THE GEOSCIENTIST’S INSIGHT: THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF GEOLOGIC KNOWLEDGE AND GEOINFORMATICS IN TODAY’S MARKETPLACE (Invited Presentation)

In the world of computers people talk about high performance high capacity computing (HPHC) needs. Data, data everywhere – geology has always been, and will always be, about the volumes of information generated about the earth. Yet data without interpretation serves little to no use. Geoinformatics is not only the science, technology and techniques behind the management of these volumes of data, but it is also the multidisciplinary integration of data into new understandings and visualizations of the earth around us. At the College of Charleston, there is a formal program in Geoinformatics entwining data science and geology programs at the College. Geoscientists who work in Geoinformatics do not just sit in front of computers all day. Work in Geoinformatics requires a firm understanding of geologic processes and environments that contain and constrain our data.

People in Geoinformatics are on the cutting edge of the development of models and visualizations that enlighten and inform all aspects of the geosciences. Examples of uses and applications of Geoinformatics at the College of Charleston include the development of robust mapping databases maintained in the GIS format, online field trips, modeling of natural hazards, development of tools for emergency managers and the creation of 2D and 3D models of the natural environment. At the College of Charleston, Geoinformatics expertise is currently used in projects ranging from archaeological investigations, biological distributions based on geologic parameters, to the understanding of climate change on regional business viability and the impact of nuisance flooding in the South Carolina LowCountry region. The only limit to the types of work and activities that geoscientists in Geoinformatics encounter is one of time and imagination.