← Back to catalogue
Published

plain

vr.tr.plain · thing-q160091

Let an agent handle plains by type, formation, land use, hazards and planetary analogues.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.PLC
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Type Which plain.

Kind

Floodplain, coastal.

Kind

Plain type.

  1. What kind of plain is it? definition
  2. How did it form? provenance

Extent

Size.

Extent

Extent.

  1. How large is it? measurement
  2. What is its elevation range? measurement
Use Land use.

Farming

Agriculture.

Farming

Agriculture.

  1. How is the plain farmed? definition
  2. What soils does it have? definition

Settlement

Towns and transport.

Settlement

Settlement.

  1. Which settlements and routes use it? definition
  2. How has use changed? provenance
Hazards Flood and wind.

Flood

Floodplain risk.

Flood

Flood risk.

  1. Is this land in a flood zone? boundary
  2. Which authority maps it? provenance

Erosion

Wind and soil.

Erosion

Soil erosion.

  1. Is wind erosion a risk? boundary
  2. How is it controlled? action
Planetary Other worlds.

Names

Palus, planitia.

Names

Planetary names.

  1. Is a planetary plain meant? boundary
  2. Which IAU name applies? provenance

Formation

Lava and impacts.

Formation

Planetary formation.

  1. How did the planetary plain form? provenance
  2. From which mission data? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.PLC
Other names and narrower kinds
fajã, achada, palus, fluctus, depositional plain, plain in Korea, plains of Italy, piedmont, lacuna, Plains of Japan, planitia, till plain

What it is Filled

A broad area of relatively flat land with little relief, formed by deposition, erosion or lava flows, such as floodplains, coastal plains and plateaus; on other planets similar features are named palus or planitia.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent handle plains by type, formation, land use, hazards and planetary analogues.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Flat or gently sloping
  • Large extent
  • Often fertile
  • Floodplains flood by nature

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Describe a floodplain as safe for building when official maps show flood risk.
  • Present one formation process as certain where geologists disagree.
  • Encourage drainage or clearance of protected wetland or grassland on a plain.
  • Treat a plain as empty land, ignoring the people and species that live there.

Only with a human decision

  • Land use or development decisions on floodplains.

May

  • Describe a plain's landforms, soils and land use from surveys and maps.
  • Report flood risk on floodplains from official flood maps.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Plains feed many people and hold grasslands and wetlands that are easily lost.
  • Building on floodplains moves risk onto residents and downstream communities.

Who is affected

  • People living and farming on the plain
  • Grassland and wetland species
  • Downstream communities

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns a landform; land parcels on it have their own owners and the public holds it in common.

Master systems

  • Geological surveys
  • Flood risk maps
  • Land registries

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q107425 - registry parent class
  • Q271669 - registry parent class

related

  • landform and landscape - category
  • deposition - process
  • hill and mountain - relief
  • agriculture - land use

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.plain
  • Wikidata: Q160091 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160091)

Direct properties required Filled

  • Surface area: km2 - Measure the mapped extent using a stated boundary and geographic coordinate system.
  • Surface slope: degrees - Measure terrain inclination using surveyed elevations or an elevation model at a stated spatial resolution.
  • Local relief: m - Calculate the difference between highest and lowest elevations within a stated assessment area.

Recognition required Filled

  • Low relief over large areas
  • Types such as floodplain or coastal plain
  • Planetary terms such as palus
  • Wide, flat or gently rolling land, often farmed or grassy.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • map and classify plains
  • assess flood risk on floodplains
  • manage farmland
  • study planetary plains

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Flooding on floodplains
  • Soil erosion from wind
  • Building in flood zones

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Flood risk planning rules
  • IAU planetary nomenclature

Context of use required Filled

  • Agriculture, settlement, transport and grazing.
  • floodplains and alluvial plains
  • coastal plains
  • glacial outwash plains
  • lava plains
  • planetary plains

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q160091: plain - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Plain - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should plain types be separate entries?
  • How should planetary plains be linked?
  • How should flood zones be linked?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q160091/spec.json