LambdaGEO — Research Lab in Computing and Geotechnologies

UFMA · Computer Engineering · Geotechnology & Applied Computing · DisSModel Ecosystem

prof_pic.webp

✉️ sergio.costa@ufma.br

📍 UFMA — São Luís, MA, Brazil

Lattes · Google Scholar

🛰️ LambdaGEO

Computing & Geotechnology Research Group

LambdaGEO is a research group at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) working at the intersection of Computer Engineering, Geosciences, and Open Science.

We develop reproducible, open-source tools for spatial simulation, semantic data integration, and environmental modeling — with a 20+ year research trajectory focused on one question:

How can geospatial models be built so that others can understand, reuse, and trust them?

→ Learn about our research trajectory


🌍 The DisSModel Ecosystem

Our flagship initiative is DisSModel — a modern, Python-native framework for discrete spatial simulation. To foster community-driven development, the ecosystem is hosted under its own organization:
🔗 github.com/DisSModel

🛠️ Core Framework & Infrastructure

Repository Description Status
dissmodel Modular engine for CA & System Dynamics; dual-substrate (Vector/Raster) ✅ PyPI · v0.4
dissmodel-platform Scalable execution via FastAPI, Redis, MinIO; cloud-ready 🚧 Beta
dissmodel-docs Documentation, tutorials, and API reference (MkDocs) 📚 Live

🧩 Domain Libraries

Specialized extensions for scientific applications:

Repository Domain Key Models
dissmodel-ca Cellular Automata Game of Life, Forest Fire, Growth
dissmodel-sysdyn System Dynamics SIR, Predator-Prey, Lorenz
coastal-dynamics Coastal Systems Flood propagation, mangrove migration
DisSLUCC Land Use Change CLUE-inspired allocation, demand modeling

💡 All libraries follow the Executor Pattern: same model code runs locally or on cloud clusters without modification.


🧠 Semantic Web & Geoinformatics

We bridge Linked Open Data (LOD) with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enable interoperable, FAIR-compliant spatial research:

Project Description Link
rdfmapper Declarative Object-RDF Mapper for Python GitHub
QGISSPARQL Bridge Triple Stores ↔ QGIS for semantic mapping GitHub
DBCells Publish spatial modeling data as Linked Data cubes GitHub

🎯 These projects feed into DisSModel’s provenance layer: every experiment records SHA-256 checksums, TOML specs, and Git commits for full reproducibility.


📖 Research Trajectory

DisSModel did not emerge from a blank slate. It synthesizes two decades of inquiry:

Period Project Contribution
2001–2002 Terra Translator (XML, ontologies) Foundation: semantics + open standards for geographic data
2005 TerraHS (Haskell + GIS) Vision: scientific models as verifiable, executable artifacts
2007–2010 TerraME / LuccME (INPE) Maturity: spatially explicit dynamic models as scientific objects
2015–2024 DbCells, Linked Data, QGIS plugins Infrastructure: reproducibility via rich metadata
2024–2026 DisSModel (Python, FAIR, cloud-native) Synthesis: same code from CLI to distributed cluster

Three principles unite this trajectory:
🔓 Openness as method · 🧩 Interoperability as architecture · ♻️ Reproducibility as requirement

→ Read the full research statement (link para PDF ou página dedicada)


📚 Geospatial Modeling with Python (The Book)

We are writing an open-access book to empower researchers with modern Python tools for geographic data science and simulation.

📘 Read the book (Work in Progress)
🛠️ Contributions welcome! See the repository for guidelines.


👨‍🏫 Leadership & Mentorship

Prof. Sérgio Souza Costa
Associate Professor of Computer Engineering, UFMA
Researcher, Graduate Program in Environmental Science & Technology (PPGC&TAmb)

🎓 Background: MSc & PhD in Remote Sensing (INPE); Data Processing Technology (UFMA)
🔬 Focus: Reproducible geospatial modeling, functional programming, FAIR data infrastructure

🎓 For Students & Collaborators

We use Notion for mentorship, lecture materials, and project tracking:
🔗 profsergiocosta.notion.site

Interested in joining LambdaGEO?
We welcome motivated PIBIC, and master’s students with interest in:

  • 🐍 Python for scientific computing
  • 🗺️ GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis
  • ♻️ Reproducibility, FAIR principles, and open science
  • ⚙️ Software engineering for research software

📩 Contact: sergio.costa@ufma.br with a brief note about your background and interests.


🤝 Partners & Affiliations

  • 🏛️ UFMA — Federal University of Maranhão
  • 🛰️ INPE — National Institute for Space Research (Brazil)
  • 🌐 Brazil Data Cube — Open Earth Observation platform
  • 🎓 PPGC&TAmb — Graduate Program in Environmental Science & Technology

📬 Stay Connected

“A ciência não deve ser reescrita para ir para a produção.”
(“Science should not need to be rewritten to go into production.”)
DisSModel Design Principle

news

Jan 15, 2016 A simple inline announcement with Markdown emoji! :sparkles: :smile:
Nov 07, 2015 A long announcement with details
Oct 22, 2015 A simple inline announcement.

latest posts

selected publications

  1. GeoNordeste
    AVALIAÇÃO DA ACURÁCIA NA CLASSIFICAÇÃO DE USO E COBERTURA DA TERRA: UM ESTUDO DE CASO NA REGIÃO INTERMEDIÁRIA DE SÃO LUÍS COM O MAPBIOMAS
    Thomas Victor de Sousa Malheiros Rocha, Sérgio Souza Costa, Luís Fernando Fernando Cirqueira da Silva Correia, and 1 more author
    Revista GeoNordeste, Dec 2025
  2. RTG
    EXPANSÃO DO DESMATAMENTO NO CERRADO MARANHENSE ENTRE OS ANOS DE 2001 – 2023
    Luís Fernando Cirqueira da Silva Correia, Thomas Victor de Sousa Malheiros Rocha, Denílson da Silva Bezerra, and 2 more authors
    Revista Tocantinense de Geografia, 2026
  3. RBC
    DBCells: An Open and Global Multi-Scale Linked Cells
    Sergio Souza Costa, Micael Lopes Silva, Thamyla Maria de Souza Lima, and 1 more author
    Revista Brasileira de Cartografia, May 2017
  4. AABC
    The Amazon COP and the Need for Integration between the Environmental and Climate Agendas
    Denilson da Silva Bezerra, Sérgio Souza Costa, and others
    Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, Sep 2025
  5. RSP
    Population-based seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and the herd immunity threshold in Maranhão
    Antônio Augusto Moura da Silva, Lídio Gonçalves Lima-Neto, Conceição de Maria Pedrozo e Silva de Azevedo, and 18 more authors
    Revista de Saúde Pública, Dec 2020
  6. Landsc Ecol
    Dynamical coupling of multiscale land change models
    Evaldinolia Moreira, Sérgio Souza Costa, Ana Paula Aguiar, and 2 more authors
    Landscape Ecology, Nov 2009
  7. Ci.Inf.
    DBacademic: Conectando os dados abertos das instituições de ensino do Brasil
    Sérgio Souza Costa, Mateus Vitor Duarte, Micael Lopes Silva, and 2 more authors
    Ciência da Informação, Sep 2020
  8. IntechOpen
    Spatially Explicit Modeling for Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in the Baixada Maranhense, Brazilian Legal Amazon
    Denilson da Silva Bezerra, Sérgio Souza Costa, Flávia Rebelo Mochel, and 4 more authors
    In Dynamics of the Oceans - Variability, Hydrological Cycles, and Sea Level Change, 2025
  9. PhD Thesis
    Regional scale agent-based modelling of land change: evolving institutional arrangements in frontier areas
    S. S. Costa
    National Institute for Space Research (INPE), 2012