RICE GIS Projects
Samples of GIS projects for which the GIS/Data Center served as the main GIS support entity or currently contributes to developing data and publications.
The GIS/Data Center has helped many professors and students with GIS projects that range from simple viewing of information to extensive research and analysis of data. Below are just a few examples of such projects. Project descriptions not listed below include the use of GIS to study the earliest nautical charts (history), application of GIS in site mapping for architecture projects, collection and representation of biology data (rats, monkeys, plants), development of language and time-series maps (anthropology), and processing of elevation data for contour and shaded-relief generation (geology).
Rice Trees 
BIOS 336, Plant Diversity - An interactive map of all the trees on the Rice campus with links from individual trees to the Rice Natural History Database for more information about the different species.
TIMEA is a digital archive of narratives documenting travel to the Middle East published between the 18th and early 20th centuries, along with images and interactive GIS maps. The initial phase of the project focuses on building a coherent collection of resources related to Egypt. To enrich the range of subjects covered, materials related to Cyprus are included.
GIS Use in Geology
GIS helps accentuate topographic features using:
Different color schemes
Vertical exaggeration
This image shows what the Brazos river valley used to look like 18,000 years ago when sea level was much lower and the Brazos river had to downcut to remain in equilibrium. This image is deceptive because it has a vertical exaggeration of 300 (meaning the vertical scale is 300 times greater than the horizontal scale, so the valley appears a lot deeper then it really is). About 400 hundred cores (created using Rockworks software and imported into ArcScene) can be seen to penetrate this valley from the top to the base and are used to understand: 1) how deeply incised the valley was when sea level dropped, 2) where the former channels existed in the valley (in yellow) as it began to backfill, and 3) where the floodplain clay deposits (in red) exist which encase the channels. These cores give us an idea of how dynamic the valley fill sequence has been as sea level has risen and the large incised valley has back filled with channel and flood deposits. Patrick Taha
ESCI 454 Geographic Information Science - The GIS/Data Center worked with the Facilities and Engineering Department to create a GIS database for the Rice campus.
David Smith, Jones School of Business - This Internet-based Interactive map displays and consults information of the Rice Alliance Map of Houston Tech Firms Sponsored by the Greater Houston Partnership
