This thesis focuses on modeling and visualizing dynamic landscape objects and their qualities. It contains ontologies to characterize and model dynamic landscape features using spatial data. It considers their spatial data qualities and visualizes them by explorative methods. In this study, the dynamic landscape features are derived from a coastal movement application within the Netherlands, whereby beaches are subject to nourishment due to severe erosion. The description and classification of beach objects and their processes essentially grounds on the perception of the coastal landscape. Modeling a landscape is a basic agreement on the conceptualization of these features and processes. The aim is to develop a framework for conceptualization of dynamic beach objects, to understand the physical processes involved and to illustrate decision rules adopted in classification of these objects. Also, quality issues related to beach nourishments are studied, visualized and explored, using new visualization techniques. A domain-specific ontology can serve as a framework for the conceptualization of beach objects and their processes. The discrimination into product and problem ontology supports the guidance for classification of these objects and to elucidate which data ‘fit for use’. Data qualities are assessed using a quality matrix, where ontological features are portrayed against quality elements. Elements of positional, thematic and temporal accuracy and data completeness are considered of high importance for the beach nourishment application. The problem and product ontology helps to define two scenarios; the first determined by the regulations from the Ministry for Public Works; the second grounded on the abilities from an existing spatial dataset. A comparison between them shows that 72.8% of the objects suitable and non-suitable for nourishment are correctly classified. A higher overlap is found in areas where actual beach nourishments were carried out. Inaccuracies in attributes, i.e. altitude, vegetation and wetness, influence the determination of the objects. A sensitivity analysis applied on altitude shows that determinate boundaries for beach nourishment objects are not reasonable and consequently should be treated as vague objects. The ontology for beach objects is extended with a spatio-temporal ontology that considers objects to be vague and dynamic. It contains
