(Submitted by G. Walker Johnson, Department of Biological Sciences, Systems Ecology Lab, University of Texas at El Paso)

ARMAP 3D (www.armap.org) allows users to dynamically interact with information about U.S. federally funded research projects in the Arctic. This virtual globe allows users to explore data maintained in the Arctic Research & Logistics Support System (ARLSS) database. Users can fly to study sites, view receding glaciers in 3D, and access linked reports about specific projects. 

Custom search tasks have been developed to query by researcher name, discipline, funding program, place names and year.  Results are displayed on the globe with links to detailed reports. Users can print or export maps for presentations. The application is a very valuable visual tool for science management and logistical planning, ascertaining who is doing what type of research and where.      

ARMAP 3D was created using ArcGIS Explorer, and used the ArcGIS Explorer SDK to create custom tasks. A strength of ArcGIS Explorer is the ability it provides users to integrate their own spatial data. Users can add GPS locations, aerial photographs, KML files or Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web services without any special data translators or costly software.

ARMAP 3D is part of the ARMAP suite, a collection of applications that support Arctic science with interoperable tools for users of various levels of technical ability to explore information about field-based research in the Arctic. ARMAP is funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Arctic Sciences Division and is a collaborative development effort between the Systems Ecology Lab at the University of Texas at El Paso, Nuna Technologies, the INSTAAR QGIS Laboratory, and CH2M HILL Polar Services. Contact us at:  info@armap.org

ARMAP 3D was officially released on Friday, December 12, 2008 before the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in San Francisco, CA.  During the weeklong conference, there were two talks about the project along with a two-hour hands-on session in which ARMAP 3D was demonstrated.