LIDAR DATA DISTRIBUTION, INTERPOLATION AND ANALYSIS ON THE GEON GRID - A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Acquisition and analysis of large LiDAR (Light Distance And Ranging) datasets pushes the computational limits of typical data distribution and processing systems. The high point-density of LiDAR datasets makes grid interpolation difficult for most geoscience users who lack the computing and software resources to handle these massive datasets. We present a conceptual framework that utilizes the GEON cyberinfrastructure to offer online data distribution, interpolation to grid, and analysis of large LiDAR datasets. Utilizing GEON’s powerful grid computing infrastructure, we propose a workflow that begins with users querying and selecting a segment of the larger dataset via an ArcIMS based interface. Once a selection has been made, the user can choose to perform a variety of grid interpolations and analyses via web services running on the GEON grid. Each interpolation and analysis task will be developed and implemented as a web service module; these modules will then be strung together to build the workflow. Our proposed framework employs GEON’s distributed computing capability to offer Triangular Interpolation Network (TIN), Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW), Kriging and Splined interpolation of LiDAR point data. Each gridding algorithm represents the measured land surface differently, thus, users can compare the quality of the resulting DEMS for the morphometric or process analyses they are performing. We propose development of web service-based gridding capability through the utilization of existing software (ESRI Spatial Analyst and GRASS – an open source GIS) or, at a greater investment of time, borrowed from published computational algorithms that can be adapted as modular web services for GEON. Web service-based grid analysis capability allows the user to perform basic grid manipulations such as generating hillshades, and performing raster and DEM calculations. Most of the desirable tools for these types of manipulations exist within the ESRI and/or GRASS suites of GIS software and could be implemented as modular web services on GEON. Download capability would be offered at any point in the proposed workflow with the user choosing from a variety of common file formats including, binary GRID, ASCII GRID and text file. The workflow would be wrapped in an authentification protocol already developed by GEON.