# Geovisualization Techniques of Spatial Environmental Data Using Different Visualization Tools
## 1 Introduction  
The development of systems providing spatial information (geoinformatics systems, GIS) was the result of the dynamic evolution of informatics and the increasing societal demands for spatial data, which was further increased by the development of the Internet [1]. During the 2000s, parallel with the spreading of network-based geoinformatics systems, the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) was also in development [2]. It is increasingly common that the latest geoinformatics databases are not necessarily stored on the user's computer or in local networks, but rather on the World Wide Web in the clouds, which are visualized in the form of web maps. WebGIS revolves around web-based visualization of objects and phenomena, technical considerations, the use and usability of web maps and the evaluation and optimization of various techniques. Furthermore, it includes web-based visualization and analysis of spatial data [3]. Even though [PERSON] (2010) differentiates webGIS from web-based cartography, these differences are analogous to the relationship between GIS and cartography. Despite the fact that differentiating features are the same, their boundaries are not clear [4; 5]. The development of webGIS technology can be classified into two periods: the early CGI (Common Gateway Interface) based Internet GIS, and the webGIS based on Web 2.0 in which dynamics is key and which is associated with concepts such as neogeography, GeoWeb or geovisualization [6]. During the 2000s, parallel with the evolution of digital culture there was a growing demand for access to geographical information using geovisualization methods [7; 8]. The number of users further expanded and, alongside professional data service providers, this now includes individual users as well. To a large degree, the publication of these data was facilitated by the fact that popular map service providers (Google Maps and Yahoo! Maps, Bing Maps, MapQuest etc.) now provide systems free for the visualization of data; however, there are examples of initiatives to standardize, as well [9], the most widespread and popular of which is the Open KML 2.2 Encoding Standard, also known as OGCL KML (Keyhole Inc, Google, Mountain View, California, USA, 2004) developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OSGeo, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2002) [10]. [PERSON] coined the word geovisualization by contracting the expression \"geographic visualization\"; its essence is a new approach to the use of maps. One of its features is that a map is not created for the public but for individual use and its primary purpose is to provide new insights from the data. It supposes an intensive interaction between people and maps in the sense that we can directly manipulate the spatial data to be mapped. If we are talking about visualization, we do not use maps alone, but in combination with other visual aids (charts, tables, photographs, 3D models, etc.). In this sense visualization and communication are complementary events during map use [11]. According to the definition given in [12], cognitive infocommunications (CogInfoCom) \"explores the link between the research areas of infocommunications and cognitive sciences, as well as the various engineering applications which have emerged as a synergic combination of these sciences\". This specific multidisciplinary field has already become known in many disciplines, as is proved by several scientific papers containing sections which also examine the cognitive aspects of their results [13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44]. Effective data visualization in digital environment is in the focus of many research works, not only because the amount of data keeps increasing dramatically, but also because of the demand of people who prefer visual experience more and more intensively.