Geoinformatics
Scientific field combining computer science and geography for spatial data analysis.
Geoinformatics sits at the intersection of computer science and technical geography. Its core work involves writing software, designing spatial data structures, and analyzing objects and events in space and time on Earth’s surface, subsurface, and other celestial bodies. The field creates applications and web services that model and analyze spatial data, supporting geosciences and related scientific and engineering fields. The term is often used synonymously with geomatics, though they are not identical; geomatics is the broader discipline that includes both geodesy and geoinformatics.
At a general level, geoinformatics can be seen as efforts to bring computer scientists and geoscientists together to tackle complex scientific questions. More technically, it deals with the structure and character of spatial information—its capture, classification, storage, processing, portrayal, and dissemination—along with the infrastructure needed to make optimal use of that data. Since the rise of data science and artificial intelligence in the 2010s, the field has also adopted methods and advances from the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem.
The technologies at the heart of geoinformatics support the acquisition, analysis, and visualization of spatial data. Both geomatics and geoinformatics rely heavily on geodesy and cartography. Geography and earth science increasingly depend on digital spatial data from remote sensing, GIS analysis, aerial photo interpretation, and web mining. The field combines geospatial analysis and modeling, database development, information system design, human-computer interaction, and wired and wireless networking. It uses geocomputation and geovisualization to analyze geoinformation.
Key related areas include data standards and infrastructure. Geoinformatics depends on shared data models, controlled vocabularies, and persistent identifiers to merge observations from different surveys and labs. GeoSciML, an Open Geospatial Consortium standard, provides a common model for geological units, materials, structures, boreholes, and samples. The International Geo Sample Number assigns globally unique identifiers to physical specimens, linking them to datasets, publications, and repositories. Repositories like PANGAEA (Earth and environmental observations), EarthChem (geochemical and petrological data), and Macrostrat (geological maps and stratigraphic co
- field
- Computer Science, technical geography, geomatics
- known_for
- Spatial data analysis, geospatial databases, GIS, geocomputation, geovisualization
- related_disciplines
- Geodesy, cartography, geography, earth science, data science, artificial intelligence
- key_standards
- GeoSciML, International Geo Sample Number, FAIR principles
- key_repositories
- PANGAEA, EarthChem, Macrostrat
Lore & Background
Geoinformatics has at its core the technologies supporting the processes of acquisition, analysis and visualization of spatial data. Both geomatics and geoinformatics include and rely heavily upon the theory and practical implications of geodesy and cartography. Geography and earth science increasingly rely on digital spatial data acquired from remotely sensed images analyzed by geographical information systems (GIS), photo interpretation of aerial photographs, and Web mining. Geoinformatics combines geospatial analysis and modeling, development of geospatial databases, information systems design, human-computer interaction and both wired and wireless networking technologies.
Reader's Guide
Geoinformatics is significant as a bridge between computer science and geosciences, enabling the modeling and analysis of spatial data for a wide range of applications. The field depends on shared data models, controlled vocabularies, and persistent identifiers to combine observations from different surveys and laboratories. Standards such as GeoSciML and the International Geo Sample Number facilitate interoperability. Repositories like PANGAEA, EarthChem, and Macrostrat support the data lifecycle, increasingly applying FAIR principles to ensure data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Research in geoinformatics supports global and local environmental, energy, and security programs, with notable work at the Geographic Information Science and Technology group of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The field benefits many sectors, including urban planning, navigation, public health, environmental modeling, agriculture, meteorology, and biodiversity conservation. Geoinformatics is a key technology for decision-makers across disciplines and industries, from government agencies to international organizations like the United Nations.
Did You Know?
- Geoinformatics is often used interchangeably with Geomatics, although they are not exactly the same; Geomatics encompasses both geodesy and geoinformatics.
- The field has incorporated methodology and technical progress from the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem since the 2010s.
- GeoSciML is an Open Geospatial Consortium standard that provides a common model for geological units, earth materials, structures, boreholes, and samples.
- The Geographic Information Science and Technology group of Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the only group in the United States Department of Energy National Laboratory System focused on advanced theory and application r
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