IsoMAP: Isoscape Modeling, Analysis, and Prediction

IsoMAP Overview

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Predicted oxygen isotope ratios of plant leaf water (credit: J. West)

IsoMAP is a dynamic, online workspace for spatial analysis, modeling and prediction of stable isotope ratio variation in the natural environment (“isoscapes”). The core of ISOMAP will be a suite of web‐based GIS and software tools allowing users to easily explore, develop, and implement statistical and process‐based models for isotope distributions.

  • Data identification and processing will be handled by ISOMAP software and will be transparent to the user.
  • Hierarchically structured toolkits will provide functionality for model assessment, prediction (map‐making), and data analysis for a variety of model and substrate types.
  • Users will be able to conduct end‐to‐end data exploration and modeling within an online workspace, with automatic data and metadata archival and cross‐toolkit integration.
  • Products will be accessible for download and can be published to a common workspace to enable access by other users.

IsoMAP will provide sophisticated tools for research and analysis but will be designed with accessibility in mind. Our target user community includes not only researchers with experience in isotope chemistry but also educators, and individuals from outside of academia who could benefit from the educational and applied scientific uses of isoscapes.

Read the recent article, “Isoscapes to address large‐scale Earth Science challenges” (Bowen et al., 2009, Eos)
Also watch for the upcoming book by Springer, Isoscapes: Understanding movement, pattern, and process on Earth through isotope mapping, (West, J.B.; Bowen, G.J.; Dawson, T.E.; Tu, K.P., Eds.)

nsf This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0752657.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.