Web-based geostatistics using WPS

Mapping data using geostatistics can be a time-consuming process because of the many parameters to define. automap, a geostatistical package written in R, was developed to define automatically a spatial correlation model, a step that is considered to be the biggest obstacle for automating the spatial interpolation process with geostatistical algorithms. The implementation of automap into a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) would ensure the automatic interpolation routines to be platform independent, easy to integrate into existing applications, and freely available in a network environment. automap is here further proposed as a Web Processing Service (WPS) to allow end-users to benefit from a remote service to be used for the real-time mapping of environmental data in routine situations. It is the purpose of this paper to present the architecture of the service as well as to discuss by means of case studies the limitations of the real time mapping system for emergency response.