SolidEarth: a new Digital Earth system for the modeling and visualization of the whole Earth space

doi:10.1007/s11707-014-0438-7

Front. Earth Sci.

2014, Vol. 8

Issue (4) : 524-539 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-014-0438-7

RESEARCH ARTICLE

SolidEarth: a new Digital Earth system for the modeling and visualization of the whole Earth space

Liangfeng ZHU^1,^*(

),Jianzhong SUN²,Changling LI³,Bing ZHANG^1,⁴

1. Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science for Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
2. Center for Earth System Science, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
3. School of Environmental Science and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221008, China.
4. College of Geomatics Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing 211816, China.

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Abstract

Although many of the first-generation Digital Earth systems have proven to be quite useful for the modeling and visualization of geospatial objects relevant to the Earth’s surface and near-surface, they were not designed for the purpose of modeling and application in geological or atmospheric space. There is a pressing need for a new Digital Earth system that can process geospatial information with full dimensionality. In this paper, we present a new Digital Earth system, termed SolidEarth, as an alternative virtual globe for the modeling and visualization of the whole Earth space including its surface, interior, and exterior space. SolidEarth consists of four functional components: modeling in geographical space, modeling in geological space, modeling in atmospheric space, and, integrated visualization and analysis. SolidEarth has a comprehensive treatment to the third spatial dimension and a series of sophisticated 3D spatial analysis functions. Therefore, it is well-suited to the volumetric representation and visual analysis of the inner/outer spheres in Earth space. SolidEarth can be used in a number of fields such as geoscience research and education, the construction of Digital Earth applications, and other professional practices of Earth science.

Keywords Digital Earth Earth space full dimensionality visualization

Corresponding Author(s): Liangfeng ZHU

Online First Date: 06 June 2014 Issue Date: 13 January 2015

Cite this article:

Liangfeng ZHU,Jianzhong SUN,Changling LI, et al. SolidEarth: a new Digital Earth system for the modeling and visualization of the whole Earth space[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2014, 8(4): 524-539.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-014-0438-7
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2014/V8/I4/524

Fig.1 Classification of geospatial information and geospatial data model.

Fig.2 Geocellular voxel structure applied to 3D property models. (a) Geocellular employs a normal latitude-longitude grid as the basis for the spatial partition in the lateral direction. (b) The spatial partition along the vertical direction is deformable according to the actual data fields or the controlling interface of geospatial objects.

Fig.3 Modeling flow of geospatial property elements in 3D.

Fig.4 Network transmission and self-adaptive visualization of 3D geospatial information.

Fig.5 User interface of client side in SolidEarth.

Fig.6 Integration and visualization of geographic information relevant to the Earth’s surface and near-surface in SolidEarth. This figure illustrates the integration and display of remote-sensing images, DEMs, and maps at the same view. Note that at the upper-left part of the screen only the terrain model is visible, whilst at other parts remote-sensing images and maps are draped over the underlying rugged terrain.

Fig.7 Integration and visualization of geological structure model and geographic objects. This figure illustrates the integration, display, and analysis of remote-sensing images, DEMs, ground objects, and 3D solid models of geological structures generated from boreholes, at one view.

Fig.8 Example of modeling and visualization for 3D geospatial property elements in SolidEarth. This figure illustrates an overview of the 3D spatial distribution of the compressional wave velocity (Vp) field within the interior space of the Earth.

Fig.9 Virtual roaming and spatial query of the property information within the interior space of the Earth. In SolidEarth, users can perform such operations as virtual roaming by swooping over geological space, spotting, and measurement of property value in any spatial position by clicking 3D solid models.

Fig.10 Example of modeling and visualization in atmospheric space. In this figure, the geometrical boundaries for individual sublayers and the temperature field model in the atmosphere are integrated and visualized simultaneously. Note that the opacity for each sublayer in the atmosphere is increased from the interstellar space to the Earth’s space.

Fig.11 Integration, visualization, and analysis of geospatial objects in geographical, geological, and atmospheric space. In this figure, the stratified boundaries between different atmospheric sublayers, the temperature field model within atmospheric space, remote-sensing images of the Earth’s surface, and a 3D structural model of the interior Earth are integrated, displayed, and analyzed at the same view.

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