collect, store, organize, and distribute data
common to see data files in the 10-100 megabyte range, up to gigabytes of remote sensing data.
USGS National Map or download National Atlas data files
allows exploration of relationships among data layers
"...high yield forage grass is most common on which rock types?"
"...how does population density relate to water quality?"
criteria matching
"I need to find a place for an outdoor recreation specialist at the Forest Service that is...
on public land
with gentle slope
with permeable soils (for the the privy!)
possessing nice views of the Blue Ridge
amongst shade trees
and within 50 m of a canoe-able river...
so that she can build a campsite there."
allows scenario testing
...if we raised the smokestack to 990 ft, would the effluent bypass the inversion layer?"
"how about moving it to here?... or here?..."
CommunityViz a commercial ArcGIS extension to test land use scenarios
serves as a data handler for other analyses
e.g., passing geologic and topographic data to an erosion model of the Appalachians, or passing water quality and groundwater levels to a groundwater flow model
these are typically written in other languages (C++, Fortran, etc) that can access the GIS.
- A flood inundation model (HEC-RAS flow model coupled with GIS layer of watershed)
- A forest fire plume model
aids visualization
- which improves understanding and pattern recognition
- & facilitates public participation in alternative scenarios
- & coordinates group decision making
models environmental processes and outcomes
forward modeling - input known conditions to predict outcomes
inverse modeling - input known outcomes or conditions to understand causes
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