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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Advanced techniques for integrating geographic data for energy research and technology

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5371059

Maps are used by scientists and decision makers in almost every field of study. In fact, with the advent of digital data processing techniques and with the increased availability of electronic devices for digitally coding spatial data and for translating digital information into images, digital cartography has itself become a field of study. Digital cartography enables quick and accurate merging of data from a variety of sources and provides high quality output in several formats. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has developed a Geographic Data Integration and Display (GINDIS) system, which consists of a series of computer programs developed during the last few years. The GINDIS system was developed to enhance the usefulness of spatial data sets by increasing the accuracy and content of the maps presenting the data. The computer is used to help produce these maps, which are often derived from several independent data sets. However, the high quality of the map products is credited to the careful and creative application of the computer to specific problems. Although the GINDIS system is used as a research tool and should not be thought of as a turn key or production system, many of the techniques used may be adopted for such a system. The GINDIS system is described through a discussion of several of the techniques used in processing map data, along with a presentation of some sample maps that illustrate the application of these techniques. In addition, we describe the computer facility at PNL, formats used for handling map data, methods for dealing with problems of scale and registration, and procedures for merging and overlaying data sets to enhance the final output.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5371059
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-10210; CONF-820649-5; ON: DE84006582
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English