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Happy GIS Day, Cheyenne
CHEYENNE, Nov 19, 2009 (Wyoming Tribune-Eagle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Early mapmakers used field surveys and hand drawings to complete their work.
Today, mapmaking technology can be found on cellular phones. Geographic information systems allow drivers to navigate unfamiliar streets and health organizations to track disease.
Weather forecasters, school officials and engineers explained how they use GIS technology to track storms, develop district boundaries and monitor water resources Wednesday during GIS Day at the Laramie County Library.
Programs like Google Earth and MapQuest also mean that anyone could use geospatial data from a laptop or a BlackBerry, said Trent Morrell, a geosciences instructor at Laramie County Community College.
"We're wired for (global positioning systems)," he added. "The technology is out there, and anybody can use it."
He said it's also a tool to aid smart decision-making. Planners have always used maps and data to track precipitation patterns and identify good locations for new retail stores, but now they can find geospatial information faster.
It could take early surveyors years to complete a map. Today, the information can be drawn up in an instant, while mistakes are replaced with a keyboard click, Morrell said.
And today's information often is available online in digitized formats, said Barb Ray from the United States Geological Survey. The USGS National Map displays several layers, combining information on elevation, hydrology and transportation structures.
Laramie County School District 1 has used GIS technology for the last eight years to plan district boundaries and new school locations, said Dalton Jones, energy manager for LCSD1. The geospatial systems allow school officials to determine where the city is growing and how fast.
The technology also tracks Wyoming's water as it moves downstream, said Steve Vossler from the State Engineer's Office.
But today's systems are more accurate, which means that forecasters can avoid the false alarms with countywide weather warnings. Tornado and flood alerts can now be tailored to specific areas, said Chad Hahn from the National Weather Service.
"For weather forecasting, it's important that we know what's going on right now," he said.
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