GEOLOGICAL DATA CENTRE
GIS-GROUP	Danish version

Since 1984 GEUS has used Geografic Information Systems (GIS) for automated mapping and geographic analysis. Since 1993 these task has been organised through a GIS-group which is both an expertise network and an actual laboratory at the Geological Data Centre.

The basic GIS-software is today Arc/Info and ArcView supplemented by MapInfo and specialised systems as Z-Map+. Moreover GIS-facilities are today implemented in many other computer systems such as database interfaces and modelling tools.

The main tasks at the GIS-group are:

• Production of new digital geological maps
• Conversion of traditional geological maps to digital form
• Maintaining the map databases at GEUS
• Installing and updating GIS-software at GEUS
• Making GIS analysis and illustrations for GEUS projects with such needs
• Marketing and sale of digital maps, GIS analysis and related products
• Development of software routines for solving ad hoc problems related to GIS
• Contact for external partners concerning GIS-related tasks

Digital map products

Surface geological maps are maintained in scale 1:200.000 (nation wide) and in scale 1:25.000 (covering 84% of Denmark).

The maps in 1:25.000 are compiled from thousands of field samples, while maps in 1:200.000 are generalised from the better scale and supplementet with data from less detailed sources.

Marine geological maps in scale 1:500.000 showing the sediments at the seabottom has been finished in year 2000 for an area around Denmark (lat. 54^o – 58^o N, long. 8^o – 16^o E). The data has been collected in collaboration with research institutes in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Polen.

Hydrological digital maps with build-in network-topology showing waterstreams, lakes, monitoringstations and catchment areas are maintained for the NOVANA.

Many other digital maps has been produced: PreQuaternary geological map, icecover map of the Nordic countries, geomorphological maps and maps showing borehole information.

Other GIS products

Digital terrain models for the land surface as well as the preQuaternary surface has been developed and can be combined with many mapthemes developed in the Ministry of the Environment or bought from the National Survey and Cadastre.

GIS calculations and analysis are commonly used for research or merely illustration purposes.

Marketing and sale

All digital maps (if not confident) are sold in projections and GIS-formats chosen by the customer which is often a county, a municipality or an engineering company. Most new maps are printed on cd-roms with textual descriptions and metadata included.

GIS on the Internet

GEUS offers digital maps via the Internet. Moreover metadata and descriptions of GEUS' maps and databases exist on the Internet.

Key personel:
Mikael Pedersen, e-mail mp@geus.dk, tel. 38142557