Development Of A Web-Based Geographic Information System For Arctic Science

• Main Author: Johnson, George Walker
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: ScholarWorks@UTEP 2011
• Subjects: Arctic Science; Geographic Information System; Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure; Spatial Data Infrastructure; Virtual Globes; WebGIS; Environmental Sciences; Geographic Information Sciences; Library and Information Science; Arctic; Keyhole
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/2511; https://scholarworks.utep.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3510&context=open_etd

Environmental science is a large field of study that requires the acquisition of data for decision making in solving environmental issues. Leveraging desktop geographic information systems (GIS) and web-based GIS (WebGIS) systems for assisting in the problem solving processes can benefit both the research community and policy makers for decision making activities. Ensuring interoperability between desktop, web, and server GIS is essential for maximizing access, sharing and manipulation of data. Interoperability is maximized through the adoption of best practices, use of open standards, and utilization of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). While many of the interoperability challenges such as infrastructure, data exchange, and file formats are common between applications, some regions like the Arctic present specific challenges including the need for presenting data in one or more polar projections. This thesis describes the development and use of the Arctic Research Mapping Application (ARMAP) suite of online interactive maps, web services, and desktop virtual globes (http://armap.org/) and several of the interoperability challenges and solutions encountered in development to date. The Arctic Research Logistics Support Service (ARLSS) database is the informational underpinning of ARMAP and has been incorporated in the ARMAP suite. Three case studies are described and demonstrate how the ARMAP suite can be used to improve access to ARLSS data and information for the purpose of facilitating Arctic science and logistic support. The cases presented include the use of: 1) A Keyhole Markup Language (KML) networked link file for Google Earth (GE) which eases the use of Arctic research information in a virtual globe for non-technical GIS users to develop quick maps; 2) A customized Internet Map Server client (ArcIMS), which provides access to many Arctic data sets in a powerful online GIS application with data exploration capabilities in a free web viewer to develop logistic plans for future research; and 3) A ...