Geographic Information Systems Comparisons of Hardware and Data Entry Methods.

摘要

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) use computer technology to provide a convenient method to input and store vast amounts of locationally defined information, retrieve and manipulate the stored data, and output the data in the form of maps and tables (Williamson, 1992). Like many Government agencies, Reclamation (Bureau of Reclamation) has been using GIS technology for over 10 years. The Section (Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Section) has used ARC/INFO GIS software, from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.), for numerous projects. Applications include, but are not limited to, reservoir water quality studies, environmental change detection studies, and resource management plans. For many years, GIS technology has been available only to those with access to mainframe or minicomputers, expensive software, and the personnel to run the systems. The development of powerful PCs (personal computers), UNIX workstations, and moderately priced software is allowing for a tremendous proliferation of GIS technology. Many of Reclamation's offices are embracing GIS and want to develop in-house capabilities. These offices have requested the assistance of the Section's staffing determining the best GIS hardware/software combination for their needs.