ABSTRACT
Geospatial data representing real-world locations are three dimensional (3-D), and modern measurement systems collect data in a physical 3-D environment. This chapter defines and describes the Global Spatial Data Model (GSDM) as a collection of mathematical concepts and procedures that can be used to collect, organize, store, process, manipulate, evaluate, and use 3-D spatial data. Although the terms “spatial data” and “geospatial data” are often used interchangeably, spatial data are those generic data that describe the size and shape of an object while geospatial data are referenced to planet Earth. While the default context of the GSDM is geospatial data, the geometrical and mathematical properties of spatial data are essentially the same as for geospatial data. The GSDM includes both the algorithms for processing spatial data and procedures that can be used to provide a defensible statistical description of spatial data quality.
