COASTMAP in an ArcGIS Environment

Certain environmental management operations, such as the movement of hazardous materials and objects in the marine environment, require a variety of numerical models. ArcGIS 9 software users are combining .NET Web Services and thereby stepping up to a new level of development for environmental management solutions. It is now easier to integrate GIS and disparate file formats and to manage large amounts of data such as time-varying data.

Applied Science Associates (ASA) has developed ArcGIS extensions to add marine models to sophisticated GIS data applications. This allows GIS users to seamlessly activate complex numerical models and evaluate solutions based on existing GIS databases. One of these tools is COASTMAP, which is a real-time coastal ocean monitoring and modeling system that provides users with tools for real-time observation, modeling, and data distribution for estuarine, coastal, shelf, and ocean waters. COASTMAP provides a means to collect data (observations and model predictions) from its own online data storage system, from online storage sources accessed by the Iternet, or through COASTMAP's own network of observation stations.

The COASTMAP Professional Client has been designed for high-end users who need to add metocean data management and analysis to their desktop GIS. COASTMAP is currently in transition to an extension for ESRI ArcGIS so that users can add metocean data management tools to their existing GIS framework. To add metocean data, the COASTMAP user can request data from a COASTMAP data server. Communications between the client and server are managed using .NET-based Web service. Support for Integrated Ocean Observing System OpenDap servers is also being added.

COASTMAP allows users to harvest a variety of data formats such ad NetCDF, GRIB, and HDF. Because of the size and nature of the data, these data files are not converted to standard GIS formats but accessed in their native formats through the use of custom layers in the ArcMap framework. These temporal data layers are available for visualization, animation, and data analysis within ArcGIS.

ASA's Time Toolbar extension allows the user to animate time series data (point source and gird) in the ArcGIS framework and synchronize all temporal layers stored in the project.

The COASTMAP Web Browser Client has been designed to reach a large audience. It features a GIS-based interface similar to the Professional Client but simpler. The Web-based system has some data analysis and modeling capability that allows the user to visualize model predications and observations.

ASA also offers the following environmental management tools:

• AIRMAP- Atmospheric Dispersion Model
• CHEMMAP- Chemical Dispersion Model
• CMSMAP- Crisis Management System and Incident Command System
• COASTMAP- Real-Time Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Modeling System
• OILMAP- Oil Spill Model for Marine and Fresh Water
• OILMAPDEEP- Deep Water Oil Spill Model
• OILMAPLAND- Oil and Chemical Spill Model for Land-Based Spills

For more information about COASTMAP and other ASA tools and ArcGIS extensions, please contact:

Eoin Howlett
Applied Science Associates
70 Dean Knauss Drive
Narragansett, RI 02882
phone: 1-401-789-6224
fax: 1-401-789-1932
e-mail: ehowlett@appsci.com

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