THE BENEFITS OF TRANSFORMING GROUND WATER AND AQUIFER DATA INTO MAPS AND ANIMATED VISUALIZATIONS USING A GIS APPROACH: A LOOK AT THE FRONT RANGE, COLORADO

Typical ground water and aquifer data were collected within the front range of Colorado and converted into maps, digital animations, and 3D animations to demonstrate the importance of data represented in a graphical format. Processing, visualizing, and interpreting large amounts of alpha-numeric data can be a challenging task. However, with the continuous advancements made in GIS there is relatively no limit as to how tabular data may be organized, displayed, and analyzed. When data is spatially connected to the Earth it can, with a little manipulation, be transformed into an attractive map or stunning animation while keeping the integrity of the data tucked inside a database with the use of GIS. Visualizing data in this way can highlight trends not otherwise seen, provide technical support, or simply attract more attention to the data. Mapping and/or animating ground water and aquifer data can be a more effective means to communicate the data to the public, clients, or the idea generators and hypothesis makers. Several topical examples of how tabular geographic ground water and aquifer data can be transformed into something attention-grabbing through GIS include ground water elevation fluctuations within the Denver Basin, ground water contaminant movement at a property located in Denver, Colorado, and aquifer delineation in Northern Colorado.