This book aims to synthesize key ideas and issues discussed during the workshop held in 2006 and expand upon the workshop discussions to provide a comprehensive overview of geographic dynamics and approaches to advancing the understanding through computation and visualization.

Although the dynamic aspect of the world is widely recognized, information systems have lagged in their ability to represent these dynamics and provide support for users and analysts, especially those who work with dynamic geographic domains. A collection of peer-reviewed articles, Understanding Dynamics of Geographic Domains showcases new research and perspectives on theoretical aspects of geographic dynamics and including novel data modeling and visualization-related studies. Multidisciplinary Book Brings Together Respected Specialists Editors Kathleen Stewart Hornsby and May Yuan bring together prominent and respected specialists to create a multidisciplinary book that combines coverage of topics from the perspectives of GIS, computer science, image processing, and information and data processing. Containing an 8-page color insert, the book is divided into three sections that explore the conceptual and cognitive underpinnings of geographic dynamics and data modeling topics; the related analytical and computational approaches; and topics relating to the visualization and simulation of geographic dynamics. A Milestone for Research Developments A quick review of the contents and contributors reveals the breadth and depth of knowledge provided. Incorporating theoretical, cognitive, methodological, and applied articles, the coverage is closely related to the national research agenda on Geographic Information Science proposed by the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS). Indeed, the foundations for this book began with a workshop co-sponsored by the UCGIS on the topic of geographic dynamics. This makes the book not only a top-notch reference but also a milestone for research developments in the field.

Cloud Computing in Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences provides the latest information on this relatively new platform for scientific computing, which has great possibilities and challenges, including pricing and deployments costs and applications that are often presented as primarily business oriented. In addition, scientific users may be very familiar with these types of models and applications, but relatively unfamiliar with the intricacies of the hardware platforms they use. The book provides a range of practical examples of cloud applications that are written to be accessible to practitioners, researchers, and students in affiliated fields. By providing general information on the use of the cloud for oceanographic and atmospheric computing, as well as examples of specific applications, this book encourages and educates potential users of the cloud. The chapters provide an introduction to the practical aspects of deploying in the cloud, also providing examples of workflows and techniques that can be reused in new projects.

The world is ever changing, and a comprehensive understanding of the world will not be achieved without theoretical and methodological advances to decode complex dynamics in human and environmental systems. Computation and Visualization for the Understanding of Dynamics in Geographic Domains: A Research Agenda synthesizes key ideas and issues discussed during the UCGIS hosted workshop on computation. It expands upon popular discussions to provide a comprehensive overview of geographic dynamics and new approaches to advance our understanding of geographic dynamics through computation and visualization. The text gives an overview of the state of research and how this research relates to intelligence analysis. It addresses broad issues and challenges in areas, such as spatiotemporal analysis and modeling, spatiotemporal visual analytics; spatiotemporal data mining, spatiotemporal reasoning, and spatiotemporal ontologies. The book also fuses suggestions from workshop participants with literature reviews to propose new research agendas and recommendations for future developments and collaboration. With full coverage on current developments and probably challenges, Computation and Visualization for the Understanding of Dynamics in Geographic Domains: A Research Agenda establishes a foundation to promote further studies in geographic dynamics and provides a springboard for the next big scientific and technological breakthrough.

Although the dynamic aspect of the world is widely recognized, information systems have lagged in their ability to represent these dynamics and provide support for users and analysts, especially those who work with dynamic geographic domains. A collection of peer-reviewed articles, Understanding Dynamics of Geographic Domains showcases new research and perspectives on theoretical aspects of geographic dynamics and including novel data modeling and visualization-related studies. Multidisciplinary Book Brings Together Respected Specialists Editors Kathleen Stewart Hornsby and May Yuan bring together prominent and respected specialists to create a multidisciplinary book that combines coverage of topics from the perspectives of GIS, computer science, image processing, and information and data processing. Containing an 8-page color insert, the book is divided into three sections that explore the conceptual and cognitive underpinnings of geographic dynamics and data modeling topics; the related analytical and computational approaches; and topics relating to the visualization and simulation of geographic dynamics. A Milestone for Research Developments A quick review of the contents and contributors reveals the breadth and depth of knowledge provided. Incorporating theoretical, cognitive, methodological, and applied articles, the coverage is closely related to the national research agenda on Geographic Information Science proposed by the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS). Indeed, the foundations for this book began with a workshop co-sponsored by the UCGIS on the topic of geographic dynamics. This makes the book not only a top-notch reference but also a milestone for research developments in the field.