GeoHyp: an adaptive human interface for geologic maps and their databases

A geologic map is typically a 2D representation of 3D subsurface structures in a given area. It is based on the currently accepted geologists' model explaining the observed phenomena and the processes that shaped them in the geologic past. For historical reasons, this model is recorded in a geologic map with an explanatory booklet that describes the authors' conclusions as well as relevant field observations and other data such as tectonic measurements, drill hole logs or fossil records. Today, however, this variety of information can be better handled by converting it into digital and even hypermedial format. This necessitates the prior conception, development and implementation of a suitable geologic “hypermap model”. The main objective of this study is to design models and tools well-suited for the interaction between users and geologic hypermaps. The unique aspect of this family of applications is that users, in general, are both end-users (e.g., engineers) and designers (e.g., mapmakers). Objectives, concepts and methods for developing a human interface to geologic hypermaps have been tested using a prototype (i.e., GeoHyp) within the GIS environment of ArcView from ESRI. Tools to access the underlying background database via hyperlinks have been implemented, as well as functions especially developed to meet specific geologic requirements. Tests with various types of users have shown that the prototype matches their expectations and serves as a good basis for further development. In this article, we report on our design choices for GeoHyp and the current status of our project.