4th European Congress on Regional Geoscientifica Cartography and Geoscientific Information Systems Proceedings I. [antikvár]

MAPS, GEOLOGISTS AND THE IMPACT OF IT:IS THERE A NEED FOR DIGITAL GEOLOGICAL STANDARDS?Kristine Asch (')KEY WORDS: geological maps, GIS, database, Europe, standardisation, data integration.INTRODUCTIONIt has often been written before, but it is nevertheless true: A geological map is without doubt the "visual language of geologists". Given a geological map of anywhere in the world a geologist will be able to share a basic understanding of the disposition of the rocks that the map author depicted. Further, with a little time to interpret the maps and their legends, most geologists could make sense of two maps of adjacent countries, even though the linework and classification systems may not always be the same.Unfortunately computers, GIS and digital databases do not possess such powers of interpretation and deduction. They do not comprehend that polygon X on one map is probably the approximate equivalent of polygon Y on the other. Though systems using fuzzy logic are currently being investigated, most GIS and databases require data to be logically structured and relationships between features and attributes to be explicit and not merely tacit.The 1:5 Million International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas (IGME 5000) is a multinational project which is constructing a consistent geological GIS of the whole of Europe. Using examples drawn from the project this paper will explore some of the reasons for the inconsistency in geological maps and classification systems and illustrate why this poses serious problems for those who wish to construct and use geological GIS across regions and countries.Finally it will be explained, how the potential benefits of Information Technology, i.e. interoperability data integration and the ability to share and supply harmonious information for scientific research to address pan-national geological problems across frontiers, are entirely dependent on the continuity and consistency that standards would bring.MAPS, GEOLOGISTS AND THE ADVENT OF ITGenerations of earth scientists ("Geognosten" and other geoscientists) have summarized the results of their fieldwork and research in map form (Asch, 2003). The geological map has been the means for "geo-logists" to record, store and disseminate their knowledge and the results of their investigation of the rocks and unconsolidateddeposits of the Earth's surface. For several hundred years geological maps have been, and still are, "the visual language of geologists" (after Rudwick, 1976). They represent the " knowledge simply of what is where on the Earth's surface " (Maltman, 1998).Geological maps have always provided for their users basic knowledge about the distribution of natural resources such as ore, water, oil or building stones. They may, albeit indirectly, warn about the danger of natural hazards or supply information about suitable sites for land-fill, house-building or tourism. They thus provide the basis for environmental planning and protection and support public-policy decision. Geological maps are the basis for understanding the earth and its processes.In the last quarter of the 20'" century the era of IT arrived and changed the world of geosciences totally and irrevocably. Loudon (2000) points out: "IT influences the way in which scientists investigate the real worid, how they are organized, how they communicate, what they know and what they think". We are just at the dawn of that era.Now many factors that constrained our predecessors no longer exist. Modern computing systems (for example databases, GIS and Internet tools) allow us to store, retrieve and present far more information and knowledge about an area than we could ever display on a 2-dimensional piece of paper. The key point is that we can now separate the storage and recording of information from the means of disseminating it; we are no longer forced to try and serve all purposes with the same "general purpose document". Using IT we can select the area, change the scale and topographic base, choose the theme, amend the colours and line styles. We can distribute the knowledge in an infinitely variable number of ways, delivering it on paper, on (;? ROM, or across the Web and choose a variety of resolutions, qualities and levels of complexity. Increasingly, geologists are now using modelling software to create 3- and 4-dimensional models, allowing users, through a variety of visualisation methods, an insight into the original scientist's interpretation of the Earth below our feet.In many respects, the Project of the 1 : 5 Million International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas (IGME 5000) is bridging the domains of the traditional paper map and the digital era.GIS AND PAPER MAP: THE IGME 5000 PROJECTThe 1 : 5 Million International Geological Map of(') Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources Stilleweg 2; 30655 Hannover,