Geographic Grid-Computing and HPC Empowering Dynamical Visualisation for Geoscientific Information Systems

This paper gives an overview of the potential of the current implementation of portable components for Geoscientific Information Systems (GIS) within the GISIG actmap-project. The computing problems addressed are multifold and for the first time presented here: With Active Source having extended the framework for conventional GIS, new features have been enabled like the use of Grid Computing and cluster resources, dynamical visualisation, and High Performance Computing (HPC) in order to be used for Geographic Grid Computing. Base of scientific content can for example be geophysical information like environmental or seismological data, geographical and spatial information using Geographic Data Infrastructures (GDI), as well as data from industrial, economic, cultural, and social sources. An integrated solution for monitoring, accounting, billing supporting the geo-information market can be incorporated into this context. An outlook is given for Geographic Grid Computing e.g. for the extended use of Web Services and GDI in the future.