Formalizing spatiotemporal knowledge in remote sensing applications to improve image interpretation

Abstract

Technological tools allow the generation of large volumes of data. For example satellite images aid in the study of spatiotemporal phenomena in a range of disciplines, such as urban planning, environmental sciences, and health care. Thus, remote-sensing experts must handle various and complex image sets for their interpretations. The GIS community has undertaken significant work in describing spatiotemporal features, and standard specifications nowadays provide design foundations for GIS software and spatial databases. We argue that this spatiotemporal knowledge and expertise would provide invaluable support for the field of image interpretation. As a result, we propose a high level conceptual framework, based on existing and standardized approaches, offering enough modularity and adaptability to represent the various dimensions of spatiotemporal knowledge.