ABSTRACT
Determining the nature and extent of environmental problems at a site involves a complete understanding of the study area both in terms of the natural state and the contamination problem. The traditional site characterization has several shortcomings. This chapter describes these shortcomings, details how these are overcome through the use of a computer-assisted site characterization, and discusses additional advantages of computer-based tools. The primary advantages of a computer-assisted site characterization are improved environmental data management, data analysis, and data visualization capabilities. The main benefit derived through the use of a computer platform is improved data management. The key elements of any site characterization are data gathering and storage, data analysis, and data presentation. Each of these steps is closely tied to the style of site data management. Data regarding the geography, geology, hydrology, and extent of contamination at the site are collected and subsequently stored in some type of data management system.
