Station Fire

DEM of Southern California including Los Angeles County

DEM of the Station Fire area

Thematic Map from the Los Angeles Times

            The Station Fire that occurred in Southern California is displayed in the map above for August 29 to September 2.  The area burned is shown for each day at the time indicated on the legend.  The map shows that as the days progressed, the fire kept spreading out.  According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Station fire burned 160,557 acres (California Department).  The digital elevation model (DEM) is also shown for the Station Fire.  The first DEM shows the elevation for a large area of Southern California, which includes Los Angeles County.  The second DEM displays the elevation for the Station Fire only.  The source of the Station Fire perimeter data was taken from the Los Angeles County Enterprise GIS website (Los Angeles County).

            Southern California is a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers.  There are three different fire levels.  The first level is ground fires that occur in soils with organic material.  The second level is surface fires that burn the ground and the vegetation.  The last level is crown fires that burn at the top of shrubs and trees.  Crown fires spread the fastest out of the three levels and have larger flame lengths.  Most fires in Southern California occur in summer and fall when the conditions are dry and there are strong winds, particularly Santa Ana wind conditions.  Most fires in Southern California are caused by human activity.  (Safe Landscapes).  A combination of the Mediterranean climate and the vegetation affect the spread and intensity of the fires.

            Vegetation fuels the fire and affects its intensity.  Chaparral dominates the mountains and foothills of Southern California.  Fires burning chaparral burn hot and have large blames and many embers.  Sage scrubs are deciduous shrubs that burn frequently and easily.  If sage scrub fires burn too often, the native sage scrub can be replaced by invasive species, causing future fires to burn stronger.  Oaks are not very flammable and they do provide shade that allows more non-flammable plants to grow.  Their shade also keeps the area cool and less prone to fires (Safe Landscapes).  These are a few of the different types of native species in Southern California.

            The threat of global warming can cause an increase in wildfires.  It is estimated that if temperatures rise between 5.5 and 8°F, there will be a 20 percent increase in fires by the middle of the century and at the end of the century there will be a 50 percent increase in fires.  Precipitation will also contribute to the increase in fires.  If the climate gets drier, it is expected that wildfires will increase.  An increase in fires will result in the state paying more money for fire prevention measures.  There are strong health effects associated with an increase in fire pollution.  An increase in fires will result in an increase in mudslides and flooding due to less vegetation on the slopes (Global Warming).  Due to the decrease in water that Southern California may face as a result of a decrease in precipitation and less snow stored in the snow packs, the fire season may be longer than what it currently is (Safe Landscapes.)  With the increased threat of global warming, it is important for California to begin taking actions to mediate the effects of more fires and the aftermath of the fires.

            The Station Fire in August and September of 2009 had a significant impact on the landscape.  The thematic map shown above is taken from Google Maps and shows the perimeter of the fire, points of interests, homes that have been damaged, and areas that have been contained among other things.  This map is a good schematic of the area burned and what is located in the area (Fire map).  On the website, users have the option to add new features to the map or to take away features.  The Station Fire began on August 26 and was not fully contained until October 16.  The terrain was rugged and steep.  The source of the fire was arson. Two firefighters were killed while trying to contain the flames.  22 other people were injured as a result of the fire.  This was the 10^th largest fire in California since 1933 (Station Fire).  Fires can be deadly and it is essential for proper steps to be taken to help mediate the effects of the fires.

 

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.  State of California, 2007.  22 November 2009.  <http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=377>

Fire Map updated: Work continues to close containment gaps.  Los Angeles Times.  10 September 2009.  22 November 2009.  <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/significant-progress-reported-in-station-fire.html>

Global Warming and California Wildfires.  Union of Concerned Scientists.  22 November 2009.  <http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/ucs-ca-wildfires-1.pdf>

Los Angeles County Enterprise GIS.  2007-2009.  16 November 2009.  <http://gis.lacounty.gov/eGIS/>

Safe Landscapes: Sustainable and Fire-Safe.  University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.  2009.  23 November 2009.  <http://groups.ucanr.org/SAFE/Fire_in_Southern_California_Ecosystems/>

Station Fire.  InciWeb.  10 November 2009.  23 November 2009.  <http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1856/>

Spatial Analysis of Angola, Africa

            The area shown is of Angola, Africa.  The extent of this area is -10.8129166676 decimal degrees for the top extent, 13.8920833397 decimal degrees for the left extent, 16.6379166729 decimal degrees for the right extent, and -14.6029166675 decimal degrees for the bottom extent.  The Geographic Coordinate System is GCS_WGS_1984.  The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) of Angola is 33.  Angola is located in West, Africa.  Angola is bordered by Zambia, Namibia, Republic of the Congo, and the South Atlantic Coast.  The elevation of Angola ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 feet or 914 to 1,829 meters.  The geography of Angola consists of the coast, the hills and mountains, and the high plateau.  The Central Plateau runs through Angola.  The plateau has an elevation of 4,000 to 6,000 feet.  Angola’s highest point is Morro de Môco at 2,620 meters.  There are a lot of rivers in Angola that for the most part flow towards the west to empty into the Atlantic Ocean.  An interesting fact about Angola is that it is the second highest producing country of diamonds and petroleum in Sub-Saharan Africa.

            Map projections in GIS project the shape of three-dimensional earth using mathematical formulas onto a two-dimensional surface.  Projections cause the map to be distorted while other characteristics are maintained.  The three different map projections used in this exercise are: Conformal, Equal Area, and Equal Distant.  It is significant to use the right projection for a map because different projections distort different features.  For example, if the map shows the area of snow melting in the Arctic, is it important to use the Equal Area map projection so the area shown is not distorted.   Map projections Sinusoidal and Hammer-Aitoff can be used for mapping snow pack in the Arctic.  Conformal maps, such as Mercator and Gall Stereographic, preserve angles of the surface.  Conformal maps are used for navigating ships. Equidistant maps, like Equidistant Conic and Equidistant Cylindrical, show the correct distance from the center of the projection to any other points.  One use for equidistant maps is for seismic mapping.  Map projections are significant to a variety of different fields and are significant for displaying the data in different ways.  All of the map projections have positive and negative aspects.  It is important to choose the correct map projection for the information that is being shown in the map.

            It is important to know the limitations of the map projections in order to accurately display the information.  One peril to map projections is that not all of the projections can represent the same data.  For example, mapping nautical patterns and ice patterns need different types of projections.  Another problem with map projections is that not all projections within the same category show the same information.  For the Equidistant maps above, Equidistant Conic and Equidistant Cylindrical do not show the same distance from Washington, D.C. to Kabul, Afghanistan.  Even though these maps maintain distance, they show different distance values.  One reason why Equidistant mapping is not consistent in all map projections is because the map is equal distant from the center of the projection to other points.  For example, if the center of the map is Los Angeles, he distance from Los Angeles to any other location will be accurate.  If we used this same map to find the distance from San Diego to Las Vegas, we would not get the correct distance because neither of these points are the center of the map projection.  For the Equidistant maps above, the center of the projections were at different locations which is why the distance between Washington D.C. and Kabul are not the same.  It is important to know which projections correspond to different areas.  Some projections are world projections whereas some projections are specific to a certain continent or country. 

             Conformal maps and Equal Area maps also have issues to be cautious of.  An issue to be aware of for Conformal maps is that the angles of the map are preserved, but the shape of the map is only preserved with small areas.  This can be a problem when mapping the earth since it is dealing with a very large area.  For the two different conformal maps above, the distance between the two locations is different.  The Mercator map above shows the earth as taller and thinner compared to the Gall Stereographic which shows the earth more proportional.  Also the poles on the Mercator map are elongated compared to the Gall Stereographic.   Equal Area projections also have flaws in its design.  The Sinusoidal map projection above shows the poles pointed whereas the Hammer-Aitoff shows the poles rounded.  Although this projection conserves area, the distance between Washington D.C. and Kabul are very close with both projections showing a distance close to 8,000 miles.  One thing to note about these projections is that the parallels are curved for the Hammer-Aitoff and the parallels are straight for the Sinusoidal.  There is no distortion along the equator for the Sinusoidal and Hammer-Aitoff projections.  Different map projections distort different features.  By knowing which features are distorted, the best projection can be used to display the data.

            Although all map projections distort a feature, projections are very useful when mapping different features.  By having different projections, it is possible to see different areas of earth emphasized.  A potential of map projections is to emphasis different features while deemphasizing other features.  By using specific projections for specific topics, we can get more accurate maps.  Having a variety of projections to choose from allows us to pick the projection that will most accurately display the data.  If the only map projection available was Conformal projection for example, then the distance between two locations would never be accurately shown on the map.  The same is true for Equal Area; if the only map projection available was Conformal, then the area in the poles would always be distorted and the poles would always seem significantly larger than they are.  Another potential of map projections is to use them in physics and engineering.  By having different map projections, engineers can choose the projection that gives them the most reliable information.  This helps to reduce engineering problems.  If engineers need to know the exact distance to a specific location, they would use Equal Distance projections and not Equal Area or Conformal projections.  Another potential and one of the most significant potentials of projections is for Climate Change data.  Having different map projections allows us to map a variety of different factors related to Climate Change including: ice and glacier melting, temperature changes, precipitation patterns, and sea level among others.  Map projections can help us predict changes and helps us to analyze current patterns.  They are essential in showing areas of concern and areas that are relatively stable.  Although there are many different types of map projections, the possibilities in mapping important geographic and environmental data are endless.

ArcMap

ArcMap is a tool used to make maps.  There are many potentials as well as many pitfalls to the ArcMap software.  Being able to display layers of data or different data sets at the same time is a potential of GIS.  This gives users the ability to see different aspects of an area.  For example in this exercise, I was able to see the county boundaries and also see which schools were within the noise contour.  Being able to select different features of the data helps to see areas of concern, areas that can be improved, and areas with certain features among other things.  Another potential of the map is being able to display graphical data next to the map.  Having the option of displaying a graph or chart along with the map allows the user to gain more information about the map and to show the data behind the map.  The maps can be customized to what you want displayed simply by displaying or adding certain features.

While using ArcMap I learned many different things about what can be produced on the map and what the limitations are.  GIS has the potential to create maps, modify maps, and edit the content stored within the map.  I found it interesting that I could display data from a map source and also edit the contents.  It was interesting that I was able to modify the road by making it longer and making the road curve.  This allows users to create “what if” scenarios to see what the space will look like it certain changes are made.  This feature is also useful for people developing land because they can add roads, buildings, etc. and see how it fits into the geography.   Another potential of GIS is being able to add your own content to it.  For example, after adding to the road, I was able to add the name of the street to the data and store it.

One of the pitfalls of using ArcMap is that there is a limit to what can be displayed on the map.  In order to display a map, the area and the features need to be well defined.  With using this software, I am not able to display a map of a location that does not have a defined location.  Such as West LA; it is difficult to plot this area because it does not have a distinct boundary and the definition of the area varies by individual.  Having to know the geographic location and coordinates makes it hard to display certain features.  For example, if you want to plot a specific tree in a forest, you need to know the specific coordinates of that tree in order to display it accurately.  In order for me to create a map that would be practical in ArcMap, I need to have a defined location and defined features.

Another pitfall of ArcMap is that it is not user-centric.  The map cannot be made into a dynamic map that merges media such as videos and pictures into the map.  ArcMap is more rigid than user interfaces such as Google MyMaps.  Although the map is more “professional” and is upheld to certain guidelines and standards, it is difficult for the map to bring in other information and media that may make the map easier to understand or may enhance the point of the map.  When GIS and dynamic maps start to merge there will be more possibilities in map making and conveying geographic information.

GIS has a lot of potential in being able to display a variety of features and to edit data.  Although there are a lot of potentials of GIS, there are also some limitations and pitfalls of the software.  It is important to realize the limitations of the software in order to maximum the full potential of GIS.