How GIS Professionals Are Managing Terabyte-Scale Imagery Today
- Anvita Shrivastava
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
With the increasing amount of geospatial data being created, GIS professionals are beginning to realize that managing, storing, and delivering terabytes of imagery is now a mission-critical task rather than an optional task as before. Sources of high-resolution satellite and aerial photography as well as large LiDAR datasets across the United States require new ways to work with these datasets to ensure they can be efficiently processed without degradation of performance or accuracy while still meeting the needs for accessibility.
How are GIS teams managing the large amounts of data they have today? They are utilizing a mix of advanced image compression, optimized data formats, cloud-ready workflows, and smart imagery processing tools.
The Challenge of Terabyte-Scale Geospatial Data
The ability of modern sensors to capture images with unparalleled levels of detail and resolution has created opportunities for enhanced analysis and improved decision-making; however, these same advancements have created several significant challenges:
Storage cost increases exponentially based upon the amount of original image data
Slow-to-access data negatively affects productivity
Network bandwidth limitations restrict both sharing and streaming
Processing bottlenecks slow down the completion of time-sensitive projects
Normal image formats and traditional workflows cannot adequately support either the level or volume of image data currently being produced.
High-Performance Image Compression as a Foundation
The best method that GIS experts commonly use is the compression of images with a technique called wavelet. Modern compression methods enable you to maintain the quality of an image but to make the file much smaller than you would by simply using simple tiling or downsampling.
MrSID, created by LizardTech, has become the standard way to manage huge raster datasets. It often compresses images at a rate of 20 to 1 or more without a noticeable loss in visual quality, allowing users to accomplish the following:
Enable the storage of large amounts of data in a very small amount of disk space.
Enable users to load and view large images much faster than they would without using MrSID as the compression method.
Allow users to efficiently stream images over a network.
Maintain the accuracy of spatial data for analytical purposes.
As a result, this makes MrSID a very important product for organizations such as national mapping agencies, defense organizations, utilities, and enterprise GIS organizations.
Optimizing Imagery with GeoExpress
Optimizing the use of imagery—not just compressing it—is as important in modern GIS (Geographic Information Systems) as producing the information itself. GeoExpress is an integral part of today's GIS workflow, making it possible for GIS professionals to do the following:
Convert large amounts of raw imagery into optimized MrSID files
Control the amount and quality of the compression applied to the image
Create images that are quickly available for visualization and analysis
Process large data sets in batches to maximize production efficiency.
By incorporating GeoExpress into their production pipeline, organizations can take advantage of their terabytes of raw imagery and convert them into high-performance geospatial assets that can be made available on desktop, web, or cloud-based GIS platforms.
Cloud and Hybrid GIS Workflows
Today’s GIS environments are increasingly hybrid, blending on-premises infrastructure with cloud storage and processing. To support this shift, imagery formats must be streamable, scalable, and platform-agnostic.
Using compressed formats, such as MrSID, are well-suited for cloud-based workflows due to:
Reduced egress charges associated with transmitting data out of the cloud provider
Ability to access only the required image resolutions at point of use, and not the entire set of image resolution(s).
Quick rendering capabilities within web-based GIS applications, allowing data to be viewed much faster.
As a result, Teams can quickly distribute terabyte scale amounts of imagery to consumer-users without causing excessive consumption of cloud resources or putting a strain on their network connections.
Faster Access for Analysis and Visualization
GIS specialists not only keep to store images but now analyze them with a focus on speed when they support machine learning, analyze for change detection, and respond to emergencies.
Modern-image management strategies include:
Multi-resolution that supports rapid zooming and panning to quickly navigate within images.
Selective decoding will allow users to decode only necessary data—no more wasted time downloading images unnecessarily!
Optimized tiling and pyramids that support smoother, faster retrieval of images.
The MrSID architectural framework will support these very capabilities; therefore enabling the analyst to perform analysis on massive datasets using a direct-interactive approach rather than spending several minutes waiting for data to load before performing an analysis.
The Future of Large-Scale Imagery Management
With the increasing number of images being stored, GIS organizations will become more successful if they begin to focus on:
Efficiently compressing and optimizing images
Creating scalable methods for processing imagery
Developing data formats that work with cloud computing services
Creating imagery that can interoperate with the top GIS programs
Technologies such as MrSID and tools like GeoExpress will continue to be integral pieces to this strategy, providing GIS professionals with the ability to manage terabyte-sized images confidently, quickly, and accurately.
For more information or any questions regarding the LizardTech suite of products, please don't hesitate to contact us at:
Email: info@geowgs84.com
USA (HQ): (720) 702–4849
(A GeoWGS84 Corp Company)
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