DELIVERING GEOLOGIC DATA TO THE PUBLIC VIA THE INTERNET WITH ARCIMS

One goal of the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is to deliver our geologic databases (e.g., oil and gas well data, coal data, water well data) to the public through the Internet from "live" databases in order to provide users with access to the most recent data available. Many of KGS data have been made available to the public for download in both tabular format, and more recently, through ESRI's Internet Map Server, ArcIMS. Delivery in both formats allows users flexibility in searching, data viewing, and data download options, which accommodates the wide range of users who search for geologic data. The tabular data queries allow users to easily search a desired database with either spatial (e.g., county or known latitude/longitude) or nonspatial (e.g., well operator or year) information. With this type of search, active server pages (ASP) are used to query the database and return results in a tabular format, which the user can then download for use in a variety of software. Users can also choose the coordinate projection and datum for locations that are compatible with their local system. This search capability is useful for users who know the criteria (spatial or nonspatial) they are searching for, and would like to download and use the data in their own GIS.

For users who need to perform a broader spatial search than the tabular search provides, KGS has developed ArcIMS services which allow users to browse for data using a map interface. KGS is using both the HTML Viewer and the Active X Connector to provide this type of service. An advantage of the ArcIMS search is that users can view data in the context of a map with other data layers (e.g., topography, DEM hillshade, roads, or other geologic data) present. ArcIMS also allows users to perform simple GIS functions such as buffering and distance calculation without downloading the data. The Active X Connector for ArcIMS uses ASP technology, and has proven to be much easier for customizing ArcIMS sites than the HTML Viewer. Also, with the Active X Connector and ASP, data within these ArcIMS sites can be easily linked to nonspatial databases. With both ArcIMS and tabular data searching technologies, KGS hopes to provide a powerful system that uses the latest data in a user-friendly format that can accommodate a wide variety of users.