Marine geophysics modeling with geographic information systems

Geographic information systems (GIS) are ideal tools for the display and analysis of georeferenced data. What is not so well appreciated is that a GIS can serve as a software/data management system that integrates software (in-house and third-party) with data (in a variety of formats) to form a unified display/analysis tool. Analysts can continue to use the software with which they are familiar, while concurrently gaining access to the additional capabilities offered by the GIS. This paper illustrates these points by describing the Marine Geophysics Modeling System that was developed to aid in the analysis and display of marine geophysical data. Future plans, such as incorporating multi-media, vector display speed enhancements, and data compression software are discussed.<>