Vol. 6, No. 3 March 1996 INSIDE • 1995 Medals and Awards, p. 13 GSA TODAY • GSA Web Site Additions— A Publication of the Geological Society of America Journal Indexes, p. 7 Abstract submission, p. 48 Development of Geographic Information Systems–Oriented Databases for Integrated Geological and Geophysical Applications J. Douglas Walker, Ross A. Black, Jonathan K. Linn, Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 A. J. Thomas, R. Wiseman, M. G. D’Attilio, Department of Geography, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 Figure 1. Composite satellite imagery, geologic contact, digital elevation model and gravity map of the Maturango Peak–Panamint Springs area, Argus Range and Panamint Valley, California. The map base is built from various con- tiguous image sources: lower half—16.5 m pixel thematic mapper image; upper left— 15 m pixel digital elevation models (northwest corner); and upper right—part of the Darwin 1:100,000 sheet. Colors on the elevation model ramp from about 450 m for the darkest blue to about 1800 m for the brightest green. Overlain on this are geologic contacts (bold red lines representing faults, thin red lines showing depositional and intrusive contacts) from Moore (1976). The orange lines are Bouguer gravity contours in mgal from the National Geophysical Data Center data set. The area shown is approximately 30 km × 30 km. ABSTRACT and time-consuming effort to digitize, foci—either are available free of charge The use of geographic information characterize, and check for quality. If or can be purchased at a small cost. systems (GIS) is becoming increasingly entered thoroughly, that is with each These data sets are typically already in a common in geological and geophysical geologic contact, rock unit, and struc- form easy to integrate into a GIS studies. These systems provide powerful tural measurement recorded and database. When properly constructed, tools for integrating and analyzing large assigned explicit geologic attributes, the the final database contains a variety of data sets of various kinds and origins. resulting data set is accessible to both types of information that are referenced One of the most complex and costly casual and expert users. In addition, the to a common geographic base. data sets to incorporate into these sys- attributes allow for detailed analysis of tems is surface geological information the geology. Other types of data—e.g., (geologic maps), which require intense gravity measurements and earthquake Databases continued on p. 2 IN THIS ISSUE GSA TODAY March Vol. 6, No. 3 1996 Development of Geographic SAGE Remarks ......................... 38 Information Systems–Oriented GSA TODAY (ISSN 1052-5173) is published Databases for Integrated Geological Environment Matters ................... 41 monthly by The Geological Society of America, Inc., 1996 GeoVentures ..................... 41 with offices at 3300 Penrose Place, Boulder, Colorado. and Geophysical Applications ....... 1 Mailing address: P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301- GSA on the Web ...................... 42 9140, U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Boulder, Journal Indexes on the Web ............. 7 Colorado, and at additional mailing offices. Postmas- GSAF Update .......................... 8 New Associated Societies ............... 44 ter: Send address changes to GSA Today, Membership Services, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140. Forum ................................. 10 International Division News ............. 44 Copyright © 1996, The Geological Society of America, 1995 Medals and Awards .............. 13 Calendar .............................. 44 Inc. (GSA). All rights reserved. Copyright not claimed GSA Meetings ......................... 45 on content prepared wholly by U.S. Government In Memoriam .......................... 37 employees within the scope of their employment. Per- Classifieds ............................. 46 mission is granted to individuals to photocopy freely all Memorial Preprints ..................... 37 items other than the science articles to further science Submit Abstracts Via the Web ........... 48 and education. Individual scientists are hereby granted Congressional Science Fellow Report .... 37 permission, without royalties or further requests, to make unlimited photocopies of the science articles for use in classrooms to further education and science, and to make up to five copies for distribution to associates in the furtherance of science; permission is granted to Databases continued from p. 1 frames for animation. In the end, the make more than five photocopies for other noncom- mercial, nonprofit purposes furthering science and edu- geologist compares data from the various cation upon payment of the appropriate fee ($0.25 per INTRODUCTION sources (topography, geology, satellite page) directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Geographic information systems images, aerial photography, geophysics) Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, phone (508) 744-3350 (include title and ISSN when paying). (GIS) are being used by thousands of to solve a specific problem. This task Written permission is required from GSA for all other companies, government agencies, and would be much less cumbersome and forms of capture, reproduction, and/or distribution of other entities worldwide for the storage, time-consuming if all the data sets could any item in this journal by any means. GSA provides this and other forums for the presentation of diverse retrieval, and manipulation of spatially be put to the same map scale, datum, and opinions and positions by scientists worldwide, regard- referenced data. Several groups, such as geographic projection (georeferenced). less of their race, citizenship, gender, religion, or politi- the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), work All of the comparisons and overlays cal viewpoint. Opinions presented in this publication do not reflect official positions of the Society. specifically with geological information for this example project can be accom- (e.g., Wright and Stewart, 1990; Went- plished easily and efficiently using a SUBSCRIPTIONS for 1996 calendar year: worth and Fitzgibbon, 1991; Fitzgibbon computer-based GIS. Such systems allow Society Members: GSA Today is provided as part of et al., 1991; Jacobson, 1993) and have put for the manipulation of data in a manner membership dues. Contact Membership Services at together techniques for handling such that is scale independent (e.g., analysis and (800) 472-1988 or (303) 447-2020 for membership information. Nonmembers & Institutions: Free with data sets. At the University of Kansas presentation can be manipulated to any paid subscription to both GSA Bulletin and Geology, we have recently put together a GIS scale). In addition, GIS software includes otherwise $45 for U.S., Canada, and Mexico; $55 else- laboratory specifically for performing utilities for placing information into a where. Contact Subscription Services. Single copies may be ordered from Publication Sales. Claims: For integrated geological and geophysical common projection (i.e., universal trans- nonreceipt or for damaged copies, members contact studies. We use the programs ARC/INFO™ verse mercator [UTM]) and datum. This Membership Services; all others contact Subscription (by Environmental Systems Research not only allows the data sets to be super- Services. Claims are honored for one year; please allow sufficient delivery time for overseas copies. Institute, Inc.) for GIS generation and posed, but also gives them geographic con- IMAGINE™ (by ERDAS, Inc.) for tent (e.g., a map or image location con- STAFF: Prepared from contributions from the manipulating imagery data. tains information with regard to its actual GSA staff and membership. The usefulness of a GIS can be location in real-world coordinates). Figure Executive Director: Donald M. Davidson, Jr. 1 shows an example of various types of Science Editor: Suzanne M. Kay demonstrated in the following scenario. Department of Geological Sciences, Cornell University, For a mapping project, a geologist usually data from numerous sources that were Ithaca, NY 14853 starts out by examining a small-scale, combined through the use of the Forum Editor: Bruce F. Molnia ARC/INFO and IMAGINE software. U.S. Geological Survey, MS 917, National Center, regional geologic map (e.g., a state map) Reston, VA 22092 to pick a study area. Mapping is then done In this paper we provide some insight Managing Editor: Faith Rogers using 1:24,000 or larger scale topographic into the development of geological Production & Marketing Manager: James R. Clark databases from the perspective of a small Production Editor and Coordinator: Joan E. Manly maps or air photos. The data are then Graphics Production: Joan E. Manly, Adam S. McNally compiled on topographic maps, possibly start-up academic laboratory. We cover at another map scale, either by directly many types of geological and geophysical ADVERTISING tracing on an overlay sheet or by visually data, but much of the discussion empha- Classifieds and display: contact Ann Crawford transferring data by using topographic sizes incorporation of existing geologic (303) 447-2020; fax 303-447-1133 features. The geologist may also utilize a maps. For more general discussions of GIS, Issues of this publication are available electronically, in Landsat Thematic Mapper scene that see the suggested readings at the end of full color, from GSA as Acrobat “Portable Document shows important features that can be this article. Format” (PDF) files. These can be viewed and