Geographic Information Systems (GIS) link environmental modelling and engineering technologies and applications together. They allow simulation of scientific phenomena to take place and also enable verification and validation of spatial data modelling. This book describes the connection between GIS and environmental modelling and includes many examples that help readers to understand this relation.
Review by Jeff Thurston
GIS, Environmental Modeling and Engineering is the second edition of this popular book that was first published in 2003. Author Allan Brimicombe, Head of the Centre for GeoInformation Studies at the University of East London, United Kingdom, rightfully begins by pointing out that successfully civilisations have social structures that allow them to modify the landforms and processes of their physical environments. He draws attention to the work of Rachel Carson, Ian McHarg and others in describing the connected earth processes forming a global system.
Opening with discussion on the relatedness of GIS to geocomputation, Brimicombe includes the importance of accurate clocks as a means to solving the longitude problem, the need for higher order numerical systems to deal with 3D problems and the requirement for coordinate systems to allow for modern surveying computations and applications.
He talks about ‘technical facilitation’ through a series of tables that list GIS developments alongside associated context developments. Through this comparison readers can readily see how GIS technology linked to the context of information being derived from global positioning system (GPS) developments and remote sensing developments, the later often link directly to landform and marine monitoring systems.
The observation being made here relates to the fact that a series of layers of data (topography, gradient, rainfall, etc.) are all inter-connected to a common coordinate system and map projection for any given location. The author also outlines the relationship of time to topography and other physical events for given locations. Thus, we can see quickly that the linkages between GIS and environmental modeling are particularly time dependent and can be analysed together, even though extents may change and frequency can vary.
A short review of spatial technologies including GPS, remote sensing and surveying technology is present and a description of GIS, relying on it’s ‘system’ focus is also available. Readers will appreciate that this has been limited to the essential. By Chapter 3 attention is turned toward geocomputation more closely. The linkage between advanced technology and concepts of complex data systems, decision making processes and management of overall processes is highlighted.
As the author restates the words of Berry (2008), “Even as many geographers disavow social science, geospatial science has emerged as a lusty arena marked by intellectual vigor, conceptual growth and enhanced analytic capabilities. What now is taking shape is a spatially integrated socio-environmental science that is transcending older disciplinary attachments, boundaries and constraints.” A fact promoted through the emergence of new methods and technologies for capturing and sharing geodata through social media, for example, but also as a result of wider connectedness of geocomputation systems.
Whereas science relates more directly to the discovery of new knowledge, engineering is application oriented and dependent upon the sharing of standardised rules, design models and scientific laws. This fact is a distinguishing characteristic for understanding the connection of GIS to engineering. Brimicombe states, GIS engineering is defined as “the design of dependably engineered solutions to society’s use of geographic information.”
In Section II the book provides details about approaches to modeling. Included are examples for landslide modeling, topographic modeling, spatio-temporal modeling and the process of evaluating models. A schematic is provided that describes the modeling process and this will be of interest to all modelers of spatial information and those using GIS. The role of environmental models in included. The author describes both inductive and deductive reasoning vis-a-vis modeling, as well as the process for working with empirical observations.
I would suggest that this information is important reading for those involved in GIS who, seemingly, tend to recapture spatial data and perform tasks for which answers and logic already exist. Often there is not always a reason to start over at the beginning, something sometimes forgotten. But it is this awareness that gives geodata reuse all the more value and explains the importance of interoperability.
The context for modeling is explained and issues linking sustainability to these processes is outlined. Conceptual models are described as being highly abstract. Through landslide model development issues relating to conceptual linkages are shown. Feedback loops, integration and multi-dimensional space are all expanded upon. Returning to empirical modeling, readers will learn about the use of actual data and results, and how they are coupled into the modeling process. It is pointed out that remote sensing is now capable of providing some of the data for modeling slope processes, for example, that was simply not possible before. Such observations lend unique insight into GIS and modeling that this book uncovers.
Brimicombe includes interesting discussion on the topic of artifical intelligence in environmental modeling. Knowledge-based and expert based systems are described and heuristics along with artifical neural networks are also included. Section III veers deeper into the process of modeling and readers will find examples including landslides, basin and hydraulic modeling, coastal oil spill modeling and forensic modeling related to pipeline failures. Topics such as spatial co-existences, source-pathway characterisation and cluster detection are explored within the context of actual case studies.
The book includes a discussion of coupling models. Subjects such as tight and loose coupling, embedding and integration approaches are outlined. Brimicombe keeps the description in easy-to-understand terminology and the text is grounded in practical examples that most people can understand. For this reason the book has significant impact for education and teaching as well as serving to help GIS model builders with increased knowledge.
Chapter 8 addresses issues of data quality. This chapter is fascinating for attempting to explain how interpretation of results can vary, although different modeling approaches have been used and applied to specific problems. I found the discussion about expanding processes from individual to regional results to be interesting, suggesting that subjective results were not always the most accurate. GIS and environmental modeling can be both research and a professional activity the author says. But it is predominantly an applied activity.
Readers can learn about uncertainty modeling and sensitivity analysis. This is intriguing to read about because it really goes back to the heart of data quality, not just available data. In the abscence of higher quality data, issues relating to modeling sensitivity are revealed. This will be important reading for those individuals who maintain that data quality does not matter, because clearly it does – particularly for GIS environmental modeling and engineering.
GIS, Environmental Modeling and Engineering is an excellent overview that connects the process of modeling environments through the use of GIS tools. There is a strong practical theme running throughout this book that is continually describing GIS-modeling topics through the use of examples and processes that readers can identify with. For this reason Allan Brimicombe has succeeded in writing a highly useful book for teaching and education purposes.
This is not a book for learning about basic GIS, instead, it goes more to the heart of what one can do with environmental geodata through the use of GIS technology. Invariably that will include modeling and in this book a wealth of explanations, descriptions and debate is included. Readers will appreciate environmental modeling more upon reading this book.
There are not many books on the market that explain GIS modeling for the environment that understand environmental phenomena and GIS together. This book exceeds the average in this respect and is one that should be high on readers must read lists for those interested in environmental processes.
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Jeff Thurston is co-founder and co-editor of V1 Magazine / Asian Surveying and Mapping for Vector1 Media. He is based in Berlin.
