On the integration of GIS and remotely sensed data: Towards an integrated system to handle the large volume of spatial data

Abstract

There are significant issues and problems in the integration of remotely sensed data and GIS due to the differences in data characterisation, data structure and data processing philosophy between the two technologies. Difficulties exist particularly in handling large data volumes in GIS which are unavoidable when using remotely sensed imagery. This paper focuses on the integration of image data with geographical information systems and reports on the development of a prototype relational image-based geographical information system. The application of this system is illustrated using a case study for land and resource management in the semi-arid zone of Australia.