The book deals with two central themes: data modeling and management for 3D objects during different time states and the opening of geoinformation systems to a new generation of component-based GIS. The way from first geo-database kernel systems to a component-based GeoToolKit is presented. Furthermore, the implementation of a component-based GIS with geological and geophysical applications is described. With the common data access to a geo-database the geological and the geophysical applications are brought closer together and profit from each other's interpretations of the data.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Fundamental Principles.- Examples of Today's Geoinformation Systems.- Data Modelling and Management for 3D/4D Geoinformation Systems.- Systems Development: from Geodatabase Kernel Systems to Component-Based 3D/4D Geoinformation Systems.- Data and Methods Integration.- Systems Integration.- Outlook.

The ideas for this book were conceived during the last years when I was with GIs groups at the Technical University of Darmstadt (group of Hans Jorg Schek) and at Bonn University (group of din B. Cremers). The results in the book are closely connected with two research projects that have been supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG): the collaborative re search centre (SFB 350) "Interactions between and Modelling of Continental Geosystems" which was set up at Bonn University and the joint project "Interoperable Geoinformation Sys tems (IOGIS)". First and foremost, I am very grateful to Armin B. Cremers for the supervision of my habil itation thesis and the support of the GIs group. In the same way I am indebted to Agemar Siehl for his support during many years of collaborative work and for reading the manuscript from a geological view point at short notice. Without him I would not have arrived at Bonn at all. I thank Rainer Manthey for his valuable hints and Horst Neugebauer for his engagement within the SFB 350. He motivated me to write the English manuscript.