2009 Station Fire in ArcGIS

     The Los Angeles Station Fire lasted from August 26th to October 16th, 2009. I decided to focus on how the Station Fire was fueled to last three weeks. Before looking at the actual evidence, I will make a hypothesis. From my personal experience, I remember that the fire was generally in the mountains where it was likely hotter. Hypothesis: The fire generally stayed in high elevation areas because, since LA county is at the coast, there is more dry wind in the upper atmosphere as opposed to the marine layer at the bottom.
Report:
     Using information from the USGS Seamless website I was able to obtain the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) of LA county. Also, I downloaded  the perimeter of the fire as projected shape-files from the LA County Enterprise GIS website. By using both raster and vector elements on the same map projection (the theme map), I was able to show both the elevation and the spread of the fire. The darker the greener parts were, the higher elevation was, while the darker the red colors were the lower the elevation. The color white separated the two levels of elevation. The spread of the fire is shown as various colored perimeters in the same map. The legend below the map explains how the different colors mean different perimeters at a different chronological time for the first few days of the fire.
     The Reference map on the bottom right of the picture shows LA county. The important features include the pinpoint of the fire. The information of exact spot was found by using the GeoMAC website (which also has precise information of historically recorded fires). The website GIS at UCLA: Mapshare DB also provided shape files such as the Angeles National Forest, urbanized areas, the major roads, rivers, and bodies of water.
     I was only slightly correct in my hypothesis about the elevation. Other aspects must be taken into account. My overall hypothesis turned out to be wrong. Although the fire did generally stay in higher elevation, there was a general line in the fire perimeter that implies that it would have definitely spread into the valley if it hadn't been contained. Also the fire spread to the lower elevation zones in the non-urbanized areas (which is lower than the white zone and actually red). Thus, the fire department prevented it from getting too far into into the city limits. This, however, means there is natural correlation between the fire and the elevation it is not causal. Unfortunately, the main reasons the fire spread was because of human error and poor communication among department heads trying to contain the fire.
     Reporter Jill Stewart confirmed "major errors by fire officials helped to create the biggest fire in Los Angeles County history," (LA Weekly). This left most of the Big Tujunga Canyon to be burnt. It turned out the marine layer had no effect; it was too many miles too far from the ocean to create fog, let alone in the hottest part of the year. Numerous staff writers from the LA Times took interviews from experts and concluded that "under these conditions, wind generally blows up into the mountains in the afternoons, and then down in the night and early morning," (LA Times).
     The weather is much more complicated than previously thought, but I'm no meteorologist. Therefore I looked up the affects the wind might have had on the fire. It turns out that I didn't take into account the different types of winds in the area. Upon doing more research there are apparently more type of wind systems and phenomena that usually occur in the southern California region. According to the Journal of Applied Meteorology (1977), there are "slope wind, valley-mountain wind, sea breeze and land breeze, the general larger wind scale systems, and the sheltering and diverting effects" that I didn't take into account. In the journal, a meteorological model of southern California was actually created for this exact reason: studying the potential spread of wildfires. The model created of southern California seems to be very accurate and is very applicable to future research which explains why there are more wind variables to consider instead of just my hypothesis of the marine layer.
     However, a new hypothesis can be formed by using information on vegetation and the reference map of L.A. county under the larger theme map. Since the reference map includes the Los Angeles National Forest (the large green area near the center of the map), it would be more accurate in estimating where and how the fire would spread. It's safe to assume that the only reason the fire stayed in a higher elevation was because the fire was spreading throughout the dry forest, the majority of which just so happened to be in the mountains.
     My overall experience with the project has been a good one, however difficult it was in the past. It gradually got easier and the more I explored the programs like ArcMap and ArcCatalog. Learning how to use all these different ArcGIS programs as well as how to incorporate government information from free government websites in order to project visual theme maps is a good skill to learn. Since theme maps have a variety of different uses like advertising, marketing, demographic studies, and even vegetation research, it's good to know that they can be also be used in emergencies such as natural disasters. I find that I learned something valuable from this experiment because being able to know such a useful tool through a tutorial is different from being able to put it into practice.

Bibliography

Cal Fire - Incidents, <http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=377>

Garrison, Jessica, Alexandra Zavis, and Joe Mozingo. "Station Fire Claims 18 Homes and Two Firefighters." Los Angeles Times. LA Times, 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/31/local/me-fire31>

GeoMAC, <http://www.geomac.gov/index.shtml>

GIS at UCLA: Mapshare DB, <http://gis.ats.ucla.edu//Mapshare/Default.cfm>  


National Map Seamless Viewer, <http://seamless.usgs.gov/website/seamless/viewer.htm>

Pringle, Paul. "Inquiry Faults Forest Service on Station Fire, but Leaves Questions." Los Angeles Times. LA Times, 17 Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/17/local/la-me-station-fire-20111217>

Ryan, Bill C., 1977: A Mathematical Model for Diagnosis and Prediction of Surface Winds in Mountainous Terrain. J. Appl. Meteor., 16, 571–584. doi: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1977)016<0571:AMMFDA>2.0.CO;2>

Station Fire Incident Overview <http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1856/>


Stewart, Jill, "Did Feds Cause the Station-fire Disaster - Page 1 News - Los Angeles - LA Weekly." Los Angeles News, Events, Restaurants, Music LA Weekly. LA Weekly, 07 Oct. 2009. Web. 07 March, 2013 <http://www.laweekly.com/2009-10-08/news/did-feds-cause-the-station-fire-disaster/>.

United States. CEMA (California Emergency Management Agency). 2009 Los Angeles County Wildfires After Action / Corrective Action Report Executive Summary. CEMA, Sept. 2009 Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.calema.ca.gov%2FPlanningandPreparedness%2FDocuments%2F2-%2520Los%2520Angeles%2520County%2520Fires%2520Exec%2520Summ%25203_8_11%2520Edits.pdf&ei=RnRDUfKiKMjvrQHogYGACA&usg=AFQjCNFiarbmFwRbH-Ut_10glN320mfWZA>.

Lab 8: Census 2000/2010

     I found working with US Census data extremely easy. There is a lot of information on not only population and elevation but other interesting subject areas as well. The tutorial was relatively easy to understand and it described exactly how to navigate the site particularly well, especially since the actual site is unrecognizable compared to how it was a year and a half ago. Overall my experience with working with www.census.gov was positive.

     Below these paragraphs, there are three maps. The first map "US Black Population" displays the information taken from the US census website in the different colors. This map is an illustration of the distribution of the African American population in the US. It has a varying color scheme that ranges from light pink to dark red. The darker the color the more concentrated the population. There is an imbalance of colors shows that there is an imbalance in population in the US. Here, the majority of the population is primarily centered in the south. This is most likely due to the long history of slavery in the area that dates back to more than a hundred years. There are other places on the map that have a large amount of African-Americans but that is because they are largely metropolitan areas where population is higher in general.

     The second map "US Asian Population" and it, like the first map, displays the information form US census. It shows the same type of population distribution but for Asian-Americans. There is also an imbalance of population. It is shown through the spectrum of blue throughout the map. Once again the darkest blue is the most concentrated while the white is the least populated by the demographic. Most of the Asian-Americans are concentrated in the west coast and the metropolitan areas; the heaviest concentration being in the San Francisco bay area in California. Other than the major metropolitan areas the Asian demographic is almost the complete opposite from the African American demographic in how there is nearly no concentration in the south. This could be because the majority of the Asian-American population sought out places with better school systems or maybe decided to go to more liberal states. California stands out as the most heavily populated followed closely by New York

     The third map "Other Population" consists of Hispanics and Native Americans. It is also taken from US census data but is shown through the spectrum of light and dark green. Here, the map shows that the most concentrated parts of the demographic is in the general southwest, although there is some in the metropolitan areas of New York and it's surrounding states. Unlike the other map which had small but heavily concentrated areas this map had large and heavily concentrated areas. I think the reason why the demographic is in the southwest is because many Hispanics immigrated from the South and Central American countries. Whether the fact that New Mexico is the second most concentrated state next to California is a factor is up to debate. Also Native American tribes were pushed out of the general east throughout the first few hundred years after the New World was discovered. The infamous Trail of Tears is a definite factor that explains why there is hardly a concentration of this "Other Population" in the south.

Northern Grand Canyon Digital Elevation Models

I selected a section of the Northern Grand Canyon in Arizona, U.S. because, it not only has great features in terms of varying elevation (cliffs, peaks, a river at the bottom, and small valleys), it's easily recognizable as one of the most well known features on the Earth. Since Digital Elevation Models have a large scale of uses, these programs can be used for studying habitats. This could help scientists get a good idea of the kind of wildlife that could live within the area. They can also be used to study vegetation, and in this particular case the elevation could answer why plants are scarce in the Grand Canyon. Animal migrations can be studied through this because the elevation differences in the land can imply the future temperatures in the area in different seasons. The program could also be useful as references for natural disasters. Such as the effects of a flash flood (which would be very interesting in this particular area), the possibility of a tornado (which would be pretty low in the grand canyon), and the changes in seismic activity (for example: if a magma chamber existed underground, it would create changes in elevation in the land above it like in Yellowstone National Park). One thing about the aspect map is that my area is so finely detailed. This means that in a large scale rendition of the Grand Canyon would make it seem like it is really complicated and nearly flat. A small scale version of it, like the one I had before changing it to a different part of the Grand Canyon, makes the details larger making it seem less complicated even though they are the same general area. The 3D in particular is my favorite shows the same area from a different angle. It gives it a level of scale that the other models simply cannot.

The GCS (Geographic Coordinate System): GCS_North American_1983 is the spatial reference.
The Extent Information in (Decimal Degrees)
- Top: 36.5247222215
- Left: -112.557777777
- Right: -111.819722221
- Bottom: 36.0538888881

 

 
 

Projections in ArcGIS

     Map projections are generally important because they let us understand our positions in the earth at any given point not only through visuals but through mathematical analysis (making us able to navigate ourselves accurately). There are various types of map projections. Some can look like a realistic view of the earth from space while others shape the earth in ways that make it nearly unrecognizable. Each projection has its own distinct properties and therefore they have their own functions. The ones used above consist of three different types of projections. They are conformal, equidistant, and equal-distant types of projections. Each view maps in different ways for different purposes.
     Certain maps are better for navigation. Specifically the conformal types of maps. These maps have lines that are the incidental. Meaning they have parallel line that keep the shape of the earth more or less accurate. Conformal types of maps are also known as orthomorphic map projections. The Mercator projection and the Stereographic projections are both conformal and although they don't keep the exact shape of large objects like the continents (especially Africa and Australia) they have a consistent direction throughout all points on the map. The Mercator projection is even used for marine navigation.
     There are more Equidistant maps than other types of map projections. Equidistant maps have certain uses that rely more on proportionate distances rather than actual angles. The point of these is to always keep the scale consistent. These projections are large scale and are mostly used for travel by airplane. In the equidistant Azumithal and Conic projections the continents are generally kept well proportioned. Neither Africa nor Australia seem to be either incredibly large or small. In fact, the only one that seems disproportionate is Antarctica in the Conic projection, but even then it is actually spread out equally throughout the far edges of the map where it should be.
     Equal Distant maps are mostly used for geology. This is because they preserve area. They correct the mistake of the Mercator projection that shows Greenland a few times larger than it should be and make it smaller than Africa. For example: the Equal Distant Cylindrical clearly shows the difference in size between Greenland and Africa. The cylindrical projection is as if a 3 dimensional surface of the earth was laid flat on a cylinder and spread out to form a rectangle. It looks stretched sideways but it keeps that area the same. The Sinusodial projection also preserves the area but it uses the equator and prime meridian as the only straight lines. It is the equivalent of cutting an orange and emptying its contents, then spreading the crust flat without ripping it. They are arguably the most interesting because they keep everything proportionate in terms of area but use unique ways of projecting it.

My first ArcMap Experience & Potential and Pitfalls of GIS

     My first ArcMap experience wasn't pleasant. Unfortunately, I didn't get far into the tutorial (not even to exercise 2) because I kept on getting stuck on what seemed to be the simplest things. Even though my first experience on the tutorial wasn't particularly fantastic, I finished the hands-on tutorial the second time around. The tutorial was outdated but the problems were addressed responsibly, but even then there were a few things on the tutorial that were also problematic. Although it was extremely and step by step, some of the wording could have been clearer on certain points.
     Overall, I enjoyed my recent ArcMap experience. I have always been interested in creating maps and now I know how to do them in a much more professional manner (instead of drawing them myself). I liked how there were ways to actually draw features. This gives me a chance to get creative if I ever want to go to use ArcMap for my own purposes. I also think it is important to be able to import and export actual approved geographical data into the program. I gives an accurate measure and is great for presentations.
     There is a lot of potential for the programmers and mapmakers in the field of GIS because ArcMap, along with several other software and programs, have various features and options that go into developing a digital map. And since there are about as many definitions of GIS as there are people working on computer maps of any kind, this field has the ability to expand on a much wider basis.
     However, a potential pitfall in the field of GIS is that the programs and software used to make such maps can be complicated and too difficult to understand for a person who has no background on any kind of GIS programs relating to it. A simple way of making a program more easy to understand is to make the instructions as visual as possible. The software can come with a video tutorial (similar to Google my-maps) that doesn't skip steps. Easy to use and crystal clear visual instructions will definitely make the programs more hospitable for new users.

Titanic's Maiden Voyage

View https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=207599391696628191135.0004aef79b1fd425a541b&mid=1359142746

Neogeography has many things going for it in this information age. Data is being collected all the time by average people. From what I've read, companies are actually paying users to take detailed pictures of buildings, streets, and other places to help the company on their projects. The level of detail that can be obtained will help many users know exactly where they stand in the world.

The only negative sides I can think of about Neogeography is that, even though it's paving the way for a new form of global centralization, it's making normal paper maps more obsolete and that it's up against privacy issues every now and then. In a matter of years no one will be able to read a USGS topographic map (not like everyone used to anyway) that the average public will be completely dependent on computers in another area once again. I'm just saying if something happens to the earth that wipes out all computers no one will be able to tell where they stand in the world. My second point is that Google Streetview is an example of an invasion of privacy because it's 3-dimensional view uses pictures taken at a certain time, that includes people, and cars, even people in cars. That means a random user can view someone who was caught in the series of pictures (creepy much?) or they can read someones license plate, among other things.

Apparently the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to Neogeography because these it can come in handy in natural disasters and save people's lives. Neogeography can help the world in a lot of ways; from helping companies make good geographically related choices and contribute to the economy, helping a government official know where the poverty levels are most prominent by means of a poverty related map, to assisting a lost person in a forest by means of GPS. At least industries and corporations realize that the benefits of neogeography far outweigh the costs of a few privacy issues.

GIS Lab 2

GIS Lab 2

1. What is the name of the quadrangle?

Beverly Hills Quadrangle

2. What are the names of the adjacent quadrangles?

1. Canoga Park

2. Van Nuys

3. Burbank

4. Topanga

5. Hollywood

7. Venice

8. Inglewood

3. The quadrangle was first created in 1966.

4. What datum was used to create your map?

North American Datum 1927 (NAD 27)

5. The scale of the map is 1:24000.

6. a) 5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to 1200 meters on the ground.

    b) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to how many miles on the ground.

5in. x 24,000=120,000in. 120,000in. / 12 = 10,000 ft. 10,000 ft. / 5,280 ft. = 1.894 miles.

    c) One mile on the ground is equivalent to how many inches on the map.

1 mile = 63,360 in. scale = 24,000 in. 63,360 in./24,000 in. = 2.64 in.

    d) Three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to how many centimeters on the map.

3 km x 1000m x 100 cm. = 300,000 cm. 300,000 cm / 24,000 = 12.5 cm on the map.

7. What is the contour interval on your map?

The contour interval is 20 feet.

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

(Decimal degrees: 27 degrees 30 seconds = 27.5 Decimal Degrees because 30/60)

a) The Public Affairs Building: 34° 4’40” N, 118° 26’15” W.

34.077833° N, 118.4375° W.

b) The tip of Santa Monica pier: 34° 0’55” N, 118° 30’ W.  34.015278° N, 118.5° W

c) The Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir: 34° 7’20” N, 118° 24’20” W.

34.122167° N. 118.4055° W.

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

a) Greystone Mansion (in Greystone Park): 640 Feet/195.072 Meters to 680 Feet/207.264 Meters.

b) Woodlawn Cemetery: 120 Feet/36.576 Meters

c) Crestwood Hills Park: 720 Feet/219.456 Meters

10. What is the UTM zone of the map? The UTM zone is 11.

11. What are the UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of your map?

Latitude: 0° 0' 2.046" N
Longitude: 121° 29' 17.478" W

12. How many square meters are contained within each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines?

            1,000,000m²

13. Obtain elevation measurements, from west to east along the UTM northing 3771000, where the eastings of the UTM grid intersect the northing. Create an elevation profile using these measurements in Excel (hint: create a line chart). Figure out how to label the elevation values to the two measurements on campus. Insert your elevation profile as a graphic in your blog.

580 ft., 600 ft., 640 ft., 520 ft., 520 ft., 440 ft., 400 ft., 360 ft., 300 ft., 250 ft., 290 ft., 160 ft.

14. What is the magnetic declination of the map?

The magnetic declination of the map is 14 degrees.

15. In which direction does water flow in the intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and Stone Canyon Reservoir?

            It generally flows south because it can be seen passing the contour lines 1100ft. to 700ft.

16. Crop out (i.e., cut and paste) UCLA from the map and include it as a graphic on your blog.

Maps I find Interesting (Lab 1)

I particularly like this map because I have a personal memory about the contents in it. It is not a mere storm. It is the radiation from a reactor from Japan. Back on March 11th, 2011 when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and devastated the lives of millions of people, it was the first time in a long time that I felt connected to the events that happen around the world. This is beside the fact that I had to do a lot of research about it for the headline of my school newspaper. I have an uncle who still lives in Japan with his wife and kids and the thought that might have lost gone them was frightening. A reactor started leaking radiation and in northern Japan and a cloud of radiation particles traveled through the atmosphere across the Pacific Ocean. On March 17th, 2011 we were told to stay inside because the rain had radiation particles in it. I planned to, but it was the day I was volunteering for the LA marathon (giving people energy boosters and water on the trail). My parents didn't like this so I told them I'd do my best to stay out of the rain. Needless to say I got soaked from head to toe. I wasn't afraid of how angry my parents would be at me. I was a bit more concerned for the potential repercussions of being exposed to radiation for hours on end. Hopefully nothing happens because it's not something I think of daily.

Radiation path from Japan's Nuclear Reactor March 17, 2011.

(Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/fukushima-a-nuclear-war-without-a-war-the-unspoken-crisis-of-worldwide-nuclear-radiation/28870)

New York City. I know I already live in one of the biggest metropolitan cities in the country but I have always wanted to visit New York City particularly Manhattan. This is because I've always found architecture fascinating and have even considered majoring in it. I particularly like how the city is like a giant maze. The structures are incredible. From the Brooklyn bridge to the Empire state building these offer inspiration.

New York City (Manhattan and Central Park).

(Source: http://www.vidiani.com/?p=4915)

I have wanted to go to Yellowstone National Park since I first found out about it when I was a child. I found that it was an extremely unique place on earth and it is home to the one of the most powerful forces of nature: a super-volcano. Yellowstone National Park is one of the oldest if not the oldest National Park and is home to several land formations. Of course there are mountains and rivers and rare wildlife.  There are also rare land features like hot springs teaming with bacteria. The rarest of the land formations here are geysers like the famous Old Faithful (which can be seen on the picture below). This is all because there is a giant magma chamber underneath gradually releasing pressure which also changes the geologic features above like elevation levels which also changes the shapes of the lakes.

Yellowstone National Park (US).

(Source: http://www.gyflyfishers.com/yellowstone-map)