Map Integration Model Applied in Site Selection

Site selection is a location dependent decision-making task, and it is carried out traditionally by overlying various types of maps and attempting to assimilate number of factors into a composite picture. Geologists may be involved in various site selection jobs such as: exploration, environmental studies, construction, and drilling-site selection.Such a decision can be one of the two types. The first is the unstructured decision—that is based on experience and an overall understanding of the problem. The second type of decision involves a certain amount of precise data and an algorithm to process it, so that a definite or structured decision can be reached. Analysis of the elements of a geologic problem identifies the spectrum the problem belongs. Structured (well-defined) versus unstructured (ill-defined) decision making for site selection will be discussed. To keep the location dependency of variables and taking them into account during the process of decision-making, the variables treated in layers or maps. A map integration model will be introduced that carries the decision-making task and results in the most suitable location.