Abstract

GIS as a tool for geomorphic analysis of contaminated rivers.
Track: Environmental Management
Authors: Brad Schrotenboer, Jennifer Holmstadt

Contaminated rivers present a unique and complex challenge to those tasked with environmental cleanup. The key to a successful river cleanup is an accurate understanding of the river's geomorphic history, and of the geomorphic processes that affect the fate and transport of contaminants. A fluvial geomorphic analysis spatially synthesizes multiple lines of evidence to develop a complete picture of the nature and extent of contamination within a river system.

GIS is a critical tool for analyzing the data inputs necessary for geomorphic analysis of a river. Data from remote sensing and environmental sampling are processed in GIS and used to map the river as a collection of unique geomorphic surfaces. Point samples are then interpolated within these geomorphic units to estimate important variables, such as contaminant concentration, in unsampled areas. GIS-based geomorphic analysis allows river contaminants to be remediated more efficiently and more accurately than ever before.