Certificate in GIS
Geography 482 Projects
Project 1: Plotting Coordinates and Map Projections
This project has taught me the differences between three different coordinate systems and how to plot locations using those systems. Being a novice at Geography, I found this project very challenging. I enjoyed finally learning about the difference between NAD27 and NAD83, and this will be usefull in my current line of work.
Project 2: Census Data and Thematic Maps
Project 2 demonstrated to me how TIGER vector data is used to map demographic data obtained from the census. The US Census Bureau’s American FactFinder website is very useful to display maps of locations linked to demographic attributes. I really enjoyed examining my new hometown and the Portland Metro Area by looking at how its policies of “smart growth” were demonstrated in the TIGER data. I did find that there were limitations to the FactFinder website that were difficult to work with, especially the zoom commands and the layering system. Overall, though, I really enjoyed working with the website. For Project 2 I created three different maps that I then described in further detail on their meaning and how I created them.
Project 3: Acquiring Geographic Data
Project 3 demonstrated to me how LIDAR can be used to accurately produce DEMs both quickly and efficiently. LIDAR is useful in producing DEMs because upon the collection the geographic data is already geo-referenced. I particularly enjoyed examining LIDAR in its uses in archaeological investigations. LIDAR is very useful for archaeologists because it can quickly produce accurate maps. More importanly, LIDAR sometimes can spot previously unknown archaeologica features.
Geography 483 Projects
Project 1
Project 1 was concerned with finding a site for Jen and Barry to open their Ice Cream store. I used their given criteria to evaluate and analyze the data sets within a GIS. Specifically, I used queries (Select by Attribute and Select by Location) to narrow down the cities that fit the various criteria until only the preferred site(s) were left that met all of the criteria.
Project 2
Project 2 was concerned with analyzing data associated with a massive amount of tornados that hit 17 Oklahoma counties on May 3, 1999. I used the data to create thematic maps that can be used to compare and contrast the amount of property damaged and destroyed to the density of housing within the counties as well as the Fujita scale rating of the tornados. I enjoyed joining tables together to create the thematic maps, and was interested in how a color scale can affect the perception of the map user in an examination of the map.
Project 3
Project 3 was concerned with locating tornado relief sites. Based on the data from Project 2 about the destruction wrecked by the tornados that struck Oklahoma on May 3, 1999, I was able to accurately map the width of each tornado, map a 1-mile buffer around each tornado, identify and show the ideal candidate relief sites, and produce a thematic map showing the areas that needed the greatest amount of relief aid. I enjoyed this project because it combined the lessons we learned in Project 2 using spatial analysis.
Project 4
Project 4 was concerned with home testing kits for radon in the Reading Prong area. During the project I used data supplied by Home Testing Inc., and the Environmental Protection Agency to geocode 124 addresses, combine the radon potential of soils and geology, and produce a thematic map showing the potential radon for each of the addresses. This project was interesting because not only did it produce a graphic representation of the data, it shows how a map in ArcView can be used by call takers for a hotline to help people access potential dangers to their households.
Project 5/6
Project 5/6 was concerned with producing a zoning map of White Deer Township in Union County, Pennsylvania that would be used in a brochure the county commisioners were producing to assuage any fears about the zoning map. No zoning map had ever been produced for the township before, and the citizens were concerned over how their township would be divided up. I produced a chlorpleth map within a layout to show the seven different zones in the township. In addition, using data previously collected from a former employee, I produced a separate layout that showed the location of the township within Union County and within Pennsylvania. I really enjoyed this project because it taught me that a GIS practioner needed to not only produce an accurate map, but also a layout that was user-friendly for a wide variety of people.
Project 7
Project 7 was concerned with determining, within a portion of Napa County, suitable lands to locate a vineyard. Environmental conditions of the landscape and climate are essential for the production of wine. Using a GIS, I was able to narrow down suitable sites within a portion of Napa County that met all of the environmental conditions of the winemaker. This project was enjoyable because I was able to manipulate a large set of data into producing layouts that show how much land is suitable for wine production.
Final Project
The final project was concerned with producing a map of Centre County, Pennsylvania that showed suitable areas for the location(s) of a biological reserve. The county decided to set up the reserve(s) in order to protect animal species within the county prior to them being listed as endangered species. Using data supplied by the county planners, I created a layout showing the suitable areas. This project was a great learning experience, because I was able to correlate a lot of data into a final layout that would be useful in the given situation.
GEOG 484 Projects
Project 1: During this project, I learned how to perform heads-up digitizing in order to add data to a database. In addition, I learned the beginning stages of managing a personal geodatabase as well as adding data to the database in both ArcCatalog as well as directly within ArcMap. I really enjoyed digitizing the various features using the editor command within ArcMap. It was easier than I expected it would be, and reminded me of AutoCad, which I have experience with.
Project 2: I found this to be a challenging project. The main point of project 2 is that errors are far easier to create then they are to fix. It was difficult to find all of the mistakes, which demonstrates the struggles that GIS users struggle with when digitizing data.
Project 3: This has been my favorite project thus far. I have been looking forward to georeferencing since beginning the course. It is a great skill for an archaeologist/historian to learn, because we can take maps from the past and attempt to match them up with current maps. This allows an archaeologist to see buildings that were mapped in the past that are no longer standing in their current location. This is a useful skill, and I really enjoyed the lesson.
Project 4: I found Lesson 4 to be both extremely frustrating and rewarding. I now understand the difficulties of designing databases, because I became frustrated and aggravated as I attempted a design for someone else to input data. This lesson also was difficult to work through due to the abstract nature of the lesson, something that will exist in the outside “real” world. Having never dealt with database design or SQL queries, this was a valuable lesson learned!
Lesson 5: I found it interesting how much GIS data is available for free on the web. Through this course, I knew that reliable data is crucial to producing an accurate GIS. Therefore, I was especially interested in the discussion on metadata and the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. I find it encouraging that there is a consensus for the production and maintenance of metadata. I plan on examining the CSDGM at some point and look forward to editing my own metadata in the future.
Lesson 6: While this was a fairly complicated lesson, I enjoyed putting together the various maps to solve the questions that were first posed in Lesson 4. It was interesting to finally join all of the data I had compiled during the three lessons and produce maps that could answer the research questions. The one thing I have noticed with ArcGIS is that the more I learn, the more I realize what a immense mapping system it is and how much I still have to learn!