Getting started with the GIS
      Introduction
        This CD-Rom was developed to support two goals.  The first goal was that the CD-ROM serve as an archive of the processed data and resulting interpretations of the surficial geology in a form that could be shared with others for use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or image processing analysis.  The second goal was to create a CD-ROM that would allow the user to interact with the archived data and geologic interpretations.  The data are intended to be GIS-ready in as much as the data do not require any additional cleanup, formatting, renaming of fields or other "data work" to use the data in the GIS of choice.  This projects uses Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ARC/INFO, ArcView and associated products.  This does not mean that the user will not wish to do additional processing, especially if utilizing a different GIS software package or spheroid, but that it is not necessary to do additional processing simply to utilize the data in its minimum archive format.

        Most of the data on this disk are stored either in raster or vector forms.  Raster data are stored in geotiff format to ease importing of the raster imagery into various GIS software and/or image analysis software.  The vector data consist of line information (bathymetry contour lines), point data (sample location and point attribute information), and polygon coverages as geologic interpretive overlays.  These data layers are  stored in ESRI's ArcView shapefile format.  In addition, to the ArcView shapefiles, the bathymetry contours and sample information are stored in simple ASCII files.

        ESRI logo A project file that may be opened by Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcView software is included on this CD-ROM.  A customized ArcView project that allows immediate access to the digital data has been created and is available on this CD-ROM.  To open the project file you must have the appropriate ESRI software programs installed on your computer system.  Our intent at including a completed project file was to provide the user a simple means to view the data as presented by the authors and allow the user the ability to interactively manipulate the datasets.  For more information regarding the ESRI Software, ArcView program and other available software, visit the ESRI home page at www.esri.com.
         
        There are two, identical  project files available and they are located at the top level directory of this disk.  One file, arcvieww.apr, was created for use with Windows 95/98/NT computer systems.  A second file, arcviewu.apr, was created for use with a UNIX computer systems.  Each project contains two separate views: 1) MSFAN overview, and 2) MSFAN25m.  The overview shows the study area location within the Gulf of Mexico.  The MSFAN25m contains the view of the study area.  All available data layers have been included in the views so the user does not need to add any data layers.

        The Windows ArcView project file has been customized to add an additional Metadata Metadata button button. Metadata files are available for all the spatial data contained on this disk and are available on the data listing pages. This button provides a quick link to the Metadata for the active layers from the ArcView project.  Selecting the button will  display the Metadata in the computer system's default web browser.

        Some cores have a visual summary description and x-ray archived on the CD-ROM.  This information has been compiled together in a series of HTML pages and a field with the relative pathname to the starting age has been added in the cores.dbf table.  The cores are hotlinked to this field in the Windows project file, arcvieww.apr.  The project file has been modified using a free utility provided by Flat World Technologies.  When a core is selected using the hotlink (thunderbolt icon), the associated information will be opened in the Windows system default browser.  This association will only work with the CD-ROM.  If the project file is moved, the link to locate the computer systems default browser and the link using the relative pathname will be broken thereby making this option inoperable.

      What you need!
        Though the focus of this CD-ROM is to provide a means to view the data using ESRI's ArcView program, the data may be viewed and manipulated using other GIS software. The user may wish to utilize one of these Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) software programs:
         
          Arc/Info - UNIX, Windows 95/98 or Windows NT
          ArcExplorer GIS Data Browser - a free GIS data viewer available from ESRI.  ArcExplorer is available in two versions that operate within Windows 95/98 or Windows NT.  Click on the banner below to go directly to ESRI's ArcExplorer information page and download the latest version of the software.


        ESRI ArcExplorer banner

        For more information regarding the ESRI Arc/Info and ArcView programs and other available software, visit the ESRI home page at www.esri.com.
         

        ... and if you don't have the ESRI programs

        If you are using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software package other than the ESRI programs, most commercially available packages are capable of importing the ArcView shapefiles.  To familiarize yourself with the data coverages, browse graphics of the vector data layers are available for viewing and are displayed over the sidescan sonar mosaic of the area.  The browse graphics are stored as GIF formatted images and should display in all WWW browsers.

        You may view the raster imagery with any available graphics software capable of reading a tiff/geotiff image.  Programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, Corel Photopaint or CorelDraw in the PC/MAC environment and XV in the UNIX environment would be appropriate.
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