This book analyzes extensive data on the world's rapidly changing and growing access to, use and geographies of information and communications technologies. It studies not only the spatial differences in technology usage worldwide, but also examines digital differences in the major world nations of China, India, the United States and Japan at the state and provincial levels. At the global level, factors such as education, innovation, judicial independence and investment are important to explaining differences in the adoption and use of technology. The country studies corroborate consistent determinants for technology usage for education, urban location, economic prosperity, and infrastructure, but also reveal unique determinants, such as social capital in the United States and India, exports in China and working age population and patents in Japan. Spatial patterns are revealed that indicate clusters of high and low technology use for various nations around the world, the countries of Africa and for individual states/provinces within nations. Based on theory, novel findings and phenomena that have remained largely unreported, the book considers the future of the worldwide digital divides, the policy role of governments and the challenges of leadership.

In spatial data science, things in closer proximity to one another likely have more in common than things that are farther apart. With this practical book, geospatial professionals, data scientists, business analysts, geographers, geologists, and others familiar with data analysis and visualization will learn the fundamentals of spatial data analysis to gain a deeper understanding of their data questions. Author Bonny P. McClain demonstrates why detecting and quantifying patterns in geospatial data is vital. Both proprietary and open source platforms allow you to process and visualize spatial information. This book is for people familiar with data analysis or visualization who are eager to explore geospatial integration with Python. This book helps you: Understand the importance of applying spatial relationships in data science Select and apply data layering of both raster and vector graphics Apply location data to leverage spatial analytics Design informative and accurate maps Automate geographic data with Python scripts Explore Python packages for additional functionality Work with atypical data types such as polygons, shape files, and projections Understand the graphical syntax of spatial data science to stimulate curiosity

When we look at some of the most pressing issues in environmental politics today, it is hard to avoid data technologies. Big data, artificial intelligence, and data dashboards all promise "revolutionary" advances in the speed and scale at which governments, corporations, conservationists, and even individuals can respond to environmental challenges. By bringing together scholars from geography, anthropology, science and technology studies, and ecology, The Nature of Data explores how the digital realm is a significant site in which environmental politics are waged. This collection as a whole makes the argument that we cannot fully understand the current conjuncture in critical, global environmental politics without understanding the role of data platforms, devices, standards, and institutions. In particular, The Nature of Data addresses the contested practices of making and maintaining data infrastructure, the imaginaries produced by data infrastructures, the relations between state and civil society that data infrastructure reworks, and the conditions under which technology can further socio-ecological justice instead of re-entrenching state and capitalist power. This innovative volume presents some of the first research in this new but rapidly growing subfield that addresses the role of data infrastructures in critical environmental politics.

This text describes late-1990s understanding of map generalisation in the context of paper maps and GIS. Its particular value should be in helping to further automate and measure the process of map generalisation.; The research has concentrated on quantifying generalisation effects and on analysing how these effects of generalisation locked into the maps were measured. Elsa Joao's book covers the background to the problems of map generlasation; the methodology developed by the author to investigate the consequences of the map generalisation; a detailed description of results, and a conclusion that draws together consequences for the broader applications to GIS.

The only reference on the use of GIS and related technologies in terrain analysis

In this landmark publication, reflecting the collaborative effort of thirteen research groups based in four countries, leading experts detail how GIS and related technologies, such as GPS and remote sensing, are now being used, with the aid of computer modeling, in terrain analysis. Continuing the innovative work of Professor Ian Moore, a visionary who saw terrain analysis as a robust method for modeling the large areas and complex spatial patterns of environmental systems, Terrain Analysis puts into action TAPES, or Terrain Analysis Programs for Environmental Sciences, Dr. Moore’s innovative tool for terrain analysis. The book’s contributors describe how TAPES are applied to specific geomorphologic problems, explain the algorithms used in current terrain analysis software, and examine the interpretation and use of terrain attributes in predictive models.

With expert coverage of terrain analysis in the digital age, Terrain Analysis will be welcomed by ecologists, environmental engineers, geographers, and hydrologists who increasingly depend on GIS, GPS, and remote sensing.

This is a book about how ecologists can integrate remote sensing and GIS in their daily work. It will allow ecologists to get started with the application of remote sensing and to understand its potential and limitations. Using practical examples, the book covers all necessary steps from planning field campaigns to deriving ecologically relevant information through remote sensing and modelling of species distributions. All practical examples in this book rely on OpenSource software and freely available data sets. Quantum GIS (QGIS) is introduced for basic GIS data handling, and in-depth spatial analytics and statistics are conducted with the software packages R and GRASS. Readers will learn how to apply remote sensing within ecological research projects, how to approach spatial data sampling and how to interpret remote sensing derived products. The authors discuss a wide range of statistical analyses with regard to satellite data as well as specialised topics such as time-series analysis. Extended scripts on how to create professional looking maps and graphics are also provided. This book is a valuable resource for students and scientists in the fields of conservation and ecology interested in learning how to get started in applying remote sensing in ecological research and conservation planning.

Geodetic datum (including coordinate datum, height datum, depth datum, gravimetry datum) and geodetic systems (including geodetic coordinate system, plane coordinate system, height system, gravimetry system) are the common foundations for every aspect of geomatics. This course book focuses on geodetic datum and geodetic systems, and describes the basic theories, techniques, methods of geodesy. The main themes include: the various techniques of geodetic data acquisition, geodetic datum and geodetic control networks, geoid and height systems, reference ellipsoid and geodetic coordinate systems, Gaussian projection and Gaussian plan coordinates and the establishment of geodetic coordinate systems. The framework of this book is based on several decades of lecture noted and the contents are developed systematically for a complete introduction to the geodetic foundations of geomatics.

What is the rate of GIS diffusion? To what extent has the use of GIS really spread? What are the technical and organizational characteristics of the implementation process? What are GIS actually used for? How successfully are GIS implemented? In placing these questions at the heart of their book, the authors set out to stimulate and contribute to the great debate: despite the enormous growth in the acquistion of GIS technology by business and government, little is known about the impact this leading-edge technology is having. Using case studies in a local government context, this book explores the performance of GIS in practice on the premise that any technology-led innovation will only "work" if the proper organizational and management support, infrastructure and culture exist.

Contents:
A view from across the water: the North American experience in archaeological GIS; GIS and archeological resource management - a European agenda; To be or not to be: will an object-space-time GIS/AIS become a reality or end up an archaeological entity?; Beyond GIS; Perceiving time and space in an isostatically rising region; Cumulative Viewshed Analysis: a GIS-based method for investigating intervisibility, and its archaeological application; The impact of GIS in archaeology: a personal perspective; Another way to deal with maps in archaeological GIS.

This book provides a detailed overview of the concepts, techniques, applications, and methodological approaches involved in land use and cover change (LUCC) modeling, also known simply as land change modeling. More than 40 international experts in this field have participated in this book, which illustrates recent advances in LUCC modeling with examples from North and South America, the Middle East, and Europe. Given the broad range of geomatic approaches available, it helps readers select the approach that best meets their needs. The book is structured into five parts preceded by a foreword written by Roger White and a general introduction. Part I consists of four chapters, each of which focuses on a specific stage in the modeling process: calibration, simulation, validation, and scenarios. It presents and explains the fundamental ideas and concepts underlying LUCC modeling. This is complemented by a comparative analysis of the selected software packages, practically applied in various case studies in Part II and Part III. Part II discusses recently proposed methodological developments that have enhanced modeling procedures and results while Part III offers case studies as well as interesting, innovative methodological proposals. Part IV revises different fundamental techniques used in LUCC modeling and finally Part V describes the best-known software packages used in the applications presented in Parts II and III.

This open access book is the first comprehensive overview of maritime or marine spatial planning. Countries across the globe are beginning to implement maritime spatial plans; however the authors of this collection have identified several key questions that are emerging from this growing body of MSP experience. How can maritime spatial planning deal with a complex and dynamic environment such as the sea? How can MSP be embedded in multiple levels of governance across regional and national borders - and how far does the environment benefit from this new approach? This book actively engages with the problems encapsulated in these questions, and explores possible solutions. Situated at the intersection between theory and practice, the volume draws together several strands of interdisciplinary research, reflecting on the history of MSP as well as examining current practice and looking towards the future. The authors and contributors examine MSP from disciplines as diverse as geography, urban planning, political science, natural science, sociology and education; reflecting the growing critical engagement with MSP in many academic fields. This innovative and pioneering volume will be of interest and value to students and scholars of maritime spatial planning, as well as planners and practitioners.

The demand on local government to do more with less by improving operations, increasing productivity, and making better and more informed decisions increases constantly. On a departmental level Geographic Information Systems are helping meet this demand but the majority of local government organizations do not take the time to understand the GIS needs and opportunities of each and every department. This book: Discusses how towns, cities and counties and their specific departments should actually use GIS Explains the best ways to use GIS tools through many specific case studies and step by step instructions Emphasises local government needs first before offering solutions Gives readers a practical and understandable way of thinking about managing and making GIS successful This book is the guide that details best GIS applications and practices for the 34 departments in local government that can, and should, use GIS technology. It explains in details how, why, and what each department should implement, a clear and understandable explanation of departmental GIS.

"Most of the topics in this encyclopedia will remain important for years to come. Many of the topics here are germane to geography such as the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem, spatial autocorrelation, mental maps, and scale. For these reasons as well as for its sheer readability and usefulness, I believe that this book will serve as a practical reference for geography and GIS educators, practitioners, and university students long into the future. It's not a reference for taking up space on the shelf, but one for the top of the desk, to be referred to often." -Dr. Joseph J. Kerski, ESRI Education Manager Geographic information science (GIScience) is an emerging field that combines aspects of many different disciplines. Spatial literacy is rapidly becoming recognized as a new, essential pier of basic education, alongside grammatical, logical and mathematical literacy. By incorporating location as an essential but often overlooked characteristic of what we seek to understand in the natural and built environment, geographic information science (GIScience) and systems (GISystems) provide the conceptual foundation and tools to explore this new frontier. The Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science covers the essence of this exciting, new, and expanding field in an easily understood but richly detailed style. In addition to contributions from some of the best recognized scholars in GIScience, this volume contains contributions from experts in GIS' supporting disciplines who explore how their disciplinary perspectives are expanded within the context of GIScience-what changes when consideration of location is added, what complexities in analytical procedures are added when we consider objects in 2, 3 or even 4 dimensions, what can we gain by visualizing our analytical results on a map or 3D display? Key Features Brings together GIScience literature that is spread widely across the academic spectrum Offers details about the key foundations of GIScience, no matter what their disciplinary origins Elucidates vocabulary that is an amalgam of all of these fields Key Themes Conceptual Foundations Cartography and Visualization Design Aspects Data Manipulation Data Modeling Geocomputation Geospatial Data Societal Issues Spatial Analysis Organizational and Institutional Aspects The Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science is an important resource for academic and corporate libraries.

"Information on recent progress in laser remote sensor (LIDAR) technology can be found scattered throughout numerous journal articles and conference proceedings, but until now there has been no work that summarizes recent advancements and achievements in the field in a detailed format. Laser Remote Sensing provides an up-to-date, comprehensive review on LIDAR, focusing mainly on applications to current topics in atmospheric science. The scope of the book includes laser remote sensing of the atmosphere, including measurement of aerosols, water vapor, clouds, winds, trace constituents, and temperature. It also covers other interesting applications such as vegetation monitoring and altimetry. LIDAR systems described in this volume include ground-based (fixed or mobile), airborne, and spaceborne (satellite-based) systems. The book emphasizes instrumentation and measurement techniques to enable the reader to understand what kind of a LIDAR system is necessary for a certain application.

Reviews methods of investigating lineaments (the surface expression of tectonic stresses of the earth's crust) for solving problems of petroleum geology by remote sensing imagery; examines the possibilities of detecting and tracing the lineaments corresponding to fracture zones of oil- and gas-beari

The second edition of a bestseller, Mathematical Techniques in GIS demystifies the mathematics used in the manipulation of spatially related data. The author takes a step-by-step approach through the basics of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus that underpin the management of such data. He then explores the use of matrices, determinants and vectors in the handling of geographic information so that the data may be analyzed and displayed in two-dimensional form either in the visualization of the terrain or as map projections. See What's New in the Second Edition: Summaries at the end of each chapter Worked examples of techniques described Additional material on matrices and vectors Further material on map projections New material on spatial correlation A new section on global positioning systems Written for those who need to make use geographic information systems but have a limited mathematical background, this book introduces the basic statistical techniques commonly used in geographic information systems and explains best-fit solutions and the mathematics behind satellite positioning. By understanding the mathematics behind the gathering, processing, and display of information, you can better advise others on the integrity of results, the quality of the information, and the safety of using it.

Data science has recently gained much attention for a number of reasons, and among them is Big Data. Scientists (from almost all disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, sociology, among others) and engineers (from all fields including civil, environmental, chemical, mechanical, among others) are faced with challenges posed by data volume, variety, and velocity, or Big Data. This book is designed to highlight the unique characteristics of geospatial data, demonstrate the need to different approaches and techniques for obtaining new knowledge from raw geospatial data, and present select state-of-the-art geospatial data science techniques and how they are applied to various geoscience problems.

This is the era of Big Data and computational social science. It is an era that requires tools which can do more than visualise data but also model the complex relation between data and human action, and interaction. Agent-Based Models (ABM) - computational models which simulate human action and interaction - do just that. This textbook explains how to design and build ABM and how to link the models to Geographical Information Systems. It guides you from the basics through to constructing more complex models which work with data and human behaviour in a spatial context. All of the fundamental concepts are explained and related to practical examples to facilitate learning (with models developed in NetLogo with all code examples available on the accompanying website). You will be able to use these models to develop your own applications and link, where appropriate, to Geographical Information Systems. All of the key ideas and methods are explained in detail: geographical modelling; an introduction to ABM; the fundamentals of Geographical Information Science; why ABM and GIS; using QGIS; designing and building an ABM; calibration and validation; modelling human behavior. An applied primer, that provides fundamental knowledge and practical skills, it will provide you with the skills to build and run your own models, and to begin your own research projects.

The coming of age of a technology first developed in the 1950s. All the money spent by the United States space program is not spent looking at the stars. NASA is composed of a vast and varied network of scientists across the academic spectrum involved in research and development programs that have wide application on planet Earth. Several of the leaders in the field of remote sensing and archaeology were recently brought together for a NASA-funded workshop in Biloxi, Mississippi. The workshop was organized specifically to show these archaeologists and cultural resource managers how close we are to being able to 'see' under the dirt in order to know where to excavate before ever putting a shovel in the ground. As the book that resulted from this workshop demonstrates, this fantasy is quickly becoming a reality. In this volume, eleven archaeologists reveal how the broad application of remote sensing, and especially geophysical techniques, is altering the usual conduct of dirt archaeology. Using case studies that both succeeded and failed, they offer a comprehensive guide to remote sensing techniques on archaeological sites throughout North America. Because this new technology is advancing on a daily basis, the book is accompanied by a CD intended for periodic update that provides additional data and illustrations. with contributions by: R. Berle Clay, Lawrence B. Conyers, Rinita A. Dalan, Marco Giardino, Thomas J. Green, Michael L. Hargrave, Bryan S. Haley, Jay K. Johnson, Kenneth L. Kvamme, J. J. Lockhart, Lewis Somers

The Asian "Mega Tsunami" 2004 has struck most of the territorial nations of South Asia including the East Coast of India. The NRDMS Division, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi, has conceived and executed on All India Co-ordinated Programme on "Tsunami Disaster Assessment and Mitigation" through various institutions of expertise on Geomatics in Earth System Dynamics and the related natural disasters. The Geomatics technology which includes Arial Photography, Photogrammetry, Satellite Remote Sensing, Digital Image Processing, GPS Surveys, GIS modeling etc. was used in this programme, geo-spatial data bases were created on Tsunami disasters over Natural, Physical and Human Resources and futuristic mitigation strategies were evolved there from. The book illuminates the results of the studies carried out along the Indian Coast and a bird's eye view on the tsunami studies in Norway. In addition, some special papers on the role of mangroves as Tsunami mitigator, Impacts o Tsunami over marine water quality, coral ecosystem etc; the administrator's experience over the tsunami crisis management, NGO's perspective, certain societal issues triggered by the killer Tsunami and citizen's perspective, etc. also find a place in this volume.

Fully automated interpretation and understanding of remotely sensed data by a computer has been a challenge for many decades, and many approaches have been developed over the years. Significant advances in knowledge-based image understanding, machine learning and artificial intelligence has led to this topic being the focus of much research in recent years. This book highlights the different theoretical and application-oriented aspects and potential solutions to the topic of automated remote sensing data analysis. Thereby, both classical knowledge-based as well as modern machine learning-oriented concepts are described. A field such as this is specialized and dynamic and also interdisciplinary and multilayered. Written by an international team of experts, the book has therefore been split into parts dealing with the concepts and applications, and the focus is on elucidating the complementarity of different lines of research rather than providing the complete set of scientific approaches.Part A of this book gives insight into the basic theories and concepts of feature extraction, image understanding and the respective assessment strategies as well as into geometric, radiometric and sensor-related fundamentals of remote sensing technology. Part B focuses on various scientific and practical applications of remote sensing data analysis. These range from the automatic detailed reconstruction of complex 3D environments to visual tracking of objects in image sequences as well as monitoring natural and anthropogenic long-term processes on a regional scale. Part C sketches recent trends in automatic analysis of remote sensing data.