Review of Geographic Processing Techniques Applicable to Regional Analysis

摘要

Since the early 1970s regional environmental studies have been carried out at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory using computer-assisted techniques. This paper presents an overview of some of these past experiences and the capabilities developed at the Laboratory for processing, analyzing, and displaying geographic data. A variety of technologies have resulted such as computer cartography, image processing, spatial modeling, computer graphics, data base management, and geographic information systems. These tools have been used in a wide range of spatial applications involving facility siting, transportation routing, coal resource analysis, environmental impacts, terrain modeling, inventory development, demographic studies, water resource analyses, etc. The report discusses a number of topics dealing with geographic data bases and structures, software and processing techniques, hardware systems, models and analysis tools, data acquisition techniques, and graphical display methods. Numerous results from many different applications are shown to aid the reader interested in using geographic information systems for environmental analyses. 15 refs., 64 figs., 2 tabs. (ERA citation 13:037785)