Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
TerrAtlantic utilizes GIS as a means of organizing, processing and presenting the data on all projects. Modern environmental assessment practice leads to the recovery of large volumes of data, particularly the analytical results associated with groundwater monitoring programs. It becomes increasingly difficult to manage and visualize this information by conventional means. Accordingly, GIS applications have been developed to facilitate this process.
In addition to in-house uses, TerrAtlantic has been involved with developing GIS applications for other environmental managers for a number of years. Efforts have focused on the assembly and review of hydrogeologic data, particularly the temporal and spatial variations that occur in groundwater chemistry at or downgradient of a contaminated site.
Similar techniques can be applied to other aspects of environmental management where large databases are involved. For example, inventories of hazardous materials can be documented and queried, or the locations and associated details of storage tanks can be readily accessed. Details from past investigations can be incorporated into the growing database, permitting access to information such as well logs, stratigraphy, site photographs, potentiometric data and more. TerrAtlantic developed the HAZMAT application for this purpose.
GIS techniques are used to manipulate digital terrain data in formats compatible with groundwater monitoring and earthwork calculation programs.
Once the databases have been established, the information can be shown visually on a backdrop of high quality air photographs, CAD drawings and/or topographic mapping. Where such information is available, three dimensional terrain models can be incorporated into the GIS.
