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Environmental Science

Geospatial Portals

EVS leverages commercial and open-source standards and software to develop rich, interactive web-based portals to geospatial datasets and accompanying models.

Environmental research and problem solving involve large, complex geospatial datasets and associated models that must be integrated, managed, and disseminated to user communities. The users can range from a handful of specialized researchers studying fundamental processes to large general audiences in the case of environmental impact statements that generate significant public interest. 

The challenge is to provide cost-effective, intuitive portals to user communities—ideally portals flexible enough to include new datasets and models as they become available, and readily scalable to accommodate audiences of any size. 

Commercial software such as Esri’s Portal and Server products provide out-of-the-box geospatial frameworks that can be adapted readily to a wide variety of needs. Commercial products offer turnkey portals for a variety of applications and can be a cost-effective, efficient solution in many cases. EVS has experience extending and adapting Esri frameworks and portals to address project-specific needs for settings as varied as facility management, enterprise geographic information systems (GIS), field data collection support, and homeland security. 

The open-source standards and software used for geospatial information management, analysis, and visualization are rapidly evolving. These open-source platforms serve as the backbone for geospatial portals and offer a flexible and cost-effective foundation for creating customized solutions. A common development stack for geospatial tools includes OpenLayers for the front-end map interaction, Geoserver for the mapping server functions, PostGIS for geospatial database management, and Python with scientific libraries for advanced spatial analysis and modeling. EVS leverages this foundation, in combination with Elixir and the Phoenix Framework, to provide powerful and user-friendly web portals for geospatial modeling.

EVS has developed innovative web-based geospatial portals that leverage open-source standards and software, in work for DOE and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The following are some examples: 

  • Geospatial Energy Mapper (GEM) is an updated version of the Energy Zones Mapping Tool (EZMT). GEM is an online energy planning tool with over 240 mapping layers, 100 modeling criteria, and has models for mapping suitability of 40 types of energy infrastructure.

  • The Section 368 Energy Corridor Mapping Tool, for viewing data on energy corridors, existing pipeline and electric transmission line infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources within and adjacent to the corridors. This tool facilitates feedback on corridor reviews through online commenting and access to corridor abstracts.

  • The Scaling Up PERennial Bioenergy Economics and Ecosystem Services Tool (SUPERBEEST) assists in decision-making regarding perennial bioenergy crop adoption by identifying marginal farmland that is optimal for crop conversion, determining the ecosystem services that could be realized by a change from row crops, and estimating the economics of that change.

EVS is particularly well suited for these innovative projects, whether they involve open-source approaches, commercial products, or a blend of the two. EVS has more than 30 years of experience in applying GIS in environmental analyses; a dedicated team of experienced web interface and server-side programmers; a solid technical foundation in supporting environmental disciplines such as ecology, hydrology, climatology, and environmental engineering; and expertise in high-performance computing and big data challenges embodied in the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility.