Spherical coordinate system

A spherical coordinate system is a system of coordinates used to specify the positions of objects in three-dimensional space. It consists of three axes, each of which is perpendicular to the other two. The axes intersect at a point called the origin, and the positions of objects are specified by their distance from the origin, and the angles they make with the axes.

Supply Side Platform (SSP)

A platform that allows publishers to manage the inventory of ad space on their websites and mobile applications, and to set prices for that inventory.

Temporal reference system

A temporal reference system defines how time is measured and expressed in a dataset — the time equivalent of a coordinate reference system for space. It establishes the origin time is counted from, the units it is counted in, and the calendar or clock convention in use, so that a timestamp means the same thing to everyone reading it.

The main kinds

  • Calendar and clock systems — dates and times expressed in a recognised calendar, such as ISO 8601 timestamps in UTC.
  • Temporal coordinate systems — elapsed time measured from a defined epoch, such as Unix time counting seconds from 1 January 1970.
  • Ordinal systems — named, ordered intervals without fixed numeric length, such as geological eras.

Why it matters in location data

Movement data is meaningless without reliable time. Joining observations into a trajectory, applying a dwell-time threshold, or comparing a campaign period against a control period all assume every timestamp shares one reference. Mixed time zones, inconsistent handling of daylight saving, or a mixture of local and UTC timestamps will corrupt any sequence-dependent analysis — and will do so quietly.

In standards

ISO 19108 defines temporal schema for geographic information, setting out how temporal reference systems are described alongside the spatial ones in a GIS.

Temporal thing

A temporal thing is an object that exists in time. It has a definite beginning and end, and exists for a specific period of time.

The Data Management Association (DAMA)

DAMA is an international professional association for data management professionals. DAMA provides guidance on data management best practices and promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience among data management practitioners.

Thematic map

A thematic map is a map that shows the distribution of a particular theme, such as population density, climate, or land use.

Topographic map

A topographic map is a map that shows the relief of an area, that is, the shape of the land surface. It is usually shown with contour lines, which are lines of equal elevation.

Topography

Topography is the study of the shape of the land surface. It includes the measurement of the elevation of the land, and the identification of landforms such as mountains, valleys, and plains.

Topology

Topology is the study of the properties of space that are invariant under continuous deformations, such as stretching, twisting, and crumpling. It is concerned with the properties of space that are preserved under such deformations.

Triangulated irregular network

A triangulated irregular network is a data structure used to represent a three-dimensional surface. It consists of a set of points, called nodes, and a set of triangles, which are defined by the nodes. The triangles are used to approximate the surface, and the nodes are used to store the data values.