Geoinformatics: cyberinfrastructure for the solid earth sciences

Advanced information technology infrastructure is increasingly being employed in the Earth sciences to provide researchers with efficient access to massive central databases and to integrate diversely formatted information from a variety of sources. These geoinformatics initiatives enable manipulation, modeling and visualization of data in a consistent way, and are helping to develop integrated Earth models at various scales, and from the near surface to the deep interior. This book uses a series of case studies to demonstrate computer and database use across the geosciences. Chapters are thematically grouped into sections that cover data collection and management; modeling and community computational codes; visualization and data representation; knowledge management and data integration; and web services and scientific workflows. Geoinformatics is a fascinating and accessible introduction to this emerging field for readers across the solid Earth sciences and an invaluable reference for researchers interested in initiating new cyberinfrastructure projects of their own.
Provides an accessible introduction to the applications of cyberinfrastructure in the Earth sciences for readers without specialist computer knowledge
Presents numerous international case studies to demonstrate the benefits of geoinformatics projects across a broad spectrum of geoscience disciplines
Edited by two pioneers of geoinformatics who are ideally placed to summarize the latest developments and initiatives