Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Creators of geological databases worked out different methods to reduce the
conflict between the two different logic (e.g.: Laxton and Becken
1996
; Brodaric
2004
; Clegg et al.
2006
; Dey and Ghosh
2008
). All of these contributors attempted
to collect and store field observation data, however, the developed methods and the
structure of the database were different, because the mapping conditions and the
priorities were also different.
The field observations are the primary data that make the compilation of geolog-
ical maps possible for the geologists. These observation data are mostly surveyed
traditionally, with paper maps and hand-written notebooks (Fig.
14.1
), and stored in
archives for the geological survey organizations. The techniques of the digital
geological mapping (DGM) developed only during the latest decades. Although
several author discussed the methodology and applications of DGM (e.g.: Struik
et al.
1991
; Briner et al.
1999
; Kramer
2000
; Jones et al.
2004
; McCaffrey et al.
2005
), international standards still do not exist for this technology.
Some of the observed sites have not only scientific, but also attractive value. It is
obvious for the friends of the natural heritage of the world that many picturesque
and visited landforms mostly have geological significance. For the geo tourists,
these spot-like points of interest are best known as
geosites
(synonym for
geotops
).
Hungary is also full of geological curiosities. Well known geosites, like the Baradla
Cave of the Aggtelek and the Slovak Karst, which was inscribed on the UNESCO
World Heritage List in 1995 (WHC
1995
), have wide publicity, but the minor sites
are mostly unknown except for the geologist.
The Geological Institute of Hungary have been collecting the documentation of
geological sites for more than 140 years. Although the number of documentations
may exceed many thousands, only a few dozen of the documented outcrops would
attract the attention of the geo tourists. These sites usually have both scientific and
attractive value and thus deserve the name, “geotop”.
How can one access these observation data? It became obvious during the last
decades that the most effective way of accessing the archives of the old manuscripts
is the digitization of them. Therefore, the digitization of the manuscripts of the
documentation was one of the aims of the authors' work.
The selection of possible geotops from the swarm of data was another aim. The
method that was worked out for these aims comprised two main phases: in the first
phase the structure of a relational database was worked out, which would contain
the archive documentation of the geological observations. In the second phase, the
process of visualisation and dissemination of the selected outcrops was carried out.
14.2 Methods
The way of geological documentation in the field was worked out by generations of
geologists. The following method can be considered as a novelty only because it
represents a new data structure, which is suitable either for reconstructing and
digitalizing archive data, or for processing new observations into a relational
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