Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MSc / Unrestricted

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The cup marks are the most common form of rock art in Scandinavia and they have been dated from the Mesolithic to the Migration period. In Sweden they are mostly found in the southern parts of the country. They are believed to generally have been made by permanently resident agrarian people from the Bronze age. The question about the cup marks origin and purpose is one of the unanswered questions in Scandinavian rock art research, which this essay has had the goal to answer with a holistic, statistical analysis based on all the registered cup marks in Sweden. Furthermore, the cup marks have been investigated in correlation with other ancient remains to see if there are patterns in the landscape that could indicate the cup marks purpose. The analysis confirmed that most of the cup marks probably where made by a permanent resident agrarian people on land mostly close to water, and that there seems to have been central places in the south of Sweden where different ancient remains have been made in clusters. No uniform meaning about the cup marks could be found with this method, but the research showed that with more detailed research about cup mark sites combined with a wider perspective about the entire cup marks placings in the landscape, new research will probably be able to get closer to an answer about the cup marks purpose and use in the Norse landscape.

This thesis attempts to show the contribution of Geographic Information System to urban planning process in Turkey. GIS can enhance the planning system by providing an access to accurate, reliable and update geographical information, producing alternatives according to the scenario and ensuring participation in the evaluation of the alternatives. This is the high level contribution of GIS for the enhancement of planning. The contribution can occur / if certain conditions are sustained such as establishment of geographical data provision system among public institutions. Obviously, these are connected with available technical and social infrastructure. Although, there is not a digital infrastructure system among the public institutions, several general directorates have started to provide some geographical information in their works. These efforts should be increased in quality and quantity. From the planning point of view, we argue that these are not even at satisfying level to work with the GIS in the plan-making processes. To prove our argument, the use of GIS and technology in the Bank of Provinces and private planning offices are inquired. The results of the thesis study show that the Bank of Provinces is in the transition period for the use of GIS. Private planning offices are in the initial stage and some of them seem unable to adopt themselves if the plan-making process becomes digital, because of the extra costs for them. Therefore, geographical data provision policies among public planning institutions will determine the future development of GIS in the planning process.

Η εργασία αυτή εκπονήθηκε στα πλαίσια του Μεταπτυχιακού Προγράμματος Σπουδών «Εφαρμοσμένη και Περιβαλλοντική Γεωλογία και Γεωφυσική». Αντικείμενο της εργασίας είναι η εφαρμογή των Γεωγραφικών Συστημάτων Πληροφοριών στο σχεδιασμό μιας Γεωγραφικής Βάσης Υδρογεωλογικών δεδομένων με εφαρμογή στο νομό Αιτωλοακαρνανίας. Η βάση αυτή θα αποτελέσει ένα εργαλείο με το οποίο θα γίνεται η διαχείριση μεγάλου όγκου υδρογεωλογικών πληροφοριών (στάθμες, στοιχεία ποιότητας των νερών κ.α.) με τρόπο απλό και γρήγορο. Τα πρώτο στάδιο της εργασίας ήταν ο καθορισμός των στόχων που έπρεπε να επιτευχθούν μέσω αυτής για τη σωστή δημιουργία της γεωβάσης. Το επόμενο βήμα έρχεται να γίνει με τη συλλογή των δεδομένων που θα τοποθετηθούν στη βάση αυτή. Οι πληροφορίες αυτές προέρχονται από εγκεκριμένες τεχνικές μελέτες που δόθηκαν από δημόσιες υπηρεσίες, ιδιώτες ή ήταν ανηρτημένες σε επίσημες κυβερνητικές ιστοσελίδες. Τα στοιχεία αυτά ήταν τόσο χωρικά (διοικητικά όρια νομών, υδρολογικές λεκάνες κ.α.) όσο και μη - χωρικά (περιγραφικές πληροφορίες όπως πληθυσμιακά δεδομένα ονομασία ή κωδικοποίηση λεκανών, υδροχημικές μετρήσεις κ.α.). Κάποια στοιχεία αποκτήθηκαν από την επί τόπου έρευνα που έγινε στα πλαίσια αυτής της εργασίας σε ένα κομμάτι της υδρολογικής λεκάνης της λίμνης Τριχωνίδας. Στη συνέχεια δημιουργείται η βάση χωρικών δεδομένων. Για να επιτευχθεί αυτός ο στόχος έπρεπε τα συλλεγμένα δεδομένα να ταξινομηθούν σε διαφορετικούς φακέλους ανάλογα με τις κοινές ιδιότητες που έχουν καθώς και σε διαφορετικό είδος αρχείων, ανάλογα με την επιθυμητή χρήση τους. Ακολουθεί, σε ένα μέρος αυτών, η δημιουργία υπέρ – συνδέσεων οι οποίες έχουν ως στόχο την άμεση πρόσβαση σε πίνακες βροχομετρικών και χημικών δεδομένων. Έπειτα με τη βοήθεια της γλώσσας SQL έχουν τεθεί ερωτήματα (queries) που οδηγούν στην ανάκτηση δεδομένων. Τέλος, δεν πρέπει να παραλείψουμε και το κομμάτι της επεξεργασίας μέρους των δεδομένων για την παραγωγή χαρτών και διαγραμμάτων. Αυτό πραγματοποιήθηκε τη βοήθεια εργαλείων του ArcMap. Σημαντικό είναι και το γεγονός ότι για τη δημιουργία των χαρτών έγινε χρήση διαφόρων μεθόδων ώστε να έχουμε τη δυνατότητα σύγκρισης των αποτελεσμάτων για την ορθή διεξαγωγή συμπερασμάτων. Η κατασκευή της βάσης αυτής είχε ως αποτέλεσμα την αποθήκευση ενός μεγάλου όγκου δεδομένων που είναι ταξινομημένα σε διαφορετικά επίπεδα και την παραγωγή χαρτών που καλύπτουν ένα μεγάλο εύρος των προαναφερθέντων θεματικών επιπέδων. / This project was produced within the Post-graduate studies program “Applied and Environmental Geology and Geophysics”. Object of this work is the application of Geographic Information Systems in designing a geographic hydro-geological data base with application to the Aitoloakarnania district. This data base will be used as a tool with which we will be able to manage a vast amount of hydro-geological information (elevation, water quality data etc.) in a very simple and fast way. The first stage of the study was to define the objectives to be achieved through this, for the proper creation of the geo-database. The next step was the collection of the data that would be added in this data base. This information came from approved technical studies provided by public services, individuals or was posted on official governmental websites. These elements were spatial (administrative district boundaries, basins, etc.) and also aspatial (descriptive information such as demographic data, basins names or codes, hydro-chemical measurements, etc). Some other elements were obtained by in - situ investigation, conducted for this project at a part of the hydrological basin of Trichonida lake. Next the spatial data base was produced. In order to achieve this we had to put the collected data in different folders according to their common properties and in different file types according to their desired use. Then a part of these files were used to make hyper- links whose objective was to give direct access to tables of precipitation and chemical data. With the SQL, various queries have been set in order to lead to the data retrieval. Finally, we must not omit the process of a part of the data for the production of maps and diagrams for which we used the ArcMap tools. An important fact is that for the production of these maps, we used various methods so that we can have the possibility to compare the results and make correct conclusions. The results of this data base production are, the storage of a vast quantity of data that is classified in different levels and the production of maps that cover a big part of all the above mentioned thematic levels.

This project laid the groundwork for an Internet-delivered Public Participation Geographic Information System to facilitate exploration and discovery of the past communities of the Mammoth Cave Park area. The emergence of Internet Web 2.0 design along with distributed GIS services allows for anyone to interact with and add to the information found on central Internet sites. Historical geography often relies upon public participation from individuals outside the academic world to provide narrative descriptions, photographs and manuscripts of past places and events to augment information held by institutions and academia. A public-participation website for the Mammoth Cave Historic GIS (MCHGIS) created a central Internet location for dispersed and disparate data related to pre-park communities to be presented with a geographic context. The MCHGIS project allowed for visualization of the pre-park communities in unique ways and contributed new understandings of this pre-park area.

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified diesel exhaust as a carcinogen, and specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as probable carcinogens. Urban air pollution is one source of PAH exposure. These facts provided motivation to pursue three thesis objectives: 1) to critically review environmental inequity research in Canada and methods used in previous studies; 2) to determine associations between socio-demographic factors and residential traffic exposure; and, 3) to assess correlations between two PAH biomarkers and their relationship with a newer geographic information system (GIS) method (a proxy of PAH exposure measurement), and explore determinants of these two PAH biomarkers. Methods: The first objective was achieved through an extensive and critical literature review. The second and third objectives were achieved through conducting a cross-sectional study in Montreal where 107 female and 93 male volunteers completed a questionnaire and provided a urine sample for measurement of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG). GIS-based distance-weighted traffic density (DWTD) at participants’ residences and time- and distance-weighted traffic density (TDWTD) for all participants’ locations in the 48 hours before urine collection were calculated. Results: Participants with lower household income and unemployment/student status were more likely to be exposed to higher traffic density at their residence. DWTD was related to self-reported living within 100 meters of highway/major roads. Detection rates for the two biomarkers were over 95%, and females have higher 1-OHP and 1-OHPG levels (exp β: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.17 to 2.09; exp β: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.11, respectively) than males. Smoking in the 48-hour period before urine collection significantly predicted levels of biomarkers, and among non-smokers barbecued/grilled meat consumption was implicated in increases in 1-OHP. Conclusions: Those with lower household income and unemployment/student status experienced increased traffic exposure, while education, marital status and ethnicity were not associated with traffic exposure. While higher levels among females and an interaction with sex needs further study, PAH biomarkers are useful in capturing recent PAH exposure from smoking, and barbecued/grilled meat consumption. PAH biomarkers can be easily used in epidemiologic studies to assess general population exposures. / Thesis (Ph.D, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2013-07-30 10:41:50.321

Volunteered geographic information (VGI) has received increased attention as a new paradigm for geographic information production, while light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data is widely applied to many fields. This study quantitatively compares LiDAR data and user-generated 3D building models created using Google Building Maker, and investigate the potential applications of the quantitative measures in support of rapid disaster damage assessment. User-generated 3D building models from Google Building Maker are compared with LiDAR-derived building models using 3D shape signatures. Eighteen 3D building models are created in Fremont, California using the Google Building Maker, and six shape functions (distance, angle, area, volume, slope, and aspect) are applied to the 18 LiDAR-derived building models and user-generated ones. A special case regarding the comparison between LiDAR data and building models with indented walls is also discussed. Based on the results, several conclusions are drawn, and limitations that require further study are also discussed.