As humanity ventures rapidly beyond traditional terrestrial boundaries, encompassing the Earth’s surface, deep sea, and outer space, the demand for unprecedented precision in spatiotemporal information and positioning technologies intensifies. Central to this evolutionary trajectory are advancements in the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) and satellite positioning systems—technologies that underpin navigation, Earth monitoring, and major scientific explorations. The quest for millimeter-level accuracy in TRF remains a formidable scientific and engineering challenge, vital for applications ranging from seismic monitoring to climate change assessment.
Achieving a one-centimeter accuracy in satellite orbit determination has historically represented a significant milestone. However, modern scientific inquiries and global initiatives now demand even more stringent benchmarks. Monitoring geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and sea-level changes necessitates a reference frame with millimeter-level precision. The current state-of-the-art international Terrestrial Reference Frame, ITRF2020, while offering centimeter-level accuracy, falls short of meeting these requirements due to inherent limitations related to the nonlinear motion of globally dispersed reference stations. These nonlinearities largely stem from environmental mass redistributions in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and oceans.
Researchers such as Zhao Li and Weiping Jiang from Wuhan University, alongside Tonie van Dam from the University of Utah, have made significant strides in modeling these environmental loads to mitigate their impacts on station motion. Their collaborative work emphasizes refining environmental loading models and enhancing spatiotemporal resolution of surface mass distribution data. Furthermore, they highlight the necessity of understanding additional factors like ice sheet dynamics and anthropogenic mass changes. Developing optimized data processing strategies for global station datasets is also paramount to achieving the ambitious target of an ultra-precise, millimeter-level TRF.
The critical importance of real-time precise positioning technology becomes starkly evident in the realm of earthquake monitoring, especially amid the surge in seismic activity that has gripped the world since 2023. Accurate coseismic displacement measurements enable early warning systems to provide crucial minutes for emergency response. The integration of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for seismic monitoring represents a transformative approach. Innovations such as the GSeisRT software developed by Jianghui Geng and colleagues at Wuhan University exemplify this progress, delivering centimeter- to sub-centimeter-level GNSS point positioning in real time with ambiguity resolution.
GSeisRT technology’s deployment across multiple global seismic hotspots—spanning China, the United States, Chile, New Zealand, and Indonesia—has successfully recorded significant seismic events including the magnitude 7.4 quake in Mexico and notable tremors in California and China. This capability marks a paradigm shift from traditional seismic monitoring methods to a new era defined by widespread, real-time geodetic observation. It paves the way for improved public safety measures and enhances our understanding of the dynamic processes that govern seismic hazards.
Beyond precise positioning, geoinformation acquisition technologies have seen groundbreaking innovations, particularly in hyperspectral remote sensing. Hyperspectral imaging, with its ability to capture detailed spectral signatures across many contiguous bands, has revolutionized the identification and classification of terrestrial features. Traditional push-broom hyperspectral sensors, while highly sensitive, face constraints in swath width and spectral coverage. Addressing these limitations, Jianxin Jia and collaborators from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute have engineered an airborne multimodular imaging spectrometer (AMMIS).
AMMIS amalgamates advances in spectral measurement accuracy, compact optical design, and integrated payload layout. It achieves simultaneously high spatial and spectral resolution, extended spectral range, and a broad field of view—characteristics essential for diverse applications such as ecological monitoring, mineral prospecting, and land use planning. The platform’s modular design fosters adaptability and lays a foundational blueprint for the next generation of airborne and satellite-based hyperspectral sensors, propelling geoscience research into more refined realms of spatial and spectral data acquisition.
Concurrently, innovations in spaceborne microwave remote sensing expand our capacity to monitor Earth’s surface characteristics including vegetation dynamics, soil moisture fluctuations, atmospheric water vapor, and crustal deformations. L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology has emerged as a potent tool for unveiling ionospheric phenomena, particularly in equatorial regions where ionospheric irregularities and scintillation events are prevalent. Such ionospheric disturbances can significantly degrade satellite positioning performance by causing signal interruptions and losses.
Yifei Ji and his team at the National University of Defense Technology have developed an advanced methodology utilizing L-band SAR to detect and characterize ionospheric irregularity scintillations with exceptional spatial resolutions—better than 100 meters in the azimuth and approximately one kilometer in range. This new capability offers unprecedented insight into the temporal-spatial structures of ionospheric irregularities. By effectively probing these disturbances, the approach not only aids in mitigating satellite navigation errors but also contributes to fundamental ionospheric science, supporting improved system robustness in equatorial and tropical regions.
Urban environments represent another frontier where geospatial information science is rapidly evolving. The intensification of urbanization worldwide has transformed traditional two-dimensional cityscapes into increasingly complex three-dimensional structures. However, much of the existing urban analysis remains rooted in planar, 2D perspectives, limiting comprehensive understanding of urban spatial dynamics and resource allocation. To bridge this gap, Xiaoping Liu from Sun Yat-Sen University, collaborating with Guangzhao Chen from The University of Hong Kong, have pioneered the development of GUS-3D, the first multi-factor global dataset capturing 3D building space at a 500-meter resolution.
GUS-3D meticulously maps vertical building expansion trends, revealing that since 2000, vertical urban growth has surmounted horizontal sprawl in major global cities. The dataset spotlights stark inequalities in per capita 3D building space, with regions like India and South Africa possessing only one-quarter of the global average, underscoring profound spatial disparities in urban infrastructure. Such granular data empower urban planners to integrate verticality as a critical dimension in sustainable development strategies and provide a foundational resource for extending urban studies and policies into the three-dimensional realm.
These technological advancements underline the profound transformational shift underway in geospatial science and positioning technologies. From the quest to establish a millimeter-accurate global reference framework to real-time seismic hazard monitoring, from hyperspectral imaging breakthroughs to ionospheric anomaly detection, and the elevation of urban spatial analysis into three dimensions, the tapestry of geospatial innovation is becoming increasingly rich and intricate. Each development not only boosts our ability to observe and understand the Earth but also enhances our capability to respond to environmental challenges and societal needs with precision and foresight.
As these disciplines continue to converge and evolve, the integration of precise positioning and comprehensive geoinformation science will foster next-generation applications in environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction, ecological conservation, and urban sustainability. The work recently presented by leading researchers across China, the United States, Finland, and beyond represents a catalyst for unprecedented progress in this vital scientific domain. These efforts exemplify how cutting-edge technologies are shaping the future, offering transformative solutions that hold the promise of safer, smarter, and more sustainable societies worldwide.
This remarkable momentum in geospatial information technology not only fuels academic and scientific exploration but also drives widespread industrial innovations—from satellite navigation to electronic cartography—transforming everyday life at a fundamental level. Amid accelerating global challenges, precision, timeliness, and multidimensional understanding of geographic information emerge as indispensable tools for informed decision-making and resilient planning. Thus, the continued fostering of international collaboration, methodological refinement, and technological integration remains imperative to unlocking the full potential of these fields.
Looking ahead, the ambition to realize a unified, one millimeter-level Terrestrial Reference Frame epitomizes the grand challenge and opportunity of contemporary geodesy. Meeting this goal demands sustained interdisciplinary research, encompassing geophysics, remote sensing, data science, and engineering. Simultaneously, advances in satellite positioning algorithms, environmental load modeling, and ionospheric diagnostics will be crucial. Coupled with expansive urban geoinformation datasets and real-time seismic event detection systems, these scientific breakthroughs collectively signify the dawn of a new era where Earth observation and urban management transcend current limitations.
Ultimately, as researchers, technologists, and policymakers harness these geospatial innovations, humanity will gain unprecedented command over the complexities of our planet and its evolving urban landscapes. Embracing this convergence of precise measurement and insightful geographic understanding will catalyze more effective stewardship of Earth’s resources, bolster disaster resilience, and nurture sustainable development trajectories. The driving forces behind this progress—collaborative research, technological ingenuity, and visionary applications—underscore a vibrant future for geospatial science as an essential pillar in addressing the pressing challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
Subject of Research: High-precision satellite positioning, geoinformation science, environmental loading in TRF accuracy, real-time seismic monitoring, hyperspectral and microwave remote sensing, urban 3D geospatial data.
Article Title: Geospatial Information Technology Innovations: From Earth Monitoring to Urban Planning
News Publication Date: 23-Apr-2025
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.002
References:
- ITRF2020 and environmental load modeling studies by Zhao Li, Weiping Jiang, Tonie van Dam
- GSeisRT real-time GNSS positioning work by Jianghui Geng et al.
- AMMIS airborne hyperspectral imaging research by Jianxin Jia et al.
- L-band SAR ionospheric irregularity detection by Yifei Ji et al.
- GUS-3D global 3D building space dataset by Xiaoping Liu and Guangzhao Chen
Image Credits: Not provided in the source text.
