On generalised and specialised spatial information grids: are geo-services ready?

After the set-up of a spatial data infrastructure(SDI)and a national information infrastructure(NII)in many countries,the provision of geo-services became one of the most important and attractive tasks.With the integration of global positioning system(GPS),geographic information system(GIS)and remote sensing(RS),we can,in principle,answer any geo-spatial related question:when and where what object has which changes?An intelligent geo-service agent could provide end-users with the most necessary information in the shortest time and at the lowest cost.Unfortunately there is still a long way to go to achieve such goals.The central component in such geo-services is the integration of the spatial information system with a computing grid via wire-and wireless communication networks.This paper will mainly discuss the grid technology and its integration with spatial information technology,expounding potential problems and possible resolutions.A novel categorising of information grids in the context of geospatial information is proposed:generalised and specialised spatial information grids.

“Digital Region” in the Context of the “Grid Computing”

This paper is to construct a “digital local, regional, region” information framework based on the technology of “SIG” and its significance and application to the regional sustainable development evaluation system. First, the concept of the “grid computing” and “SIG” is interpreted and discussed, then the relationship between the “grid computing” and “digital region” is analyzed, and the framework of the “digital region” is put forward. Finally, the significance and application of “grid computing” to the “region sustainable development evaluation system” are discussed.

格网与空间信息格网

主要论述了格网的基本概念,着重对空间信息格网进行了分析和阐述,初步描述了空间信息格网的组成、结构体系和应用方法。

Overview and preliminary idea for building Digital Earth with Grid computing technology

Digital Earth is an important field of information technology and a research frontier of geosciences in the 21st century.So far,the Grid computing technique is one of the best solutions for Digital Earth infrastructure.Digital Earth can only be realised through the interaction of people,heterogeneous computing resources,information systems,and instruments,all of which are geographically and organisationally dispersed.Earth observation(EO)includes information acquisition,processing and applications.Information acquisition provides a vast amount of spatial data for building the fabric resource infrastructure.Information processing means that spatial information processing middleware is used with large amounts of secure Grid computing resources for real-time processing of all kinds of spatial data.We are currently working on the development of coremiddleware for EO data processing and applications for the Digital Earth Prototype System,which is available in the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications(IRSA),Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)The further results will be available soon.

A digital lightning prototype system: DLPS/HUST

Digital lightning is an important thematic branch of the digital earth.Lightning data are complex,momentary,discrete,dynamic and spatio-temporal in nature.Hence,making great progress in their management,analysis and service is challenging.Many studies have been directed towards this field all over the world.Some different relevant systems are currently available.However,most of them focus on a single or a few aspects of lightning applications,rather than taking an overall account of lightning detection,management,analysis and service from the strategic perspective of the digital earth.Lightning disaster also demands a better developed spatial information technology in this field than at present.The idea of the digital earth offers a reasonable scheme to address these issues.Based on reviews of the concept,development and progress of the digital earth,an integrated technical framework of a digital lightning prototype system(DLPS)is proposed,including its data,functions and implementation of subsystems,which aims at the facilitation,management,accessing,visualisation,application,release and sharing of lightning data.Some key technologies are also carefully discussed to facilitate the construction of the DLPS.This framework could provide a helpful guide to future lightning research and hazard mitigation,as well as enrich connotation on the digital earth.So far,there are still many difficulties in multilevel grid construction that need to be solved.