Application of GIS to supporting atmospheric and oceanographic data management and visualization

A GIS for ocean applications called “the Xiamen Atmospheric and Oceanographic Data Management and Display System (AODMDS)” has been designed and developed. The system is based on ArcObjects (AO), a component-based GIS development tool. The paper discusses in detail the storage and organization of the atmospheric and oceanographic data, the strategy and methods for the visualization and mapping of oceanographic and atmospheric data, and the implementation of the methods in AODMDS. It also discusses some advanced display control techniques that expand the functions of ArcObjects. One of the techniques is “gradient-fill-style color-map control,” which provides a feasible color-rich display control for all types of raster maps. As a stand-alone desktop GIS system built on AO, AODMDS provides effective data management and powerful mapping and visualization functions for atmospheric and oceanographic data.