Geomatics, the handling and processing of information and data about the
Earth, is one geoscience discipline that has seen major changes in the
last decade, as mapping and observation systems become ever more
sensitive and sophisticated. This book is a unique and in-depth survey
of the field, which has a central role to play in tackling a host of
environmental issues faced by society. Covering all three strands of
geomatics - applications, information technology and surveying - the
chapters cover the history and background of the subject, the technology
employed both to collect and disseminate data, and the varied
applications to which geomatics can be put, including urban planning,
assessment of biodiversity, disaster management and land administration.
Relevant professionals, as well as students in a variety of disciplines
such as geography and surveying, will find this book required reading.
This rapidly developing field uses increasingly complex and accurate
systems. Today, technology enables us to capture geo-data in full 3D as
well as to disseminate it via the Web at the speed of light. We are able
to continuously image the world from space at resolutions of up to 50
cm. Airborne LiDAR (laser surveying) sensors can be combined with
digital camera technology to produce geometrically correct images of the
Earth's surface, while integrating these with large-scale topographic
maps and terrestrial as well as aerial images to produce 3D cityscapes
that computer users can explore from their desktops.
