ENHANCING GPLATES FOR ONLINE PALEOGEOGRAPHIC RESEARCH: INTRODUCING THE GPLATES WEB ASSEMBLY (GPLATES WASM)

GPlates, an open-source, cross-platform GIS software, has been pivotal in tectonics and paleogeography. The recent browser-based implementation of GPlates, facilitated by pyGPlates and Cesium, offers real-time rotation of online datasets. Yet, this approach encounters limitations in data rotation efficiency and integration with diverse datasets. To address this issue, we introduce the GPlates Web Assembly (GPlates WASM), which harnesses the capabilities of the Web Assembly and Unity framework for enhanced computing efficiency and browser-based rendering. More importantly, GPlates WASM integrates with the Deep-time Digital Earth Platform, ensuring comprehensive data access and services. Our preliminary results highlight GPlates WASM's potential as an indispensable tool in paleogeographic research. We extend an invitation to the whole community to engage and collaborate utilizing this enhanced platform.