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OASIS: A GRAPHICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR GROUNDWATER CONTAMINANT MODELING
Citation:
Newell, C., J. Haasbeek, AND P. Bedient. OASIS: A GRAPHICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR GROUNDWATER CONTAMINANT MODELING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-90/100.
Description:
Three new software technologies were applied to develop an efficient and easy to use decision support system far ground-water contaminant modeling. raphical interfaces create a more intuitive and effective form of communication with the computer compared to text-based interfaces. oncepts from the field of hypertext were applied to design the extensive electronic documentation and databases. Finally, object oriented programming permitted scientists with little programming experience to develop the system by manipulating preexisting software objects instead of writing computer code, greatly increasing the productivity of the project team. ecision support system is a class of software with different origins and characteristics than conventional programs or expert systems. Decision support systems are designed to help users with broad, semistructured problems, with the user directing the problem-solving process. The decision support software described in this paper, the OASIS system, provides ground-water modelers with a ground-water biodegradation model, model documentation, background information, data from chemical and hydrogeologic databases, and data management tools. he system was developed using HyperCard software on a Macintosh personal computer. t currently has over 1700 different computer screens of information and occupies approximately 10 megabytes of hard disk storage. ASIS is a new type of modeling software where groundwater models, data, and knowledge are integrated together using a graphical interface and an easily modified software architecture. wo groups of users can benefit from the system: current modelers who need more efiicient interfaces and data management tools, and people who are not using now because the modeling process is too involved and requires special knowledge.