Oftentimes the greatest obstacle in using scientific data in the public-policy process is gaining convenient access to relevant data and information. The real utility of the data is not realized until after completing a series of steps that are characterized as data integration. Integrating data originating from diverse disciplines poses special challenges related to issues of scale, resolution, projection, age, and quality. Seamless, best-available, integrated data sets are created for CSP studies. These data are not only used internally and with CSP collaborators, but also made available for other uses over the web as a regional component of the Digital Earth .
Additional research is conducted on modeling geographic processes such as land use change.
GAT utilizes the Western Region GIS lab and facilities at UC Santa Barbara. Tools and techniques include GIS, environmental modeling, scientific visualization, mosaicking, remote sensing, database management, digital cartography, and web-based infromation access.