Lab 8 - Mapping the Census

Mapping the Census

The process of map-making includes a variety of challenging designing decisions. The color scheme, combined with dividing the percentage categories into the correct format, were the most problematic decisions throughout this lab. I decided upon creating six maps, as opposed to three, because it seemed necessary to show an alternative shading perspective throughout the United States.  The three maps included census information on the black, Asian, and all other race population statewide distributions across the United States.

On all six maps, derived from the census “percent by rank” information, there were different thematic elements to be considered. In the three maps including the entire country, it was necessary to take away borders around the states because it blended the shading too well, and the different percent categories were not distinguishable.  The country, shown on a larger scale, allows the viewer to truly see the percentage shift in state defined regions of the country. On the three maps with only the continental United States, I chose to include the borders of the states because it is a smaller scale map with more clearly defined details.

I also focused on having each of the six maps displaying distinct percent categories throughout the country. Too many percent categories would create a blended, unclear viewpoint of the populations, and too few categories would not be a clear representation of the race distributions. I decided upon five percent categories for all the maps because it applied the best color representation of the black, Asian, and all other races population concentrations. This was the most challenging aspect of creating the maps because I wanted all the maps to have an equivalent number of percent categories, but yet, it was a struggle with the varying populations.

When starting the quarter in Geography 7, I did not truly comprehend the amount of time and effort dedicated to creating maps. As soon as a couple weeks passed in the quarter, I already had a greater understanding and knowledge of what Geographical Information Systems achieved in the past, and the potential GIS holds for the future of map cartography. Although I enjoyed the overall process of learning about GIS, the computer lab assignments were challenging towards the end of the course. ArcGIS is an amazing programming system and has numerous advantages, but I now know the disadvantages and obstacles people encounter when beginning to use the program. The tutorials were helpful, but most of my knowledge gained with ArcGIS was through interacting with other classmates and the TA during labs. The process of creating maps is extensive and intriguing, but at times, can be extremely frustrating. I did not enter the course with extensive knowledge of computers, but the hands-on process of creating the maps via computer labs was an essential part of me entirely comprehending the lecture information. 

Lab 7 - Station Fire of Los Angeles County

Station Fire Perimeters with Main Roads and Boundaries of National Forests

3D Digital Elevation Models of Station Fire Perimeters with Roads and Angeles National Forest

From August 26^th, 2009 through October 16^th, 2009, the Station Fire of Los Angeles County blazed through 160,577 acres of highways, national forests, and various communities. Even though the Southern California region was victim to many different wildfires in the year, the Station Fire was the most dangerous, deadliest, and costly in the series of 63 wildfires in California in 2009.

The numbers of the Station Fire truly conveys how the tenth largest wildfire in California, and the largest experienced by Los Angeles County, was a significant threat to Southern California. The Los Angeles County Fire Department Captain, Mark Whaling, verbally warned the county with his knowledge of any fire’s capability to shift in magnitude and/or path with the comment, “Red sky in the morn, sailor be warned.” Quantitative statistics posted by the Los Angeles Times, less than one month into the fires surge, were already displaying damage worth $28.5 million, two L.A. County firefighters killed, eight injured victims, 62 homes destroyed, and only 42% containment. With considerable effort from firefighters, politicians, governmental employees, and many volunteers, the fire was 91% contained on September 19^th, 2009 with $93.8 million spent in fire fighting efforts. Finally, with the help of wet weather conditions, 100% of the fire was contained on October 16^th, 2009.

The Station Fire forced the evacuation of numerous communities including Palmdale, Glendale, Angeles National Forest, La Crescenta, Littlerock, La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Arcadia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Pacoima Canyon, Devil's Canyon in the San Gabriel Wilderness Area, and many others as well.

Some of the evacuation of many Los Angeles County communities was not only due to the direct threat of the fire destroying housing, but also due to the heavy smoke and ash clinging to the valley’s horizon. The air quality dropped to such a hazardous level, communities were not able to reside in their homes even if they were not directly at risk of the burning path of the fire. Specifically, San Gabriel Mountains, the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, the south and southwest Los Angeles County coastal areas, the Hemet/San Jacinto area and the west San Bernardino Mountains were heavily polluted with smoke, ash, and debris from the fire. One of the warnings issued to residents in threatened areas stated, “All individuals are urged to exercise caution today and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in any area directly impacted by smoke. The advisory includes areas where residents can see or smell smoke. Wind patterns today have shifted, with heavy haze blanketing the Los Angeles basin and cutting off views of the fire from as far away as Orange County.” Experts of the South Coast Air Quality Management District frequently issued warnings, such as the latter quote from the Daily News: Los Angeles, throughout the months of September and October to keep the health risks to a minimum.

Unfortunately, even though many individuals were saved and helped by the continuous warnings and evacuations, the lives two Los Angeles County firefighters were taken due a section of the fire rapidly smothering a road, near Mount Gleason, in the Angeles National Forest. The two firefighters vehicle was tailed by a fast-moving fire close to their designated post, Fire Camp 16, for the Station Fire fighting efforts. The roads surrounding Fire Camp 16 were lined with dense smoke, which made escaping the fire impossible.

Entire roads and segments of highways were blocked by Caltrans in order to minimize the amount of vehicle accidents during the months that the Station Fire caused hazardous road conditions. Caltrans closed the Angeles Crest Highway, running from Foothill Boulevard to State Route 138, indefinitely due the hazards caused by damaged guardrails, charred road signs, and the lack of intact road stripping.  The closing of the Angeles Crest Highway, a two-lane road experiencing more than 11,300 commuters per day, is only one example of the many main routes shut down because of the many risks proposed by the Station Fire.

Bloomekatz, Ari B. "Station Fire Is Largest in L.A. County's Modern History | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times." Top of the Ticket | Bleeding Heart Democrat Obama Halts Thanksgiving Execution (of Turkeys); They Get Life without Parole | Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 2 Sept. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/station-fire-is-largest-in-la-county-history.html

"Firefighters Honor 2 Comrades Killed in 'Station Fire' - Ktla.com." Los Angeles News and Video for Southern California - KTLA.COM - KTLA 5 - Ktla.com. KTLA News, 4 Sept. 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-firefighters-bio,0,7708207.story

Rantas, Khadijah. "State of Emergency Declared in California Wildfire - CNN.com." CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News. CNN, 23 Sept. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/09/23/california.fire/

"Valley Air Quality Poor from Station Fire - LA Daily News." Home - LA Daily News. Daily News: Los Angeles, 30 Aug. 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13235062?source=pkg

"Wildfires in Southern California - The Big Picture." Boston.com. The Boston Globe, 2 Sept. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/wildfires_in_southern_californ.htp

Lab 5 - Projections

Map Projections

The distance between Washington D.C. and Kabul is approximately 6,936 miles.

The Conformal Projection: Mercator displays a distance of 6,865 miles between Washington D.C. and Kabul.

The Conformal Projection: Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic displays a distance of 6,800 miles between Washington D.C. and Kabul.

The Equidistant Projection: Equidistant Cylindrical displays a distance of 5,064 miles between Washington D.C. and Kabul.

The Equidistant Projection: Equidistant Conical displays a distance of 6,970 miles between Washington D.C. and Kabul.

The Equal Area Projection: Cylindrical Equal Area displays a distance of 10,192 miles between Washington D.C. and Kabul.

The Equal Area Projection: Asia North Albers Equal Area Conic displays a distance of 7,268 miles between Washington D.C. and Kabul.

Map projections are commonly used to reshape Earth’s three dimensional surface into a two dimensional image. This transition is mathematically calculated by altering the x, y, and z coordinate planes into x and y two dimensional space. The practicality of the two dimensional map projection is by far the most advantageous quality of ArcGIS map projections. The ability for users to be able to manipulate the characteristics of the map, and personalize such editing, allows for a more efficient and understandable geographical display of a designated region. Even though there are advantageous qualities to a map projection, it is still an abstraction of the three dimensional field, which induces distortions of the Earth’s shape, area, distance, or direction.

One disadvantage to the Conformal Projections is the fact that even though the map keeps the true shape by angles of highlighted features, such as continents, the projection displays inaccurate internal areas of the features. For example, the to conformal projections, Mercator and the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic, alter the spatial equivalency of different countries. Greenland is shown to be much larger in comparison to Mexico, but in reality, these two countries are spatially equivalent. The conical arrangement of the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic projection allows for angular accuracy to be upheld, but sacrifices the visual comparison area within different features.

Another disadvantage of map projections is seen specifically in planar conical projections. Planar conical projections are the best displays of global regions, which do not require a high degree of positional or spatial accuracy. However, either the area or shapes of distinguished features are highly skewed. The Asia North Albers Equal Area Conic shows the distortion seen in planar conical projections. The countries located around the central point are proportionally represented to one another, but the features farther from the central point are spatially skewed. Planar conical projections are efficient in representing an area centered on the line parallel to the central point of the conical shape, but distortion of the area or shape of various features is present when distance between the central line and the feature increases.

Map projections, when used correctly and displayed efficiently, are appealing and intriguing tools for spatially representing the global distribution of featured elements. Even though the accuracy of shape, area, direction, and distance may be sacrificed when manipulating the Earth’s three dimensional surface into a two dimensional surface, it is much more practical and easier to display geographical features on a two dimensional surface rather than a three dimensional surface. 

Lab 4 - Intro to ArcGIS: Proposed Airport Expansion

ArcGIS is an advantageous tool used to spatially distributed data, and organize such data into many correlated layered data formats. The complexity of ArcGIS is a great advantage for incorporating various quantitative analyses into a specific geographical region, like the “Population Density,” as well as editing such data to conform to a desired format. Despite the advantageous features of ArcGIS, in my experience, there were still challenging obstacles within the software.

Initially, the layering method of the program, layers of different data formats, was difficult to negotiate and control on a single “layout view.” While the separation of layers allows for easier control of features on each layer, the combined two-dimensional view, a single layout view, of each feature is difficult to alter or edit. The data frames are not able to show all edited features simultaneously on the same page layout, making it hard for the creator to distinguish all features added to the map. The problem arises from different features being sporadically left in the background or foreground, and therefore, lost or misplaced by the user. Independent objects and features should be combined into one descriptive map layer, but also easily able to be identified and individually controlled by the user.

Secondly, there were issues with the template of ArcGIS not being capable of connecting with other spatial servers. The interaction was either of low quality or, most commonly, there was no interaction available between other servers. Specifically, the ArcCat is not designed for movement of different hard drives. When I attempted to move outside the ArcCat frame, it was ineffective at storing my files even when the files were within the same folder.

Lastly, and personally the most frustrating aspect of ArcGIS was not being able to review and edit previous maps without saving the map after each step. If I did not save my file after each edit, then it was extremely difficult to undo my work or edit a feature without having to start from the beginning on certain elemental features. A programmable feature which automatically saves the file after each addition to the map would be much more efficient for the user because it would eliminate having to repeat steps not needing to undergo editing.

Lab 3 - Top Surfing & Hiking Destinations on the Island of Kauai

View Lab 3 - Top Surfing/Hiking Destinations on the Island of Kauai in a larger map

This interactive map provides tourists, unfamiliar with the island of Kauai, with a better idea of the island's activities such as the top surfing beaches, my personal favorite two hiking locations, and the locations of the Lihue Airport and the Marriott’s Beach Club. Various beaches along all coasts host great breaks throughout different times of the year. November through March brings large north, west swells common at the locations of Cannon, Tunnels, Hanalei Bay, and Kalihiwai Point. The north shore comes to life with swells averaging around 6-12 ft. However, the north shore can become dangerous when the weather pushes swells to 25 ft. The springtime offers the best weather for the beginning-intermediate surfer on the north shore. The waves do stay within the 6 ft range, which makes the north shore beaches perfect for families and intermediate surfers. The southeastern beaches, Kekaha Beach, Pakala, PK’s, and Poipu, catch the best wind swells throughout the months of May through September.

There are many different trails to hike in Kauai, but my personal favorites lead you to Kalalau “Hideaway” Beach and Kipu Falls. The hike to Kalalau is a lengthy 11 miles, and is considered dangerous with the trail hanging on the edge of steep cliffs. The cliffs reach up to 1,000 ft, which adds the element of harsh winds. The reward at the end of this adventure is too great to initially hesitate attempting the hike. The beautiful beach of Kalalau is extremely secluded, and offers great calm swimming and snorkeling waters. The hike into Kipu Falls is far less intimidating, and is much more accessible to tourists, than the Kalalau hike. The falls are much more crowded, but they offer one of my favorite activities on Kauai. The Kipu Falls rope swing, with a 30 ft peaking drop, is one of the most exhilarating and fun experiences I have had on the island. Every time my family visits Kauai, we set aside two days in order to complete both the Kalalau and Kipu Falls hikes.

Even though neogeography offers a dynamic and intriguing map of a given region, there are a pitfalls and inconsistencies which bias the readers viewpoint. Since an individual or a company makes the map, the map’s locations can be biased in order to increase locations popularity. By me establishing my personal favorite beaches and hikes, this does not give the reader an overall neutral perspective to every available beach and hiking location on the island. I also established the timeshare, which my family stays during each vacation we take to Kauai. This does not mean that the Marriott’s Beach Club is the cheapest or most luxurious hotel, but the viewer can easily misinterpret it to be one of the best hotels.

Another pitfall to be considered with neogeography is its availability to the global population. Since neogeography is specific for technological use, much of the world’s population cannot make use of the system. Many developing nations do not have the technology available to allow each citizen access to such an efficient and knowledgeable mapping system. This results in much of the world’s population to not have the tools and information available by neogeography.

If an individual does have access to the appropriate technology, then the positive consequences of neogeography are substantially advantageous to the viewer. The viewer is given the opportunity to interact with the map through location reference images, videos, and listed activities. Even though the biased format of neogeography can be a disadvantage, it can also be a highly advantageous. For example, if a map of Kauai’s best surf destinations is made by a professional local surfer, then the viewer is most likely to find the best beaches secluded from tourists, and beaches offering the best swells. The knowledge of the map creator can be relayed thoroughly when using neogeographic tools. 

Neogeography is a terrific method offering an immediate, and an interesting, interpretation of a given region. Whether it comes to businesses, traveling activities, restaurant locations, and more, neogeography allows the viewer to gain a detailed sense of any location. Neogeography created a new method of communicating many different aspects of a location.

Lab 2 - Beverly Hills Topographic Map

  1. The name of the quadrangle in the California Los Angeles County Sector is “Beverly Hills Quadrangle.”


2. The adjacent angles are Burbnk, Canoga Park, Hollywood, Inglewood, Topanga, Van Nuys, and Venice.


3. The Quadrangle was first created in 1995.


4. The datum used to create is the NGV Datum 1929 (National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929).


5. The scale used for the map is the Large Scale for Topographic Maps: 1:24,000.

6. 
A) At the Above Scale, 5 meters are equal to 1,200 meters on the ground world.

B) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to 1.893342 Miles (5*24,000/63360).

C) 1 mile on the ground is equal to 2.64 inches on a map.

D) 3 kilometers on the ground is equivalent to 12.5 centimeters on the USGS map.

7. The contour interval/line is 20 feet on this map.

8. What are the approximate geographic coordinates in both degrees/minutes/seconds and decimal degrees:

A) The Public Affairs Building Location: 34 04'28"N, 118 26'20"W under degree/minutes/seconds system and 34.0713 N, 118.4366 under decimal degrees system.

B) The Santa Monica Pier Tip Location: 34 00'27"N, 118 30'00"W under degree/minutes/seconds system and 34.0045N 118.5W under decimal degrees system.

C) The Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir Location: 34 37'12"N, 118 24'36"W under degree/minutes/seconds system and 34.6187N, 118.406W under decimal degrees system.

9. What is the approximate elevation in both feet and meters:

A) Greystone Mansion [Located in Greystone Park]: approximately 600 feet (183 meters)

B) Woodlawn Cemetery: approximately 120 feet (36.6 meters).

C) Crestwood Hills Park: approximately 800 feet (244 meters). The topography of the Crestwood Hills Park region creates contour lines with very little space between each line. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate a precise line in the region.

10. The UTM zone of the map is 11S.

11. 3763000 North (from Equator) 361000 East (from Westernmost point in the Quadrant) are the UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of the map.

12. 1,000,000 square meters are contained within each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines.

13.

14. 14 degrees East is the magnetic declination of the map.

15. From North to South is the direction water flows in the intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and the Stone Canyon Reservoir.

16

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Lab 1

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=896

Earth Observatory

Earth’s City Lights

The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS), an instrument that uses visual and infrared imagery to monitor cloud top temperatures and the distribution of clouds over Earth, captured this image of Earth’s electrically generated lights. This map of the Earth’s city lights immediately captivated my interest due to how the illuminated metropolitan areas across the globe are recorded by the thermally emitted heat of the electric light, instead of direct daytime sunlight. The darker areas, such as the vegetative jungles in South America and Africa, show the lack of urbanization even though the discovery of electric light is more than 100 years old. The map displays bright, concentrated areas of light, which is useful tool in determining the location of highly urbanized areas on various continents. However, even though concentrated areas of light directly relates to the level of urbanization of a region, it does not correspond to the population of such areas. For example, China is less bright than the United States even though the population of China is 1,324,655,000 compared to the United States with a population of 307,006,550. The image visually displays the tendency of populations to cluster near coastlines and well-established transportations systems as opposed to the often resource deficient deserts and the inhabitable, strenuous arctic regions.

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/03/four-dozen-hawaii- species-endangered.html

NatGeo News Watch

Map of Critical Habitat: Kauai

National Geographics News Watch was the original source of this map displaying the currently determined critical habitat of endangered species, as well as the newly proposed critical habitat. This map does not display regional names or grids like more commonly known maps, but this map does show the designated regions occupied by endangered species. The proposition to include the highlighted purple regions signifies the effort to include habitat of species being threatened by external sources. This map is especially intriguing because I was surprised to see such a small amount of the land on the Hawaiian island, Kauai, to be excluded for endangered species protection purposes. The proposed critical habitat seems to look like a large region on such a small island, but it may be necessary if the endangered species list continues to grow as quickly as its current rate.

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Northstar-at-Tahoe/pistemap           

Snow-Forecast.com

Northstar Ski Resort at Tahoe, CA: Interactive Trail Map

The dependable site for many skiers and snowboarders, snow-forcast.com, is the webpage source of the Northstar Ski Resort map, but the map’s origin was established by Northstar’s homepage. This “Interactive Trail Map” highlights the individual mountain, Mt. Pluto, designated for ski resort guests as well as the public (paid admissions). The terrain varies on Mt. Pluto, and is divided into scaling levels of difficulty, which makes it easier for guests to decide the runs they wish to try based on their personal skiing or snowboarding skill level. The map also names the available resort necessities, such as food, bathrooms, first aid, and the specific location of each accommodation on Mt. Pluto. The main reason as to why I find this map interesting is because it is a truly essential tool while on the mountain any given day. My family has been skiing at Northstar for many years, but I still carry a map of the mountain on me at all times. Without such a map of the mountain, it is almost too easy to find yourself lost on the backside of Mt. Pluto, attempting to ski or snowboard a terrain, which may be far beyond your desired difficulty level. Luckily, the map provides such detailed analysis of each ski run that it makes the experience for each skier or snowboarder less intimidating and more enjoyable.