<s>
Digital	B-Application
geologic	I-Application
mapping	I-Application
is	O
the	O
process	O
by	O
which	O
geological	O
features	O
are	O
observed	O
,	O
analyzed	O
,	O
and	O
recorded	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
and	O
displayed	O
in	O
real-time	O
on	O
a	O
computer	O
or	O
personal	B-Application
digital	I-Application
assistant	I-Application
(	O
PDA	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geologic	O
observations	O
have	O
traditionally	O
been	O
recorded	O
on	O
paper	O
,	O
whether	O
on	O
standardized	O
note	O
cards	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
notebook	B-Device
,	O
or	O
on	O
a	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
computers	O
can	O
now	O
perform	O
some	O
tasks	O
that	O
were	O
difficult	O
to	O
accomplish	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
handwriting	B-Application
or	O
voice	B-Application
recognition	I-Application
and	O
annotating	O
photographs	O
on	O
the	O
spot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
computers	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
,	O
the	O
recording	O
of	O
observations	O
and	O
basic	O
data	B-General_Concept
management	I-General_Concept
changes	O
dramatically	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
digital	O
mapping	O
also	O
affects	O
when	O
data	B-General_Concept
analysis	I-General_Concept
occurs	O
in	O
the	O
mapping	O
process	O
,	O
but	O
does	O
not	O
greatly	O
affect	O
the	O
process	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Data	O
entered	O
by	O
a	O
geologist	O
may	O
have	O
fewer	O
errors	O
than	O
data	O
transcribed	O
by	O
a	O
data	B-General_Concept
entry	I-General_Concept
clerk	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spatial	O
extent	O
of	O
real	O
world	O
objects	O
and	O
their	O
attributes	B-General_Concept
can	O
be	O
entered	O
directly	O
into	O
a	O
database	O
with	O
geographic	B-Application
information	I-Application
system	I-Application
(	O
GIS	B-Application
)	O
capability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiple	O
maps	O
and	O
imagery	O
(	O
geophysical	O
maps	O
,	O
satellite	O
images	O
,	O
orthophotos	B-General_Concept
,	O
etc	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
Data	B-General_Concept
analysis	I-General_Concept
may	O
start	O
immediately	O
after	O
returning	O
from	O
the	O
field	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
database	O
has	O
already	O
been	O
populated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Data	O
entered	O
by	O
multiple	O
geologists	O
may	O
contain	O
more	O
inconsistencies	O
than	O
data	O
entered	O
by	O
one	O
person	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
database	O
more	O
difficult	O
to	O
query	B-Library
.	O
</s>
<s>
Written	O
descriptions	O
convey	O
to	O
the	O
reader	O
detailed	O
information	O
through	O
imagery	O
that	O
may	O
not	O
be	O
communicated	O
by	O
the	O
same	O
data	O
in	O
parsed	B-Language
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geologists	O
may	O
be	O
inclined	O
to	O
shorten	O
text	O
descriptions	O
because	O
they	O
are	O
difficult	O
to	O
enter	O
(	O
either	O
by	O
handwriting	B-Application
or	O
voice	B-Application
recognition	I-Application
)	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
loss	O
of	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
no	O
original	O
,	O
hardcopy	O
field	O
maps	O
or	O
notes	O
to	O
archive	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
universities	O
and	O
secondary	O
educators	O
are	O
integrating	O
digital	B-Application
geologic	I-Application
mapping	I-Application
into	O
class	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
capture	O
of	O
less	O
data-intensive	O
reconnaissance	O
mapping	O
or	O
survey	O
data	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
can	O
be	O
accomplished	O
by	O
less	O
robust	O
databases	O
and	O
GIS	B-Application
programs	O
,	O
and	O
hardware	O
with	O
a	O
smaller	O
screen	O
size	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
some	O
traditional	O
mapping	O
is	O
conducted	O
on	O
PDAs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Transcription	O
to	O
digital	O
text	O
from	O
handwriting	B-Application
and	O
voice	B-Application
recognition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Can	O
store	O
complex	O
relational	B-Application
database	I-Application
with	O
drop-down	O
lists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Operating	O
system	O
and	O
hardware	O
are	O
compatible	O
with	O
a	O
robust	O
GIS	B-Application
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
least	O
512	O
MB	O
memory	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
FIELDLOG	O
AutoCAD	B-Algorithm
,	O
Fieldworker	O
Apple	B-Device
Newton	I-Device
PDA	B-Application
1998	O
–	O
2000	O
G-Map	O
Esri	O
Arc-View	O
PC	O
&	O
Web	O
Based	O
Eni-Temars	O
2000	O
–	O
Present	O
GeoEditor	O
Esri	O
Arc-View	O
PC	O
Walker	O
,	O
J.D.	O
,	O
and	O
Black	O
,	O
R.A	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
Mapping	O
the	O
outcrop	O
:	O
Geotimes	O
,	O
vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GeoLink	O
Geolink	O
unknown	O
2002	O
–	O
2010	O
MIDAS	O
ESRI	O
's	O
ArcPAD	B-Application
and	O
BGS	O
bespoke	O
database	O
iPAQ	O
PDAs	B-Application
2002	O
–	O
Present	O
Geopad	O
ESRI	O
's	O
ArcGIS	B-Application
,	O
Microsoft	O
OneNote	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rugged	O
Tablet	O
PCs	O
and	O
Tablet	O
PCs	O
2004	O
–	O
Present	O
Geomapper	O
ESRI	O
's	O
ArcGIS	B-Application
Rugged	O
Tablet	O
PCs	O
and	O
Tablet	O
PCs	O
2004	O
–	O
2008	O
Map	O
IT	O
(	O
not	O
longer	O
available	O
)	O
Map	O
IT	O
Ruggedized	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
2006	O
–	O
2008	O
Geologic	O
Data	O
Assistant	O
(	O
GDA	O
)	O
customized	O
ArcPad	B-Application
6.0.3	O
(	O
ESRI	O
)	O
Ruggedized	O
PDA	B-Application
2001	O
–	O
2010	O
ArcPad	B-Application
ESRI	O
's	O
ArcPad	B-Application
Ruggedized	O
PDA	B-Application
or	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
2002	O
?	O
–	O
2010	O
GeoMapper	O
PenMap	O
Ruggedized	O
PDA	B-Application
or	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
2006	O
?	O
–	O
2010	O
SAIC	O
GeoRover	O
Extension	O
for	O
ESRI	O
's	O
ArcGIS	B-Application
Ruggedized	O
PDA	B-Application
or	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
2003	O
–	O
2010	O
GAFAG	O
GeoRover	O
(	O
name	O
protected	O
in	O
Europe	O
)	O
Mobile	O
geological	O
information	O
system	O
Ruggedized	O
PDA	B-Application
,	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
,	O
Desktop	O
PC	O
,	O
Laptop	B-Device
2000	O
?	O
–	O
2010	O
BGS-SIGMAmobile	O
Customized	O
ArcGIS	B-Application
,	O
MS	B-Application
Access	I-Application
,	O
InfiNotes	O
Ruggedized	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
2008	O
–	O
Present	O
BeeGIS	O
Built	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
uDig	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
(	O
ruggized	O
or	O
not	O
)	O
,	O
Desktop	O
PC	O
,	O
Laptop	B-Device
(	O
Win	O
,	O
Mac	O
or	O
Linux	O
Systems	O
)	O
2011	O
–	O
Present	O
FieldMove	O
Midland	O
Valley	O
's	O
Move	O
Tablet	O
PC	O
(	O
ruggized	O
or	O
not	O
)	O
,	O
Desktop	O
PC	O
,	O
Laptop	B-Device
(	O
Windows	O
XP	O
or	O
later	O
)	O
?	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
every	O
geologic	O
mapping	O
project	O
covers	O
an	O
area	O
with	O
unique	O
lithologies	O
and	O
complexities	O
,	O
and	O
every	O
geologist	O
has	O
a	O
unique	O
style	O
of	O
mapping	O
,	O
no	O
software	O
is	O
perfect	O
for	O
digital	B-Application
geologic	I-Application
mapping	I-Application
out	O
of	O
the	O
box	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
digital-mapping	O
geologists/programmers	O
have	O
chosen	O
to	O
highly	O
customize	O
or	O
extend	O
ESRI	O
's	O
ArcGIS	B-Application
instead	O
.	O
</s>
