Spatiotemporal Analytical Unit Problems

Spatiotemporal data typically contain spatial, temporal, and attribute data that portrait the characteristics of the geographical events. Such data can not only be used for the analysis of the spatial distribution of geographic objects but can also be used for exploring the spatiotemporal patterns and trends of the events. Spatiotemporal analysis usually combines and summarizes a series of spatiotemporal events using pre-defined spatiotemporal units to uncover potential patterns or trends. In a commonly used format, the spatiotemporal units are formed by a two-dimensional plane and the time dimension as the third. To fully appreciate the dynamic nature among geographic events (such as crime or disease occurrences), it is necessary to consider both time and space when deciding on what units to use in the analysis. Since both time and space are continuous, the selection and use of any units are in most cases artificial or subjective.