Final Report for GIS 4035 - Photo Interpretation & Remote Sensing

I have definitely lost my mind...but I know where it is. My final project for GIS 4035 - Photo Interpretation & Remote Sensing, was to apply remote sensing data and image processing techniques that I studied and used during this semester. I utilized concepts, data types, processes, and techniques I learned in ERDAS Imagine, and ArcMap. What an experience this has been! My project was to examine the Lake Tahoe basin area and determine the change, if any, in healthy vegetation from the period of 1999 to 2010. The guiding question for my research is: How much has healthy vegetation decreased in the Lake Tahoe basin area from 1999 to 2010?

It was a fun project and I certainly have learned a great deal this semester. Please see my Final Report at the link below. Here is my final map:

Lake Tahoe:1999 to 2010 -Decrease in Healthy Vegetation

Brevard County Food Desert - Palm Bay & West Melbourne

This has been a crazy-fun experience. My last project for GIS 4930, Special Topics in Geographic Information Systems is to create a webmap using Open Source GIS tools. The subject of this last project continues to be Food Deserts. For my project, I selected two cities in Brevard County: Palm Bay and West Melbourne.I used QGIS (Quantum GIS) as a FREE and Open Source, ArcMap -substitute to conduct most of my analysis. I had to use ESRI's ArcMap for the Near tool to compute where the Food Desert and Food Oasis existed relative to my cities above. After running the tool in ArcMap, the QGIS table looked like the below:



I used the 2010 US Census data. The first red circle represents the Census Tract information; the second circle is POP2010. I used the tract information to compute the centroids of the population so that I could measure a Euclidian distance of one mile from the grocery store layer. The last column is the Near_Dist data derived from ArcMap – Like I said, I could not use QGIS to do everything I wanted – This Near column is the result of executing the Near Tool with a one mile search. Any item that returned a -1 is farther than one mile from the grocery store and hence in a Food Desert by my definition.

      

I used Google Earth to collect the Grocery Store information and the US Census data to compute population centroids. I used a number of FREE Open Source GIS tools, such as QGIS, Mapbox, and Leaflet, and I gained valuable experience doing so. Below is my QGIS and Mapbox maps.

My Mapbox Link: Mapbox Brevard Food Desert

The data I created is very good and highly useful for the purpose of determining Food Deserts. I believe that my data fairly represents the Food Desert situation in my study area.

Here is my final presentation for GIS 4930:

Link to My Presentation: My Brevard County Food Deserts Presentation

It has been a pleasure conducting this brief study and I look forward to many more years of using free and open source tools for GIS analysis.

My Raven GIS Portfolio

I have assembled a collection of my GIS works and created a website to host and showcase my skills, experience and a resume for all to view. I would like to share this website with you and would appreciate if you visit this site.


Raven GIS Portfolio


This is still a Development website and I plan to add more info as I progress and gain more GIS experience. Check back later to see what I have added.




Raven

Raven GIS Portfolio

Network Analysis, Geocoding & Model Builder

What a very long week! This week was dedicated to describing the various types of analyses that can be performed on transportation networks, including identifying the optimum route, identifying an EMS service facility, and location-allocation modeling. Finally, we studied geometric network analysis with an emphasis on stream network analysis, including determining flow direction, tracing edges and junctions upstream or downstream. The Lab also included learning about ModelBuilder.  The objectives for the lecture were:

- Define geocoding
- Identify common types of geocoding techniques
- Define network
- Differentiate between direct and indirect network models
- Recall tools used for utility network vs. a natural network analysis
- Define network cost and be able to provide relevant attributes
- Identify network elements for directed and undirected networks
- Define route
- Recall where to locate a National Hydrography Dataset for analysis

And the objectives for the Lab:

- Create an address locator
- Conduct geocoding by address matching
- Match unmatched addresses
- Determine why a particular address does not match
- Enable the Network Analyst extension
- Create a new route analysis layer
- Adjust Network Analyst options
- Add various stops to be visited by a route
- Set parameters for analysis
- Compute the optimal route for your stops
- Save your route
- Understand a simple model and elements available in ModelBuilder
- Understand how models can facilitate your analysis operations and workflows
- Recognize some of the model Environment setting parameters available
- Open and edit a model in ArcGIS's ModelBuilder
- Analyze data created by a model

For my map of Lake County, I created an Address Locator and identified three addresses near an EMS station. I plotted the route and labeled the addresses so that they would show up on my map. After "losing my TOC" several times, I realized that I had to click on the "Windows" icon on the Main Toolbar and click on Table of Contents, to make my TOC reappear. It was quite frustrating when, for no apparent reason, my TOC vanished. At least I was able to find it quickly. I also had to re-accomplish my Route because I could not get the addresses to display the first time. After removing and re-accomplishing the Route, I was able to get the addresses to display on my map by selecting "Stops" and "Label Features."  This was a very long Lab exercise, but I learned a great deal in accomplishing this one.

  

3D Mapping

This week in, GIS3015, Cartographic Skills, we worked on 3D Mapping; the Pros and Cons. The lecture objectives were as follows:  

- Describe 3D data types and associated applications
- Recall different types of 3D Maps
- Describe the challenges and advantages of 3D Mapping
- Recall how to manipulate 3D data in ArcScene

And, for the Lab:

- List and Describe data necessary for 3D GIS

- Perform techniques to visualize raster data in 3D

- Perform techniques to visualize feature data in 3D

- Convert 2D feature to 3D using elevation values derived from lidar data

- Demonstrate proficiency with 3D Analyst Extension and ArcScene

- Export data to kmz and view in Google Earth

- Describe applications of 3D data

- Compare and contrast a complex flow map in 2 vs 3D

So, where to begin??? 

There were a number of tools and reference material that we covered including the below:

• 3D GIS
  
• Snipping Tool
• Create Random Points
• Add Surface Information
• Summary Statistics
• Layer to KML Tool
• Download Google Earth

Using Google Earth was fun and quite practical, as anyone with a computer and internet access can use this 3D tool. The other tools were equally useful and fairly straight forward to understand.  The tool to convert a layer to a KML (KMZ) file was also quite useful. I created the file: Ex2BostonBldgsKML. 

The best part of creating this file was watching the globe spin, very slowly, and eventually zoom to the location I had created; I wasn't sure my computer would survive.

Another tool I learned how to use was the, Extrude capability in ArcScene. Below is a snip of the file I worked with. 

All of this was brilliant, but the most important aspect of 3D Mapping I learned was in regards to, vertical exaggeration, illumination, and background color.  Above I discussed vertical exaggeration, so here I want to spend a brief time on illumination.

The default Sun elevation is set to 30 degrees above the horizon with the default compass direction of 315 degrees which puts the Sun in the Northwest. To minimize the shadows on my map I could place the Sun at an elevation of 90 degrees along a West to East line (270 degrees to 90 degrees). This would place the Sun directly overhead. In the image below, I moved the sun around Santa Barbara Island and could see how the shadows changed around the cliffs and over the land rolling to the water's edge.

At the end of the day, we must decide whether or not to use 3D feature techniques in our work. There are clear advantages to using 3D layers: 3D layers make it possible to answer questions one cannot address with a 2D map. For instance, you can address questions such as: On what floor of a high-rise condominium is it best for rescue/first responders to ingress? What vantage point should a sniper take in order to defeat a would-be threat in a large urban area where buildings, trees and other objects might obscure a clean shot? What is the best route to take to remain in the shadows given a certain urban design and time of day? There are countless military and civilian applications well suited for a 3D building layer.

On the negative side or Cons to using 3D layers: You must have a computer to view the 3D effects. If you want something that is easily transported, a paper map is better. There is also a possibility that a user may not fully comprehend what the cartographer is trying to represent in a 3D map and this might cause more confusion instead providing clarity.

However, I believe the Pros far outweigh the Cons when it comes to making a decision to use 3D mapping techniques.  Of course, we should only use these 3D techniques where and when they are appropriate; to enhance your map or emphasize a particular message.