GEOGSPEC.TXT - 13th of 19 digital documentation files distributed
               with the "Forest Fire Chronology of Saskatchewan"
               (FFCS) dataset.


<Document overview>

     Lists the basic geographic specifications of all Arc/INFO
     coverages in the FFCS dataset.


<Documentation layout and format>

     Ideally, the geographic parameters would be presented in a
     database format.  However, as text files are used for
     documentation, a check-list form is used.  Four types of
     check lists are used in this document:

       1. A Yes/No check-list (where "No" = not applicable at all
          and "Yes" = applicable to some degree).  This approach
          helps indicate what the database is and indicates what
          it is not through reverse descriptions.

       2. Indication of one of many available choices all of
          which are mutually exclusive.  The appropriate class is
          indicated with an upper case "X".

       3. Indication of one or more available choices which are
          not mutually exclusive.  The appropriate classes are
          indicated with a lower case "x"

       4. One or more checks, usually requiring an entry other
          than a x or X.

     The following section contains the basic geographic
     parameters of all coverages in the FFCS dataset based on
     these two check-list formats.


<Extent of spatial database / Areal coverage>

     <<Landcover classes>>

          Grasslands__________No
          Canadian shield_____Yes
          Commercial forest___Yes
          Parklands___________No
          Tundra______________Yes
          Entire province_____No


     <<Ecoregions>>

          Aspen parkland____________No
          Athabasca plain__________Yes
          Boreal transition_________Yes
          Churchill River upland____Yes
          Cypress upland____________No
          Interlake plain___________Yes
          Mid-boreal lowland________Yes
          Mid-boreal upland_________Yes
          Mixed grassland___________No
          Moist-mixed grassland_____No
          Selwyn Lake upland________Yes
          Tazin Lake upland_________Yes


<Stratums, layers or themes>
     Number of layers_____1
     Layer #1.____________Fire boundaries


<Consistency of spatial feature content within dataset>
     High______
     Moderate__X
     Low_______


<Consistency of spatial feature quality within dataset>
     High______
     Moderate__X
     Low_______


<Extensiveness of digital representation of available area>
     Complete__
     Partial___X


<Spatial data type>
     Line_____________Yes
     Point____________No
     Polygon__________Yes
     Raster___________No
     Elevation
       DEM____________No
       DTM____________No
       TIN____________No
     Network__________No
     Other (specify)--Not applicable


<Topology>
     Raw_________
     Spaghetti___
     Clean_______X


<Source scales>
     1:50,000_______x
     1:250,000______x
     Other__________x (1:12,500 and 1:15,840)
     Not known______x (various)


<Satellite imagery resolution>
     30 meter raster_______
     10 meter raster_______
     other_________________N/A


<Global Positioning System accuracy>
     Sub-meter____________
     3-5 meter____________
     100-300 meter________
     Other________________Unknown


<Data organization>
     Seamless________X
     Discontinuous___


<Tile adjacency relationships>
     Edgematching_____X
     Conflation_______
     Not Applicable___


<Projection>
     Geographic_________________
     Lambert Conformal Conic____
     Mercator___________________X
     Other (specify)____________


<Coordinate system>
     10 km grid______
     NTS50___________
     NTS250__________X


<Horizontal datum>
     NAD27________________X
     NAD83________________
     Other (specify)______


<Spheroid>
     CLARKE 1866________X
     GRS80______________
     WGS84______________
     Other (specify)____


<Central meridian>
     +________
     -________105


<False easting>
     +________500000
     -________


<False northing>
     +_______
     -_______
     0_______X


<Measurement units>
     Feet________
     Meters______X
     Geographic
          DMS________________
          DD_________________
          DM_________________
          DS_________________
          Other (specify)____


<Bounding coordinates, in geographic units>
     min X__________________110
     max X__________________-101.6
     min Y__________________49.0
     max Y__________________60.0
     min Z__________________Not Applicable
     max Z__________________Not Applicable


<Spatial feature digitization method>
     Scanning_________________
     Manual tracing___________x
     Direct via GPS___________x
     Other (specify)__________


<Spatial data verification method>
     Check plots against original_______________
     Overlay against other verified themes______
     None_______________________________________x
     Other (specify)____________________________


<Attribute files associated with spatial elements>
     See DATADICT.TXT


<Attribute data digitization method>
     Manual (during tracing)________________x
     Scanning (OCR)_________________________
     Direct via GPS or other datalogger_____
     None___________________________________
     Other (specify)


<Attribute data verification method>
     Multiple entry comparisons____
     None__________________________x
     Other (specify)_______________


<Positional accuracy format>
     Absolute____X
     Relative____


<Positional accuracy measures>
     Vertical______unknown
     Horizontal____unknown


<Topology/edit tolerances>
     Dangle_________Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Edit___________Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Fuzzy__________Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Grain__________Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Node Snap______Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Snap___________Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Tic Match______Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)
     Weed___________Arc/INFO default (depends on coverage extent)


<Conversion and/or projection history>
     See HISTORY.TXT


<Directly associated databases>
     See DATADICT.TXT


This document prepared by:

Ott Naelapea
Wildlife Branch
Saskatchewan Environment & Resource Management
Box 3003, 800 Central Avenue
Prince Albert, SK.  S6V 6G1
CANADA
(306)953-2671 - Tel.
(306)953-2750 - Fax.

November 28, 1996
