The Geoprocessing Web

As Web services technology has matured in recent years, an increasing amount of geospatial resources and processing functions are available in the form of online Web services. Consequently, effective and efficient data processing methods for geospatial information extraction and knowledge discovery over the Web are a major challenge for research and industry. The Geoprocessing Web, which consists of light-weight protocols, crowd-sourcing capability, and the capability to process real-time geospatial data sources provided by sensors, enables distributed, interoperable and collaborative processing of geospatial data for information and knowledge discovery. This paper provides a comprehensive overview about the state-of-the-art architecture and technologies, and the most recent developments in the Geoprocessing Web.

► The Geoprocessing Web enables interoperable and collaborative geoprocessing. ► Existing approaches of Web-based geoprocessing are discussed. ► The definition and framework of the Geoprocessing Web are explored. ► The issues and developments towards the Geoprocessing Web are discussed.