developing countries for preservation of existing aquifer.

Parametric database approach integration for handling temporal data in GIS

In large spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal databases, the concept of dimensions – time and space – is central and their efficient processing has always been a great concern. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is widely known for its efficient and sophisticated handling of the spatial databases; however, integration of the time domain introduces additional complexities. Considerable research is ongoing in this area. Though numerous approaches have already been proposed in the literature to address the time-related challenges in GIS community, such as the development of temporal GIS data models, this study contributes to these ongoing efforts through extensions to the Parametric Data Model. Parametric database approaches (Parametric Data Model) have been developed to handle dimensional data such as space, time, belief, etc. In this study, the time dimension is of specific interest and we propose the integration of parametric approaches to GIS to absorb the temporal burden. The temporal processing of the data is done using parametric approaches that address the limitation of GIS to support temporal queries and temporal analysis of phenomena. Using the AutoConViz tool, developed for spatio-temporal data modeling and visualization, results can be directly integrated into standard GIS software programs such as ArcGIS and further processed seamlessly along with and in a similar manner to other attributes.

A Spatiotemporal GIS Framework Applied to the Analysis of Changes in Temperature Patterns

AbstractThis research develops a new temporal Geographic Information System (GIS) framework and applies it to compare General Circulation Model (GCM) products and reanalysis datasets in order to discern differences in patterns and locations of change as a proof of concept. The proposed framework incorporates the concept of kinematics to represent the movement of isolines as advection displacement vectors. Comparison of displacement vectors from the four datasets shows differences in isotherm shifts for both median values and interquartile ranges along with several prominent, well defined difference regions across the globe. Among the four datasets used in the study, the two reanalysis datasets have the smallest median difference in displacement vectors indicating the least spatiotemporal difference. As both reanalysis datasets are based on actual observations, this result validates the displacement vector representation. The CNRM CM3 20C3M dataset contains an Antarctic Cooling that led to most of the differences in displacement vectors against the other datasets. The research shows the effectiveness of GIS enabled displacement vectors analysis to elicit spatial differences in climate patterns among GCM data and reanalysis data. While temperature data were used in the case study, the proposed method is based on concepts applicable to other isolines of geographic variables (such as isobars or isohyets).

Spatial analysis of commuting mode choice in Guangzhou, China

Metropolitan cities in China are commonly confronted with unresolved traffic congestion issues, primarily due to rapidly increasing traffic demand. Group disparity between commuting mode choice and its spatial distribution on road networks has enabled us to examine the factors that give rise to the discrepancies and the fundamental spatial causes of traffic congestion. In recent years, micro-perspective, individual, and behavior-based spatial analysis have mushroomed and been facilitated with effective tools such as temporal geographic information systems (T-GIS). It is difficult to study the interrelations between transport and space on the basis of commuting mode choice since the mode choice data are invisible in a specific space such as a particular road network. Therefore, in the field of transport, the classical origin destination (OD) four-stage model (FSM) is usually employed to calculate data when studying commuting mode choice. Based on the relative principles of T-GIS and the platform of ArcGIS, this paper considers Guangzhou as a case study and develops a spatio-temporal tool to examine the daily activities of residents. Meanwhile, the traffic volume distribution in rush hours, which was analyzed according to commuting modes and how they were reflected in the road network, was scrutinized with data extracted from travel diaries. Moreover, efforts were made to explain the relationship between traffic demand and urban spatial structure. Based on the investigation, this research indicates that traffic volumes in divergent groups and on the road networks is driven by: 1) the socio-economic characteristics of travelers; 2) a jobs-housing imbalance under suburbanization; 3) differences in the spatial supply of transport modes; 4) the remains of the Danwei (work unit) system and market development in China; and 5) the transition of urban spatial structure and other factors.

Coupling hydrodynamic models with GIS for storm surge simulation: application to the Yangtze Estuary and the Hangzhou Bay, China

Storm surge is one of the most serious oceanic disasters. Accurate and timely numerical prediction is one of the primary measures for disaster control. Traditional storm surge models lack of accuracy and time effects. To overcome the disadvantages, in this paper, an analytical cyclone model was first added into the Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) consisting of high resolution, flooding and drying capabilities for 3D storm surge modeling. Then, we integrated MarineTools Pro into a geographic information system (GIS) to supplement the storm surge model. This provided end users with a friendly modeling platform and easy access to geographically referenced data that was required for the model input and output. A temporal GIS tracking analysis module was developed to create a visual path from storm surge numerical results. It was able to track the movement of a storm in space and time. MarineTools Pro’ capabilities could assist the comprehensive understanding of complex storm events in data visualization, spatial query, and analysis of simulative results in an objective and accurate manner. The tools developed in this study further supported the idea that the coupled system could enhance productivity by providing an efficient operating environment for accurate inversion or storm surge prediction. Finally, this coupled system was used to reconstruct the storm surge generated by Typhoon Agnes (No. 8114) and simulated typhoon induced-wind field and water elevations of Yangtze Estuary and Hangzhou Bay. The simulated results show good correlation with actual surveyed data. The simple operating interface of the coupled system is very convenient for users, who want to learn the usage of the storm surge model, especially for first-time users, which can save their modeling time greatly.

A design of temporal geographic information systems (TGIS) for Turkish land register and cadastre data

As in other countries, land register and cadastre (LRC) data has a very large spectrum of users in Turkey. Such a phrase that many public and private organizations can be used is LRC data. The need is not only for up-to-date but also for “temporal” data. Since the traditional LRC system has a manual archiving system, the temporal analyses needed by different users cannot be performed in a rapid and reliable way. Moving from this point on and being motivated by the fact that there has been no research work on this issue in Turkey; this research undertook designing and developing a Temporal Geographic Information System (TGIS) for the country. In this context, the relevant agencies have been investigated first to evaluate their temporal analyses needs. Then, the temporal analyses were categorized. Finally, the TGIS was designed, developed, and tested. Key words: Temporal geographic information system, land register and cadastre data, temporal analyses, spatio-temporal queries.

Apply concepts of fluid kinematics to represent continuous space–time fields in temporal GIS

Central to temporal Geographical Information systems (GIS) research is representation and analysis of temporality in spatial databases. Temporality can be characterized by change, motion, and periodicity, but to date, most temporal GIS research advances contribute to representing and analyzing spatially discrete constructs of amandant vectors, geospatial lifelines, space–time trajectories, events and network flows, none of which accounts for geographic phenomena that are continuously dispersing or propagating in space and time. This article introduces a temporal GIS framework that adopts concepts of fluid kinematics and uses velocity as the basic unit of spatiotemporal representation to identify kinematic flows and features indicative of geographic processes, such as divergence and convergence. Climate projections of IPCC A2 scenario are used to test the proposed kinematic representation by comparing data outputs from two popular General Circulation Models (GCMs): the Center National Weather Research global ocean-atmosphere-coupled system (CNRM-CM3) in France and the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model (NCAR-CCSM3) in the United States. The case study shows that fluid kinematics approach offers an alternative means to time-stamped, change-based or event-based representations of geographic phenomena and provides a new foundation for GIS analysis of space–time fields. Specifically, the proposed GIS framework enables direct manipulation of velocity to reveal flows. The case study identifies distinct regions of rapid isotherm movement. By comparison, both GCMs identify similar regions of convergence and divergence except for the following: a high-latitude region in southern Greenland, a band of regions at −15° latitude extending from the middle of South America to east of Madagascar, a region over the Arabian Sea, a region over Indonesia, and several regions in the tropical oceans.