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TerraLib: An Open Source GIS Library for Large-Scale Environmental and Socio-Economic Applications

  • Chapter
Open Source Approaches in Spatial Data Handling

Part of the book series: Advances in Geographic Information Science ((AGIS,volume 2))

Abstract

This chapter describes TerraLib, an open source GIS software library. The design goal for TerraLib is to support large-scale applications using socio-economic and environmental data. TerraLib supports coding of geographical applications using spatial databases, and stores data in different database management systems including MySQL and PostgreSQL. Its vector data model is upwards compliant with Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. It handles spatio-temporal data types (events, moving objects, cell spaces, modifiable objects) and allows spatial, temporal, and attribute queries on the database. TerraLib supports dynamic modeling in generalized cell spaces, has a direct runtime link with the R programming language for statistical analysis, and handles large image data sets. The library is developed in C++, and has programming interfaces in Java and Visual Basic. Using TerraLib, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) developed the TerraView open source GIS, which provides functions for data conversion, display, exploratory spatial data analysis, and spatial and non-spatial queries. Another noteworthy application is TerraAmazon, Brazil’s national database for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, which manages more than 2 million complex polygons and 60 gigabytes of remote sensing images.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Av dos Astronautas 1758, 12227-010 São José dos Campos, Brazil

    Gilberto Câmara, Lúbia Vinhas, Karine Reis Ferreira, Gilberto Ribeiro De Queiroz, Ricardo Cartaxo Modesto De Souza & Antônio Miguel Vieira Monteiro

  2. Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO), Rua Marquês de São Vicente 22522, 453-900 Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil

    Marcelo Tílio De Carvalho & Marco Antonio Casanova

  3. Space Research and Applications Foundation (FUNCATE), Av. Dr. João Guilhermino, 429 – 18th floor, 12210-131 São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil

    Ubirajara Moura De Freitas

Authors
  1. Gilberto Câmara
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  2. Lúbia Vinhas
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  3. Karine Reis Ferreira
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  4. Gilberto Ribeiro De Queiroz
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  5. Ricardo Cartaxo Modesto De Souza
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  6. Antônio Miguel Vieira Monteiro
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  7. Marcelo Tílio De Carvalho
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  8. Marco Antonio Casanova
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  9. Ubirajara Moura De Freitas
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Surveying, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    G. Brent Hall

  2. Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N21 3C5

    Michael G. Leahy

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Câmara, G. et al. (2008). TerraLib: An Open Source GIS Library for Large-Scale Environmental and Socio-Economic Applications. In: Hall, G.B., Leahy, M.G. (eds) Open Source Approaches in Spatial Data Handling. Advances in Geographic Information Science, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74831-1_12

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