Module 6 - Georefferencing

 

Map portraying the FWC conservation easements for the bald eagle's next on the UWF campus.
Inset maps for easier observation of easements and the location of the nest in the state of Florida provided.

Module 6! What a blast! This module was by far the most comprehensive and relatable module. Real life application was utmost in this lab. 

Georeferencing is the art of assigning geographic location to a raster data set, i.e. an arial picture.

As one might assume, differences in image size, distortion, etc., could make the process quite challenging. 

Using a vector polygon layer of UWF buildings with a known coordinate system, we were able to use georeferencing tools to align or superimpose the raster dataset to the polygons and thus assign a projected coordinate system. It takes trial and error, zooming in an out of images to get points to align; but overall, once you get a good number of controls points with a low total root mean square error value, you will have aligned your image as closely as possible to their actual points on earth. 

We were able to experiment with the difference in transformation orders, and how overall appearance, not just a low RMS value, means higher map accuracy; higher order transformations allow for more bending of the raster data. 

We proceeded to georefference a real-life parcel survey, where the image had no building references, and we had to use other cues and reference points to align. This was trickier than the first two digital images as proportions were completely different and the lack of buildings as references was a roadblock. This is similar to how a real-life parcel developer would draw out plans and superimpose them over existing landscape when creating their development proposal. 

Furthermore, we used the editing tools do create vector features, a building, and a road features, as one would do when planning development in an area or denoting features. 

Lastly, we took this all full-circle and used our buffer tools to denote the bald eagle's nest in reference the UWF campus and the conservation easements zones established by the Florida Wildlife Commission to ensure their nest was protected. We even hyperlinked an image of the nest to our eagle's nest point feature attributes so that the end user could retrieve a picture!

After solving problems, ensuring eagles were protected, and relating images to their earthly coordinates, it was a good interactive week to gain more real-life skills in GIS!

Lab 5 - ADXY and Geocoding

 

Snip of Web map for Location of Schools
 in Manatee County, Fl. 

This week was a very challenging week in my GIS world! In previous labs, we were given data to insert into our maps. This week, we gathered information from the internet transferred and sorted in into an excel spreadsheet. 

For the AD XY lab we used Excel to not only sort the data, but also to insert an equation that converted the data points from degrees, minutes, and seconds to decimal degrees that would be easily mapped. 

Overall, the addition of raw data points from an excel sheet was a simple, straightforward process. However, it became quite clear how the simple misplacement of a parenthesis in a formula was enough to set my values off and place my coordinate points in the wrong location. 

For the Geocoding portion of the lab, transferring, parsing, and cleaning the data was a very rewarding experience. This is where I learned that the use of desktop Excel was superior to the web Excel option. After multiple tries, I was able to clean my data and transfer seamlessly into GIS Pro. 

In both labs, we practiced the projection of one coordinate system to another, how to conduct searches by attributes, amongst working with some other common tools. 

Lastly, we created an interactive web map where were matched the addresses of each school in Manatee County to their geographic location on earth; a skill known as geocoding. There was some troubleshooting to be done such finding points that were not matched to their geographic location, but overall, this was my favorite part of the lab. 

Overall, this lab gave a more "in the real world" experience and ultimately made me feel confident about creating and manipulating my own data.

Please visit my web map link at https://arcg.is/zSnLm!

Module 4 - Vector Analysis

 

A map portraying potential campsites at Desoto National
 Forest that are within designated distances of
roads (300m), rivers (150 m), and lakes (500 m).
Additional depiction of Desoto National Forest
in relation to the state of Mississippi.

This week's ArcGIS journey lead us through the process of analysis. This began with depicting the 7 steps of the GIS analytical process and emphasizing that is a fluid process where steps may be revisited or redrawn at any time. 

We observed why geodatabases are the preferred file structure to store, manipulate and query spatial data. Furthermore, we were introduced to spatial and attribute queries that would allow us to pinpoint specific features classes in our data that would allow for more exact analysis. 

Additionally, we got hands on with the different types of overlay tools that are essential for data analysis. Amongst these two were the union and erase tools which were essential to creating the map depicted above. 

Lastly, we explored the world of buffers which are of utmost importance when one wants to denote setbacks from specific features. One can further overlay these buffer zones when desiring to pinpoint areas that overlap for a specific purpose, i.e. finding the perfect campsite!

All in all, this week's lab was a challenging one; trial and error became a good friend. However, it was helpful in solidifying recall of where tools are found, how to reach them, and how to correct processing mistakes if they occur. 

Ultimately, this lab showed a glimpse of the myriads of ways one can manipulate and work with GIS data.