scope:

This document defines a conceptual schema for coverages. A coverage is a mapping from a spatial, temporal or spatio-temporal domain to attribute values sharing the same type within the domain. A coverage domain consists of a collection of direct positions in a coordinate space that may be defined in terms of spatial and/or temporal dimensions. Examples of coverages include meshes/grids, triangulated irregular networks, point coverages and polygon coverages. Coverages are the prevailing data structures in a number of application areas, such as remote sensing, meteorology and mapping of bathymetry, elevation, soil and vegetation. This document defines the relationship between the domain of a coverage and an associated attribute range. The characteristics of the domain are defined whereas the characteristics of the attribute range are not part of this standard.