Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Making Space for Time: Issues in Space-Time Data Representation

  • Published:
GeoInformatica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Even with much activity over the past decade, including organized efforts on both sides of the Atlantic, the representation of both space and time in digital databases is still problematic and functional space-time systems have not gone beyond the limited prototype stage. Why is this the case? Why did it take twenty years from the first GIS for the for representation and analysis in the temporal, as well as the spatial dimension, to begin? I explore the answers to these questions by giving a historical overview of the development of space-time representation in the geographic information systems and database communities and a review of the most recent research. Within the context of this perspective, I also question what seems to be a spirit of self-accusation in which the lack of functional space-time systems has been discussed in the literature and in meetings of GIS researchers. I close by offering my own interpretation of current research issues on space-time data models and languages.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. T. Abraham and J.F. Roddick. ''Survey of Spatio-temporal databases,'' Geoinformatica, Vol. 3:61-69, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  2. H. Afsarmanesh, D. McLeod, and A. Parker. ''An extensible Object-oriented approach to databases for VLSI/CAD,'' in Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, Stockholm, 1985.

  3. O. Ahlqvist, J. Keukelaar, and K. Oukbir. ''Rough classification and accuracy assessment,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol. 14:475-496, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  4. J.F. Allen. ''Maintaining knowledge about temporal intervals,'' Communications of the ACM, Vol. 26: 832-843, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  5. K.K. Al-Taha. Temporal Reasoning in Cadastral Systems. Department of Surveying Engineering, University of Maine, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  6. M.-A. Aufaure-Portier and C. Bonhomme. ''A high level visual language for spatial data management,'' in Proceedings of Visual '99, 3rd International Conference on Visual Information Systems, Amsterdam, 1999.

  7. F. Barbic and B. Percini. ''Time Modeling in Office Information Systems,'' in Proceedings of SIGMOD '85, Austin, TX, 1985.

  8. C. Bonhomme, C. Trépied, M.A. Aufaure, and R. Laurini ''A visual language for querying spatio-temporal databases,'' in Proceedings of the 7th ACM Symposium on Advances in Geographic Information Systems, Kansas City, MO, 1999.

  9. P.A. Burrough. ''Fuzzy mathematical methods for soil survey and land evaluation,'' Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 40:477-492, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  10. P.A. Burrough and A.U. Frank. ''Concepts and paradigms in spatial information: Are current geographical information systems truly generic?,''International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 9:101-116, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  11. P.A. Burrough, R.A. MacMillan, and W. van Deursen. ''Fuzzy classification methods for determining land suitability from soil profile observations and topography,'' Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 43:193-210, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  12. T.S. Cheng and S.K. Gadia. ''A pattern matching language for spatio-temporal databases,'' in Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management, Gaithersburg, MD, 1994.

  13. J. Chomicki and P.Z. Revesz. ''Constraint-based interoperability of spatiotemporal databases,'' Geoinformatica, Vol. 3:211-243, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  14. N.R. Chrisman. ''Concepts of space as a guide to cartographic data structures,'' in Proceedings of Harvard Advanced Study Symposium on Topological Data Structures, Cambridge, MA, 1977.

  15. C. Claramunt and M. Thériault. ''Managing Time in GIS: An Event-Oriented Approach,'' in J. Clifford and A. Tuzhilin (Eds.), Recent Advances in Temporal Databases. Springer-Verlag: 1995.

  16. C. Claramunt and M. Thériault. ''Toward semantics for modelling spatio-temporal processes within GIS,'' in M. Kraak and M. Molenaar (Eds.), Advances in GIS Research II: Proceedings of of the Seventh International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling. Taylor & Francis: 1996.

  17. U. Dayal and J.M. Smith. ''A knowledge-oriented database management system,'' in M.L. Brodie and J. Mylopoulos (Eds.), On Knowledge Base Management Systems. Springer-Verlag: 1986.

  18. S. Dragicevic and D.J. Marceau. ''A fuzzy set approach for modelling time in GIS,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol. 14:225-245, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  19. C.E. Dyreson and R.T. Snodgrass. ''Valid-time indeterminacy,'' in Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Data Engineering, Vienna, 1993.

  20. M.J. Egenhofer, J. Glasgow, D. GuÈnther, J.R. Herring, and D.J. Peuquet. ''Progress in computational methods for representing geographical concepts,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol. 13:775-796, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  21. M. Erwig, R.H. Güting, M. Schneider, and M. Vazirgiannis. ''Abstract and discrete modeling of spatiotemporal data types,'' in Proceedings of ACM GIS '98, Washington, D.C., 1998.

  22. M. Erwig, R.H. Güting, M. Schneider, and M. Vazirgiannis. ''Spatio-temporal data types: An approach to modeling and querying moving objects in databases,'' GeoInformatica, Vol. 3:269-296, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  23. P.F. Fisher. ''Knowledge-based approaches to determining and correcting areas of unreliability in geographic databases,'' in M. Goodchild and S. Gopal(Eds.), Accuracy of Spatial Databases. Taylor & Francis: 1989.

  24. P.F. Fisher. ''Models of uncertainty in spatial data,'' in P.A. Longley, M.F. Goodchild, D.J. Maguire, and D.W. Rhind (Eds.), Geographical Information Systems. Wiley: 1999.

  25. L. Florizzi, R.H. GuÈting, E. Nardelli, and M. Schneider. ''A data model and data structures for moving objects databases,'' in Proceedings of SIGMOD Conference 2000, Dallas, TX, 2000.

  26. A.S. Fotheringham and D.W.S. Wong. ''The modifiable areal unit problem in multivariate statistical analysis,'' Environment and Planning A, Vol. 23:1025-1044, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  27. C. Freksa. ''Temporal reasoning based on semi-intervals,'' Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 54:199-227, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  28. P.L. Galison. ''Minkowski's space-time: From visual thinking to the absolute world,'' Historical Studies in the Physical Sciences, Vol. 10:85-121, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  29. K. Gardels. ''Sequoia 2000 and geographic information: The Guernewood geoprocessor,'' in Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1994.

  30. M.F. Goodchild. ''Geographical information science,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 6:31-45, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  31. M.F. Goodchild and S. Gopal. Accuracy of Spatial Databases. Taylor & Francis: 1989.

  32. M.F. Goodchild, S. Guoqing, and Y. Shiren. ''Development and test of an error model for categorical data,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 6:87-104, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  33. P. Gould. The Slow Plague: A Geography of the AIDS Pandemic. Blackwell: 1993.

  34. P. Gould. ''Why not? The search for spatiotemporal structure,'' Environment and Planning A, Vol. 25: 48-55, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  35. M. Green and R. Flowerdew. ''New evidence on the modifiable areal unit problem,'' in P. Longley and M. Batty (Eds.), Spatial Analysis Modelling in a GIS Environment. Wiley: 1996.

  36. D. Gregory. ''Solid geometry: Notes on the recovery of spatial structure,'' in P. Gould and G. Olsson (Eds.), A Search for Common Ground. Pion: 1982.

  37. S. Grumbach, P. Rigeux, and L. Segoufin. ''Spatio-temporal data handling with constraints,'' in Proceedings of ACM GIS '98, Washington, D.C., 1998.

  38. R.H. Güting, M.H. Böhlen, M. Erwig, C.S. Hansen, N.A. Lorentzos, M. Schneider, and M. Vazirgiannis. ''A foundation for representing and querying moving objects,'' ACM Transactions on Database Systems, Vol. 25: 2000.

  39. T. Hägerstrand. Innovation Diffusion as a Spatial Process. 1967 ed. The University of Chicago Press: 1967.

  40. J.B. Harley and D. Woodward. The History of Cartography. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press: 1987.

  41. N.W.J. Hazelton. Integrating Time, Dynamic Modelling and Geographical Information Systems: Development of Four-Dimensional GIS. Dept. of Surveying and Land Information, The University of Melbourne, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  42. J.R. Herring. ''TIGRIS: A data model for an object-oriented geographic information system,'' Computers & Geosciences, Vol. 18:443-452, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  43. K. Hornsby and M.J. Egenhofer. ''Identity-based change: A foundation for spatio-temporal knowledge representation,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol. 14:207-224, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  44. G.J. Hunter. ''Managing uncertainty in GIS,'' in P.A. Longley, M.F. Goodchild, D.J. Maguire, and D.W. Rhind (Eds.), Geographical Information Systems. Wiley, 1999.

  45. C.S. Jensen, et al. ''The TSQL benchmark,'' in Proceedings of the International Workshop on an Infrastructure for Temporal Databases, Arlington, TX, 1993.

  46. P.C. Kanellakis, G.M. Kuper, and P.Z. Revesz. ''Constraint query languages,'' Journal of Computer and System Sciences, Vol. 51:26-52, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  47. J. Kelmelis. Time and Space in Geographic Information: Toward a Four-Dimensional Spatio-Temporal Data Model. The Pennsylvania State University, 1991.

  48. G.M. Kuper, L. Libkin, and J. Paredaens. (Eds.), Constraint Databases. Springer Verlag: 2000.

  49. G. Lakoff. ''The invariance hypothesis: Is abstract reason based on image-schemas?,'' Cognitive Linguistics, Vol. 1:39-74, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  50. G. Langran. Time in Geographic Information Systems. Taylor & Francis: 1992.

  51. G. Langran and N.R. Chrisman. ''A framework for temporal geographic information,'' Cartographica, Vol. 25:1-14, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  52. P. Lolonis and M. Armstrong. ''Temporal information in spatial decision support systems,'' in Proceedings of GIS/LIS, Minneapolis, 1993.

  53. D. Mark and F. Csillag. ''The nature of boundaries on `area-class' maps,'' Cartographica, Vol. 26:65-78, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  54. M. Molenaar. An Introduction to the Theory of Spatial Object Modelling for GIS. Taylor & Francis: 1998.

  55. A. Montanari and B. Pernici. ''Towards a temporal logic reconstruction of temporal databases,'' in Proceedings of the International Workshop on an Infrastructure for Temporal Databases, Arlington, TX, 1993.

  56. C. Parent, S. Spaccapietra, and E. Zimányi. ''Spatio-temporal conceptual models: Data structures + space + time,'' in Proceedings of ACM-GIS'99: the 7th International Symposium on Advances in Geographic Information Systems, Kansas City, MO, 1999.

  57. D. Parkes and N. Thrift. Times, Spaces, and Places. John Wiley & Sons: 1980.

  58. D.J. Peuquet. ''It's about time: A conceptual framework for the representation of temporal dynamics in geographic information systems,'' Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 84:441-461, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  59. D.J. Peuquet and N. Duan. ''An event-based spatiotemporal data model (ESTDM) for temporal analysis of geographical data,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 9:7-24, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  60. D. Pfoser and C.S. Jensen. ''Capturing the uncertainty of moving-object representations,'' in Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on the Advances in Spatial DatabasesÐSSD '99, Hong Kong, 1999.

  61. D. Pfoser and N Tryfona. Fuzziness and Uncertainty in Spatiotemporal Applications, Chorochronos project report, 2000.

  62. A. Pred. ''The choreography of existence: Comments on Hagerstrand's time geography and its usefulness,'' Economic Geography, Vol. 53:207-221, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  63. H.M. Rafaat, Z. Yang, and D. Gauthier. ''Relational spatial topologies for historical geographical information,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol. 8:163-173, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  64. J. Raper and D. Livingstone. ''Development of a geomorphological spatial model using object-oriented design,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 9:359-383, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  65. A. Raza and W. Kainz. ''Cell tuple based spatio-temporal data model: An object oriented approach,'' in Proceedings of ACM-GIS'99: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Advances in Geographic Information Systems, Kansas City, MO, 1999.

  66. J.F. Roddick and J.D. Patrick. ''Temporal semantics in information systemsÐA survey,'' Information Systems, Vol. 17:249-267, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  67. U. Schiel. ''An abstract introduction to the temporal-hierarchic data model,'' in Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, New York, 1983.

  68. T. Sellis. ''Research issues in spatio-temporal database systems,'' in Proceedings of Advances in Spatial Databases: 6th International Symposium, SSD '99, Hong Kong, China, 1999.

  69. R. Shibasaki. ''Handling spatio-temporal uncertainties of geo-objects for dynamic update of GIS databases from multi-source data,'' in Proceedings of Advanced Geographic Data Modelling, Delft, The Netherlands, 1994.

  70. D. Sinton. ''The inherent structure of information as a constraint to analysis: Mapped thematic data as acase study,'' in Proceedings of Harvard Advanced Study Symposium on Topological Data Structures, Cambridge, MA, 1977.

  71. R.T. Snodgrass (Ed.) The TSQL2 Temporal Query Language. Kluwer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science; No. 330. Kluwer: 1995.

  72. State of Maryland. ''MAGI: Maryland automated geographic information system,'' in D.J. Peuquet and D.F. Marble (Eds.) Introductory Readings in Geographic Information Systems. Taylor & Francis: 1990.

  73. M. Stonebraker. ''Triggers and inference in database systems,'' in M.L. Brodie and J. Mylopoulos (Eds.) On Knowledge Base Management Systems. Springer-Verlag: 1986.

  74. R. Studer. ''Modeling time aspects of information systems,'' Proceedings of the International Conference on Data Engineering, 1986.

  75. A.U. Tansel, J Clifford, S. Gadia, S. Jajodia, A. Seger, and R. Snodgrass (Eds.) Temporal Databases: Theory, Design and Application. Database Systems and Applications. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co.: 1993.

  76. Tobler. ''Automation and Cartography,'' Geographical Review, Vol. 49:526-534, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  77. J.R.R. Tolkein. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. Houghton Mif¯in: 1966.

  78. R.F. Tomlinson, H.W. Calkins, and D.F. Marble. Computer Handling of Geographical Data: An Examination of Selected Geographical Information Systems, International Geographical Union, Natural Resource Series No. 8, 1976.

  79. N. Tryfona and C.S. Jensen. ''Conceptual data modeling for spatiotemporal applications,'' GeoInformatica, Vol. 3:245-268, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  80. N. Tryfona and C.S. Jensen. ''Using abstractions for spatio-temporal conceptual modeling,'' in Proceedings of the 2000 ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, Como, Italy, 2000.

  81. N. Tryfona, D. Pfoser, and T. Hadzilacos. ''Modeling behavior of geographic objects: An experience with the object modeling technique,'' in Proceedings of the Ninth Conference on Advanced Information Systems and Engineering (CASE '97), Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1250, Springer-Verlag, 1997.

  82. S.D. Urban and L. Delcambre. ''An analysis of the structural, dynamic and temporal aspects of semantic data models,'' in Proceedings of International Conference on Data Engineering], New York, 1986.

  83. M. Wachowicz and R. Healey. ''Towards temporality in GIS,'' in M.F. Worboys (Eds.), Innovations in GIS. Taylor & Francis: 1994.

  84. F. Wang and G.B. Hall. ''Fuzzy representation of geographical boundaries in GIS,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 10:573-590, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  85. F. Wang, G.B. Hall, and Subaryono. ''Fuzzy information representation and processing in conventional GIS software: Database design and application,'' International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol. 4:261-283, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  86. W. Weber. ''Three types of map data structures, their ands and nots and a possible or,'' in Proceedings of Harvard Advanced Study Symposium on Topological Data Structures, Cambridge, MA, 1977.

  87. M.F. Worboys. ''Object oriented approaches to geo-referenced information,'' International Journal of Geographic Information Systems, Vol. 8:385-389, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  88. M.F. Worboys. ''A unified model for spatial and temporal information,'' The Computer Journal, Vol. 37:26-33,1994.

    Google Scholar 

  89. M. Yuan. ''Wildfire conceptual modeling for building GIS space-time models,'' in Proceedings of GIS/LIS '94, Phoenix, 1994.

  90. L.A. Zadeh. ''Fuzzy sets,'' Information and Control, Vol. 8:338-353, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and The GeoVista Center, The Pennsylvania State University, 302 Walker Building, University Park, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 16802

    Donna J. Peuquet

Authors
  1. Donna J. Peuquet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peuquet, D.J. Making Space for Time: Issues in Space-Time Data Representation. GeoInformatica 5, 11–32 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011455820644

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011455820644

Search

Navigation