Final Project - Bob White Transmission Line Impact Analysis

For our final project we were to imagine that we were a consulting firm chosen by Florida Power and Light (FPL) to study the impact that a proposed 230-kilovolt transmission line would have on the local environmental and community.  The link below is my final PowerPoint presentation and slide by slide commentary I have created for my final presentation.

Bob White Manatee Transmission Project

Click to access PowerPoint presentation

Bob White-Manatee Transmission Line Project Analysis Slide by Slide Presentation

Georeferencing, Editing, and ArcScene

New this week were the topics of georeferencing and the use of 3D ArcScene. 

Georeferencing refers to the process of configuring a raster image to the proper place in the map.  By aligning non-referenced points with referenced points, you can take an aerial photograph and properly align it with your existing points and line shpfiles.

ArcScene allows us to display and examine data in three dimensions.  Through use of DEMs and attribute data, ArcScene can "elevate" your data display to a whole new level.

Geocoding, Network Analyst, and ModelBuilder

Week 12...we are getting close to the end of the term!  This week's map consist of two frames, one contains the geocoded addresses of EMS locations for Lake County Florida.  The second, smaller frame contains an optimal route that was created using Network Analyst.  

We also briefly looked at ModelBuilder.  It reminded me a lot of DTS packages in MS SQL.

Vector Analysis 2

Week 10/11 found us working with the ArcToolbox once again, only this time instead of transforming we were overlaying.  Using the various Overlay tools were were able to successful identify areas of interest  given specific criteria.  The Buffer Tool allowed us to create a buffer around a line feature of a specified distance   The Union tool allowed us to join features and attributes of two classes (water_buffer layer and the roads_buff300m layer) into one layer that showed us were the criteria matched for these two buffers.  The Erase tool allowed us to further analyze the data and exclude and area that was contained within the conservation area polygon.  The use of these tools allowed for creation of the map below.

Data Search

GIS data is everywhere, but the trick to getting it is knowing where the data you need is located.  As GIS professionals, we will be called on by supervisors, co-workers, and clients to find this data when necessary, and they always seem to want it now.  Much data is available online, however, if you deal with small local or municipal areas, as I do, it is a good idea to make contact with a local government GIS department.  Data is sometimes free, sometimes not, and sometimes it can be bartered for, in a if you share your data, I'll share my data way,

Our assignment this week was to find multiple layers of data and display them using 1-3 maps.  I chose to create three maps.  I thoroughly enjoy the art of making a map.  There is something about the fine tuning and tweaking that can take me into a world where no one else exist.  Unfortunately, I tend to spend way too much time on the first map and feel like I'm behind the 8 ball most of the time.

This map displays the land use for Hardee county Florida.  A highly agricultural county, I also chose to add a layer to show the gross acreage of invasive plants within the county boundary.  A quarter quad image file shows some of this agricultural area.

Group Project #1

The UNESCO World Heritage List is comprised of sites considered to have outstanding universal value.  The sites are chosen due to their cultural and natural heritage.  The following map gallery was created to share some of the World Heritage sites for the Asia/Oceania zone.  There are ten sites mapped including: archaeological sites, marine protected areas, diverse landscapes, protected wildlife zones, and unique geological formations.  The maps were created using ArcGIS online.  Included with the maps, visitors will find links to additional interesting information about the sites. This map gallery can be accessed at: http://goo.gl/fl0JN

Sample view of map gallery

This map gallery should not be considered a comprehensive review of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Oceania. Rather, it should be viewed as a compilation of some of the interesting sites within that area. For more detailed and expansive information, one should view the UNESCO World Heritage list: one of the main resources used in building this map gallery. We sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Resource List

There are two internet sites which were commonly used to research location and information related to each of the World Heritage sites in this exercise.

1. Wikipedia; World Heritage Site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site
   World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance.
2. UNESCO; World Heritage List: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
   The World Heritage List includes 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.

The following sites/resources were valuable in locating and gathering information on each of the individual site.

1. World Heritage Site: Tongariro National Park
• New Zealand Department of Conservation; Tongariro National Park: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/tongariro/ 
• Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world.
2. World Heritage Site Macquarie Island - Tasmania - Australia
• Australian Antarctic Division: www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=7151
• This site provides location and historical information about Marquarie Island
3. World Heritage Site: East Rennell
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/854/
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos 
4. World Heritage Site: Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1325/
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos 
5. World Heritage Site: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - Ayers Rock
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/447
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos
6. World Heritage Site: The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
• Museum Victoria; Royal Exhibition Building: http://museumvictoria.com.au/reb
• This site provides a description, directions, scheduled upcoming events for the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Garden
7. World Heritage Site: Tasmanian Wilderness/Mount Field National Park
• Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service; Mount Field:
  http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3589
• Tasmanian Parks and wildlife service site providing an overview of the park its animal and plant life, as well as access information.
8. World Heritage site:  Kuk Early Agricultural Site
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/887
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos
9. World Heritage Site: Te Wahipounamu
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/551
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos
10. World Heritage Site: Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test site; Marshall Islands
• UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1339
• This site provides information including maps, description, documents and a gallery of photos

Projections Part II

What a week! OMG there was a lot covered and if you missed one tiny little step, boy did you know it.  This week we were tasked with downloading various bits of data, raster and vector files, from the labins.org and FGDL.org websites.  These two sites are a wealth of GIS resources if you need data for the state of Florida. Georgia, where I live has a GIS Clearinghouse that I have visited in the past. However, with the knowledge that I have gained this past week concerning data files and data projections, the next time I visit the GIS Clearinghouse it will be a whole new experience.

Projections Part II

My map this week shows the locations of SCTM sites in Escambia county.  I think as map makers, we may not always know the subject matter we are creating, but rather we create for the end user.  I don't know the first thing about SCTM sites, but undoubtedly, my end user would.

Projections Part 1

This weeks assignment shows the side by side comparisons of three different projections of the same geographical area, the state of Florida.

Initially, only minor differences may be noticeable,  however, when comparing the square mile area of a few counties, you can see where the differences occur.  When choosing a projection, be aware of the area that you are mapping.  In the case of our Florida map, the State Plane projection is most commonly used by federal, state, and local large-scale mapping projects in the United States. 

ArcGIS Online and Map Packages

This week we learned how to create map packages using ArcGIS Online.  ArcGIS Online enables an Arc user to share data easily with other users. Shown below are my map packages as they exist on ArcGIS Online.

GIS & Cartography Lab

GISCarto Map 1

My first map this week, GISCarto Map 1, shows the states of Mexico by population.  It was unclear as to the time frame of the population data.  I used a small halo on the state names to make them pop a little more.  I converted the world country labels to text so that I could move United States out from under my title.

GISCarto Map 2

My second map this week, GISCarto Map 2, shows the most densely populated urban areas of central Mexico.  So that only the largest areas were labeled, I used advanced labeling to create a class called "millions' and then used a SQL query to only select the cities with a population greater than 1,000,000.

GISCarto Map 3

My third and final map this week, GISCarto Map 3, was something new for me.  This was my first time working with raster layers or elevations.  My daily interactions with ArcGIS only involve line and point features.  I used a stretched symbology to demonstrate the changes in elevation.  Notice the purple area indicate lower, at or below sea level, elevations and the darkest green indicate the tallest peaks. Something different I did with this map is that I chose to move the title above the map frame as opposed to within the map frame.

GIS4043 - Own Your Map

I picked up some neat things this week. I learned about installing multiple data frames and inset maps to help give perspective to a map.  I also worked with clipping for the first time and learned some nifty keyboard shortcuts like Insert key to zoom world.  Now, if I can just remember to use them.

Below is my map for the week.  I think I owned it.

GIS4043 - ArcMap Overview

I work with ArcGIS on a daily basis, so the lab itself wasn't too difficult.  Keeping track of where to pull data from, where to save it to, how to submit it, etc has been completely overwhelming to say the least.  I am only hoping that I will eventually get this down and it will become second nature to me very soon.  I'm not an overly stressed person, but this past week has wreaked havoc on my nerves.

Something I learned from this lab:
Fit to margins.  For the past three years I've been dragging corners to get my maps to fit nicely into the printable space.

So, here is my first map.  I kept it pretty basic and to the point of the lab.