GAP Help
The Groundwater Assessment Platform (GAP) hosts information on geogenic contamination of groundwater by arsenic and fluoride. It provides the possibility to share data, case studies and field experiences as well as to interact with other users and create probabilistic maps for any area on the globe. The site has two main sections. Maps & Tools (blue frame in Figure 1) is where you can display and print existing data and models as well as manipulate and model your own data and create risk maps. The GAP Wiki, which contains diverse information on geogenic contamination, can be accessed via the Documentation link on the front page or from a link on the top bar (red frame in Figure 1).
The Help section provides instructions for using the Maps & Tools section.
Contents
Viewing geospatial data (without registration)
All of the publicly available maps and data can be viewed and printed without registering on the site.
Click on to open a list of all available layers. Click on to print the currently viewed map as a PDF.
In case you have questions or require help while using the site, you can click Help in the top bar to open GAP Help, which explains all of the features of GAP Maps & Tools. Alternatively, click the question mark in the upper-right corner of any window to open the Help page relevant to that window.
Viewing geospatial data and developing models (with registration)
To be able to upload your own data and create models, you must register or log in (1). This makes the full functionality of the site available.
The main functions of GAP Maps & Tools are indicated in Figure 3, which are displayed by clicking on the toolbar (3). These functions are explained in detail in the sections: Layers, My Layers, Statistical Analysis, Communities, Manage Account, Print.
Register
Click Register (1) to create a new account using your e-mail address. You must confirm that you are in full agreement with the 'Legal notice and disclaimer' in order to complete the registration.
Layers
The Layers window lists all available layers, which are grouped into categories such as geology, climate and soil (Figure 4). There are three data types: coverage, polygon and point. To add a layer to the map, double-click the layer name. Click next to a layer to display its source and a description of the data.
Data type | Icon |
---|---|
Coverage | |
Polygon | |
Point |
Map Layers
The Map Layers window lists the layers that have been added to the map. The display of layers can be turned on or off by clicking the check-box next to the layer name. Right-clicking on a layer allows you to rearrange, remove or zoom to the extent of a layer (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Map Layers window collapsed (left), Map Layers window expanded (center) and Tools (right). | File:MapLayers.JPG | File:MapLayersTools.PNG | File:MapLayerTools.PNG |
My Layers
The My Layers window lists all layers uploaded by the user. It also includes functions to add, remove, share, visualize and manipulate the symbology of layers.
Add
Functionality for uploading geospatial data layers to the map. Click here for detailed instructions.
Remove
To remove a layer, select it in the table and click Remove.
Functionality to share/unshare a layer with an individual user, a community or all users (Public). Click here for a detailed information.
Visualize
To visualize a layer (add layer to map), either double-click the layer name in the table, or select layer in the table and click Visualize.
Symbology
Functionality for changing a layer's symbology. Click here for detailed instructions.
Statistical Analysis
The Statistical Analysis section provides tools and functions for developing statistical models and probability maps. Click here for detailed information.
Community Data
The Community window lists all communities of which the user is a member. The layers are categorized by community names. Clicking Create will open a window where you can initiate a new community. Selecting one community and clicking Remove will remove the community. This is only possible if you have administrator rights. You can see the details on user rights by clicking Details and if you have administrator rights change details by clicking Edit. When you click Layers a separate window will open that lists all communities you are part of and the respective layers that are accesible to this community. You can such a layer to the map by double clicking on the layer name.
Manage your Account
Clicking will lead you to your personal Account Settings. You can change your password and delete your account.
After you have selected an area on the map you want to print, click on to open the interface. Choose a Map Title (which will be printed on your final map), the page format (Landscape, Portrait) and the resolution (DPI). Note that when visualizing the backround map, the resolution is limited to 90 DPI). Then click Submit.