Short communicationTowards an integrated Flood Information System: Centralized data access, analysis, and visualization
Graphical abstract
Introduction
A significant amount of hydrological and meteorological data is collected every day by a wide range of sensors and instruments that range from in-stream sensors to ground- and space-based remote sensing platforms. Daily environmental data collection was over 25 terabytes in 2009, according to Smits et al. (2009). Information contained in the available data cannot be fully utilized if they are not easily accessible and properly structured. Environmental Information Systems (EIS) are gaining importance for addressing grand scientific challenges in environmental monitoring and prediction (e.g., Granell et al., 2013, Nativi et al., 2013) by providing integrated multi-disciplinary platforms that combine data management, visualization, analysis, modeling, and information communication capabilities (e.g., Granell et al., 2010). Recent developments in information and Internet technologies provide a great opportunity to enhance the management, analysis, visualization, modeling, and sharing of flood-related data and information and to improve the timeliness of flood warnings and preparation for flood events.
In this paper, we present a comprehensive online platform, the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS), developed with the goal of achieving an adaptive Flood Information System with integrated data access, analysis, and visualization. This paper provides an overview of the tools and interfaces developed to date in the IFIS, which provides access to weather, flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts, flood-related data, information, applications, and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. This paper offers a comprehensive information system for improving real-time information management and knowledge transfer pertinent to flood events. The system is developed in an adaptive and integrated structure that could be applied to similar efforts in other regions and environmental application domains.
Section snippets
Related work
Information systems play an important role in many geoscience disciplines, including hydrology and atmospheric science (Demir, 2010, Tarboton et al., 2009, Williams et al., 2009). Recent examples of these systems have capabilities for web-based management, visualization, and shared environmental time-series data using web services (Demir and Beck, 2009, Demir et al., 2009). A critical application domain for these systems with real-time information management and sharing capabilities is flood
System requirements and design
The purpose of the IFIS is to provide a one-stop web-platform to access flood-related data, information, and applications. As the main stakeholder target of the IFIS is the public, one of the requirements is to provide an interactive and user-friendly interface that requires minimal technical skills and knowledge to use. The IFIS should be accessible through various platforms (e.g., laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) with limited bandwidth capabilities. Visualization and examination of data
Conclusions
The Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) is an online platform that was developed to provide easy access to real-time flood and stream conditions, flood forecasts, flood inundation maps, and flood-related data, information, and interactive visualizations in Iowa. The IFIS is designed in an adaptive and integrated structure. The structure of the system allows other state and regional institutions to easily develop similar systems for transferring knowledge and disseminating flood-related data
Acknowledgments
The work reported here has been made possible by the support from the Iowa Flood Center at The University of Iowa. The IFIS integrates the work of many members of the IFC; herein, the authors acknowledge the particularly significant contributions of Radoslaw Goska to the IFIS.
References (25)
- et al.
A real-time hydrological model for flood prediction using GIS and the WWW
Comput. Environ. Urban
(2003) - et al.
Can end-users' flood management decision making be improved by information about forecast uncertainty?
Atmos. Res.
(2011) - et al.
A first approach to web services for the national water information system
Environ. Model. Softw.
(2008) - et al.
Service-oriented applications for environmental models: reusable geospatial services
Environ. Model. Softw.
(2010) - et al.
Enhancing integrated environmental modelling by designing resource-oriented interfaces
Environ. Model. Softw.
(2013) Improving flood warnings in Europe: a research and policy agenda
Environ. Hazards
(2001)- et al.
Information sources for flash flood warnings in Denver, CO, and Austin, TX
Environ. Hazards
(2007) - et al.
Environmental model access and interoperability: the GEO Model Web initiative
Environ. Model. Softw.
(2013) - et al.
An asynchronous solver for systems of ODEs linked by a directed tree structure
Adv. Water Resour.
(2013) Establishment of spatial data infrastructure within the environmental sector in Slovak Republic
Environ. Model. Softw.
(2006)