[postgis-users] postgis, postgresql and geological data

[Dennis Veatch]

On Thursday 18 December 2003 10:43 pm, Gerry Creager N5JXS wrote:
> Dennis,
>
> I'm responding off-list for the time being, although generally we try to
> keep all the responses on-list...
>
> A couple of points to consider.
>
> DEMs, DOQQs, etc are different data presentations.  Once you snag them,
> you have to consider the metadata, especially the geodetic datum and
> ellipsoid of the information, as well as the projection.

Well sounds like I need to keep this simple as a beginning. So I'll just deal 
with DLG's for now. Of those things mentioned above how do they apply to 
DLG's (metadata, ellipsoid, etc)?
>
> Mapserver will reproject data, but if you try to mix geodetic datums
> (NAD27 vs NAD83, for instance) things will get confusing very quickly.
>

How does NAD27/83 relate to DLG?

> In the database you created for your brother, how do you log lat/lon?
> Are data acquired by GPS, or SWAG'd off a quad-sheet?  What's the level
> of accuracy you want for the data, and how precisely are they recorded
> now in the database?

The database was created before the state requirements for lat/long/altitude 
and I never bothered to update it as I knew it was a cheesy affair and had 
plans to move him to open source. He does use a GPS handheld (Magellan 
SportTrakMAP) and thats really the only function The lat/long/altitude will 
be input manually.

Well I would like the accuracy to be the best that can acquired.

>
> Essentially, what you're looking at is a full-blown GIS application, and
> while MapServer can render the data, and MySQL or PostGreSQL can handle
> any and all of the database chores, the user interface might still be a
> pretty problem.

Hmmm a full-blown GIS app. I don't suppose you or anyone here might know of 
such that already exists? 

Yeah, I'm sure the user interface will be ummm interesting. Bear in mind he 
drills wells and is not computer literate. Though I don't want it dumbed down 
where there is little to no flexability.

>
> I'll try to answer geodetic questions if you have any. Please refer
> general Mapserver questions to the main list, so the larger public can
> gain from the discussion.

At this point I am still in a research phase trying to figure out what kind of 
map data to use (still open to suggestions even though I did say DLG), getting 
the postgresql side setup with some of the existing data. 

Oh and sort of waiting to hear from the Mandrake cooker folks about postgis. 
They already have grass, gdal, g3DGMV and geotiff. I've reqeusted they add a 
postgis rpm to round things out. Otherwise I'll have to compile it myself.

Yeah I know it is probably a knuckleheaded thing to do on a beta.

>
> Regards,
> Gerry
>
> Dennis Veatch wrote:
> > On Wednesday 17 December 2003 10:12 am, Doug_Newcomb at fws.gov wrote:
> >>Dennis,
> >>      You might check with your local USGS-WRD office,
> >>http://water.usgs.gov/admin/wrd-dir/OH.html#HDR0 ,  to see about local
> >>geological GIS data layers  and their existing well database  ( I believe
> >>it's called NWIS) .
> >
> > Thanks for the link, I will check that out.
> >
> >>You will probably not be able to get the detailed
> >>information  that it sounds like you want for each well from a
> >> generalized geological GIS data layer.  From what I understand, drillers
> >> keep logs on how deep they go and what kind of substrate they encounter
> >> as they drill ( x feet of sand, x feet of clay  ,etc. ) .  If your
> >> brother-in-law has such information for each well, you can attach it to
> >> the geographic points.
> >
> > Yes, I know (or assumed) the detail information probably is not
> > available. Though I did find a web site I could input a well log report
> > (for Ohio) and get some general info about it, but not what I was looking
> > for.
> >
> > Yes I have the detailed well information from my brother-in-law he
> > submits to the state so it's just a matter of creating the appropriate
> > tables and importing that data. A good portion of the well data he has
> > already put into the cheesy database I made so he could look up
> > customer/well info.
> >
> > So the actual well data is a minor concern, it's finding the approriate
> > data set (?) to use so when a well is selected, it's lat/long is placed
> > correctly over the map.
> >
> > Another confusing aspect is which do I use? There's DLG's, DEM's, DOQQ's
> > just to name a few.
> >
> > My biggest problem is wrapping my brain around this. After monitoring
> > this mail list for a good while some of the issues I have seen dealing
> > with geometry, datasets, etc are more or less exactly beyond me. Not that
> > will stop me trying, this will either be a success or a colossal waste of
> > my time. :)
> >
> >>Some background about what I want to do and hopefully someone can point
> >> me in
> >>the right direction. My brother-in-law drills water wells and some time
> >> ago I
> >>created a customer database so he could look up information about the
> >> well he
> >>drilled. The idea I have is to create a database of geological data for
> >>water
> >>well drillers and merge/link it to a database of their customers. The
> >> state
> >>
> >>of Ohio now requires the well driller to include the latitude and
> >> longitude
> >>
> >>of the new well when he submits his report to the state agency.
> >>
> >>Other information they provide on that state report are the underburden
> >>layers
> >>they drill through, such as, dirt, clay, sand, gravel, clay/sand,
> >>gravel/sand, etc.
> >>
> >>He has well records going back to when his father was in the same
> >> business (about 50 years worth). So in general the goal is to take a
> >> wells longitude/latitude and overlay that with a map of what was drilled
> >> through to
> >>create the well.
> >>
> >>My confusion is where to find existing geological data that I can use as
> >> a basis, can such data be imported (easily) into Postgis/Postgresql and
> >> well,
> >>
> >>there are a number of other things but I don't want to make this post to
> >>long.
> >>
> >>Any thoughts, pointers or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
> >>--


-- 
Registered Linux user 193414
http://counter.li.org

"Trying"? My contribution was much closer to a "feeble wave in the general 
direction of something that might lead you one step closer to a solution 
if you squint really hard and do all of the work."