[postgis-users] postgis, postgresql and geological data

[Dennis Veatch]

On Wednesday 17 December 2003 12:00 pm, Philip Riggs wrote:
> I used to work for an environmental engineering firm and we kept this
> sort of data in a database using GIS\Key, a horrible (unless they have
> since improved it) system. But it kept borehole data (lat-long, depth
> to water, substrate type and distance interval below surface) and you
> could add any chemical analysis of water samples related to the
> borehold id. USGS data is way too generalized to give the accuracy a
> geologist records for each hole drilled. Before you go this route, you
> should check on state accuracy requirements. The state may prefer no
> data to bad data in this regard.
>
> Philip D Riggs
>
>

Accuracy is of concern but I was not intending for the data to be sent to a 
state agency. The paper reports he submits now are sufficient in detail for 
the state. 

It's primary intent was for the well driller themselves so they could have a 
more visual representation of the area(a) they work in. For example, being 
able to call up a map of a county and have it show all the wells he has 
drilled there. The well would be placed on a map using it's lat/long and 
displayed by an appropriate sized dot (or whatever). Additionally the 
different layers of underburden would be displayed on by a small graph with 
colors representing those layers. Some thing like this website but on a 
county level and the data relating to a well;

http://water.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/waterwatch?map_type=real&state=oh

I'm sure some or many here have seen paper maps of glacial deposits and 
depths/length/width of aquafirs. While on a macro level, say multiple county 
or state level they are useful. On a more mirco level (that is the drillers 
point of view) they are rather inaccurate. Which I can attest to from 
personal experience of helping him drill wells. I have seen instances where 
by drilling a water well no more than 30 feet from an existing well resulted 
in one with "good water". Meaning the old well (30 feet from the new one) had 
sulfur in the water, doen't taste all that great. 


-- 
Registered Linux user 193414
http://counter.li.org

"Trying"? My contribution was much closer to a "feeble wave in the general 
direction of something that might lead you one step closer to a solution 
if you squint really hard and do all of the work."