A survey of current trends in incorporating virtual reality and geographical information systems

The paper describes the results of a comprehensive literature and Internet survey on current trends in virtual Reality GIS (VRGIS). In the first part of the paper, a background of VRGIS is set, followed by the description and classification of the main research areas which focus in VRGIS research with an attempt to clarify the reasons that led the researchers to pursue a VR solution for the specific problems in their research field. Based on the observations from the current practice, the main definitions of VRGIS are discussed in the third section. Finally, future directions and possibilities for development are drawn

A Survey of Current Trends in Incorporating Virtual Reality and GIS

April 1-

Seafloor characterization using airborne hyperspectral co-registration procedures independent from attitude and positioning sensors

The advance of remote-sensing technology and data-storage capabilities has progressed in the last decade to commercial multi-sensor data collection. There is a constant need to characterize, quantify and monitor the coastal areas for habitat research and coastal management. In this paper, we present work on seafloor characterization that uses hyperspectral imagery (HSI). The HSI data allows the operator to extend seafloor characterization from multibeam backscatter towards land and thus creates a seamless ocean-to-land characterization of the littoral zone

Production of semi real time media-GIS contents using MODIS imagery

[Abstract]: Delivering environmental disaster information, swiftly, attractively, meaningfully, and accurately, to public is becoming a competitive task among spatial data visualizing experts. Basically, the data visualization process has to follow basics of spatial data visualization to maintain the academic quality and the spatial accuracy of the content. Here, “Media-GIS”, can be promoted as a one of the latest sub-forms of GIS, which targets mass media. Under Media-GIS, “Present” or the fist component of three roles of data visualization takes the major workload compare to other two, “Analysis” and “Explore”. When present contents, optimizing the main graphical variables like, size, value, texture, hue, orientation, and shape, is vital with regard to the target market (age group, social group) and the medium (print, TV, WEB, mobile). This study emphasizes on application of freely available MODIS true colour images to produce near real time contents on environmental disasters, while minimizing the production cost. With the brake of first news of a significant environmental disaster, relevant MODIS (250m) images can be extracted in GeoTIFF and KLM (Keyhole Markup Language) formats from MODIS website. This original KML file can be overlayed on Google Earth, to collect more spatial information of the disaster site. Then, in ArcGIS environment, GeoTIFF file can be transferred into Photoshop for production of the graphics of the target spot. This media-friendly Photoshop file can be used as an independent content without geo-references or imported into ArcGIS to convert into KLM format, which has geo-references. The KLM file, which is graphically enhanced content with extra information on environmental disaster, can be used in TV and WEB through Google Earth. Also, sub productions can be directed into print and mobile contents. If the data processing can be automated, system will be able to produce media contents in a faster manner. A case study on the recent undersea oil spill occurred in Gulf of Mexico included in the report to highlight main aspects discussed in the methodology

Serving GODAE Data and Products to the Ocean Community

The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE [http:// www.godae.org]) has spanned a decade of rapid technological development. The ever-increasing volume and diversity of oceanographic data produced by in situ instruments, remote-sensing platforms, and computer simulations have driven the development of a number of innovative technologies that are essential for connecting scientists with the data that they need. This paper gives an overview of the technologies that have been developed and applied in the course of GODAE, which now provide users of oceanographic data with the capability to discover, evaluate, visualize, download, and analyze data from all over the world. The key to this capability is the ability to reduce the inherent complexity of oceanographic data by providing a consistent, harmonized view of the various data products. The challenges of data serving have been addressed over the last 10 years through the cooperative skills and energies of many individuals

Publishing Time Dependent Oceanographic Visualizations using VRML

Oceanographic simulations generate time dependent data; thus, visualizations of this data should include and realize the variable `time'. Moreover, the oceanographers are located across the world and they wish to conveniently communicate and exchange these temporal realizations. This publication of material may be achieved using different methods and languages. VRML provides one convenient publication medium that allows the visualizations to be easily viewed and exchanged between users. Using VRML as the implementation language, we describe five categories of operation. The strategies are determined by the level of calculation that is achieved at the generation stage compared to the playing of the animation. We name the methods: 2D movie, 3D spatial, 3D flipbook, key frame deformation and visualization program

The British Geological Survey's new Geomagnetic Data Web Service

Increasing demand within the geomagnetism community for high quality real-time or near-real-time observatory data means there is a requirement for data producers to have a robust and scalable data processing infrastructure capable of delivering geomagnetic data products over the Internet in a variety of formats. We describe a new software system, developed at BGS, which will allow access to our geomagnetic data products both within our organisation's intranet and over the Internet. We demonstrate how the system is designed to afford easy access to the data by a wide range of software clients and allow rapid development of software utilizing our observatory data

The global hydrology education resource

This article is a selective overview of a range of contemporary teaching resources currently available globally for university hydrology educators, with an emphasis on web-based resources. Major governmental and scientific organizations relevant to the promotion of hydrology teaching are briefly introduced. Selected online teaching materials are then overviewed, i.e. PowerPoint presentations, course materials, and multimedia. A range of websites offering free basic hydrology modelling software are mentioned, together with some data file sources which could be used for teaching. Websites offering a considerable range of general hydrology links are also noted, as are websites providing international and national data sets which might be incorporated into teaching exercises. Finally, some discussion is given on reference material for different modes of hydrology teaching, including laboratory and field exercises