What's going on about geo-process modeling in virtual geographic environments (VGEs)

•We proposed the conceptual framework of integrated modeling in VGEs.•We reviewed the status of cross-disciplinary and cross-scale geo-process modeling.•Model sharing and modeling management can be improved with model base.•Comprehensive analysis of uncertainty is still challenging in modeling.

Geography investigates changes in physical structures and distributions of objects in spatiotemporal world, which are shaped by geographic process (geo-process). With extensive simulation models used to study geo-process, this paper examines the status of geo-process modeling (namely model-based simulation) for multidisciplinary geo-processes across scales in virtual geographic environments (VGEs). The conceptual framework of integrated modeling in VGEs is proposed with a review of specific issues, including model sharing and management, collaborative modeling and uncertainty analysis. The contribution of a model base in model reusability and modeling management, concerning input data, parameterization, and simulation output, is detailed. Finally, this paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions for holistic geo-process modeling.