Video of Carl Steinitz (Research Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design) from e-waterexpo.net week 2: Water and Cities (26 June, 2008).
Day: March 4, 2009
GIS as Mode 2 Science
I just ran across a blog post from June 2006 by Nigel Waters titled “GIS Bridges Scientific Modes.” Interesting classification of GIS as Mode 2 (holistic, integrative, multidisciplinary) science, as opposed to Mode 1 (specialized, reductionist) science.
Arizona Geologic Map Available Online
The Arizona Geological Survey has published a great online geologic map of the state using ArcGIS Server, ready to use in a variety of formats.
Mapping the Arctic with ARMAP 3D
ARMAP 3D (www.armap.org) allows users to dynamically interact with information about U.S. federally funded research projects in the Arctic. This virtual globe allows users to explore data maintained in the Arctic Research & Logistics Support System (ARLSS) database. Users can fly to study sites, view receding glaciers in 3D, and access linked reports about specific projects. ARMAP 3D was officially released last December at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in San Francisco, CA.
Restructuring Federal Climate Research to Meet the Challenges of Climate Change
Now available in prepublication form for online reading from the National Academies Press is a new book titled Restructuring Federal Climate Research to Meet the Challenges of Climate Change.
“Climate change is one of the most important global environmental problems facing the world today. Policy decisions are already being made to limit or adapt to climate change and its impacts, but there is a need for greater integration between science and decision making. This book proposes six priorities for restructuring the United States’ climate change research program to develop a more robust knowledge base and support informed responses:
* Reorganize the Program Around Integrated Scientific-Societal Issues
* Establish a U.S. Climate Observing System
* Support a New Generation of Coupled Earth System Models
* Strengthen Research on Adaptation, Mitigation, and Vulnerability
* Initiate a National Assessment of the Risks and Costs of Climate Change Impacts and Options to Respond
* Coordinate Federal Efforts to Provide Climate Information, Tools, and Forecasts Routinely to Decision Makers”
Using GIS to Assess Territories Contaminated with Radiation
National Academies Press has released a new book called Cleaning Up Sites Contaminated with Radioactive Materials: International Workshop Proceedings. Included is a paper titled “Use of GIS for Assessing Territories Contaminated with Radioactive Materials” by A. N. Plate and A. V. Vesselovsky from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Ore Deposits and Geology.
GIS and Science 