This series of census maps are really good presentations of how populations of different race groups distribute across the nation. The choices of location of different race groups have much more to them beyond pure geographical choices. They also reflect the particular race group's cultural customs and especially their immigration history. Information extracted from this series of maps can be used by policy makers of a county or state to establish specific rules for different dominant groups in the population.

Map 1:

The map above, which is distributed by county, shows the population (in percentage) of Blacks in the United States. The data in the above map is based on the 2000 Census. It is clear to see that the majority of the US black population resides in what is known as "the South". Looking back into history this makes sense because the South was were many black slaves worked on plantations. While many blacks moved up North for freedom, the majority of them remained in the South until Slavery was banned after the Civil War. Also, we can see a greater majority of blacks residing in urban areas rather than rural areas. This includes areas such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. However, these areas are not as concentrated as areas in the South.

Map 2:

The map above illustrates the population of Asians in the [mainland] United States. Distributed into counties, the map shows the population of Asians in each county by percentage. The data in the map is based on the 2000 Census. It is important to note that those counties represented in white are ones that have too little of an Asian population to be represented on the map. From the map it seems that large Asian populations are spread out throughout the United States - from the West to the Midwest and to the New England area. However, the most popular area is clearly the West coast, which makes sense because it is the closest coast to Asia. Immigrants from Asian counties such as China, Japan, and Korea tend to come from the west to the West coast of the United States. Then many of them move inland or to the east coast, but the majority stays along the West coast. Many of them also settle in Hawaii, which is not shown on this choropleth map. The map also shows large population of Asians in urban area in the Midwest. Additionally, one of the most densely concentrated areas on the map for Asians is the Sillicon valley, which is the technology capital of the US located in Northern California. With their vast contributions to the world of technology, it would make sense that many Asians reside in that area.

Map 3:

The last map here shows the population, ranked be percentage, of those who classified themselves as "some other race" on the 2000 Census questionnaire. Like the two maps above, the map is distributed by US counties. By looking at the other data collected on the census website, it seems that a major race in which a data is not specifically collected for is 'Hispanic'. If we assume that a large portion of the "some other race" group is of Hispanic origin, it makes sense that the most concentrated areas on the map are in the South West region of the country. Bordering Mexico, the south-west is one of the most popular areas for Mexicans and people of Latino origin to imigrate to, expecially because their immigration process can be long and streneous which makes it less likely for them to travel further into the country. However, thi is not to say that there aren't large populations in the inland area, as seen in the area above Texas. This is probably due to the agriculture that dominates the area. There are also concentrated areas in Florida, most likely due to immigration from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Several interesting conclusions can be made from this series of Choropleth maps. First, these maps show us that minority groups have not moved far from where they originally settled and immigration patterns are easily spotted - Asians are still heavily concentrated in the West, which borders the Pacific Ocean, Blacks are found in high concentrations in the South, which is were slave labor was most prominent, and those of "some other race” (mainly Hispanics) are found in high concentrations in areas bordering Mexico and close to Latin America. It is very interesting that these groups stay close to where they originally settled for three reasons. First, it shows that people like to stay in one place for the most part. Second, it shows that people like to stay in areas where people of their same race are around because it makes life more comfortable and easier to continue cultural traditions. Lastly, this trend shows that the diversity in the United States nationwide is not likely yo change in the near future. While as a whole, the US is a very diverse place, the areas in the northern part of the country tend to lack much diversity and exposure to minority races.

My overall impressions of GIS: I personally found the GIS software very difficult to navigate through. I often found myself having to come in to office hours to get help with the program and the different aspects of it that I did not understand. However, I am very pleased with all of my final outcomes and I am happy that I received exposure to such an important and useful software. I think that GIS is an amazing program with a vast amount of potential. Just based on all the different things that we were able to produce during the lab makes me wonder how much more can be done on GIS. Such a system is very beneficial to policy decision makers in all kinds of fields, whether the topic is election results, population denstities, or the environment. I think that GIS is a wonderful tool that can be used by experts (steep learning curve) to create important maps for the visually-oriented average Joe living in the United States.

Lab 7, Week 8

The LA County Station Fire happened ----. According to an article in the L.A. Times, "The Station Fire is the largest blaze in Los Angeles County's modern history"(Bloomekatz, 2009). Fire Department Captain Jerry Meehan was quoted in the same article that this fire was the largest, hottest, and most-damaging fire he had yet to see (Bloomekatz, 2009). In total, the fire burned 160,577 acres, destroyed 209 structures (including 89 homes) and also killed two firefighters (Wikipedia). However, we all know that a fire effects more than just the things that it burns down. The effects of a fire spread far and wide through the debris in the air and areas surrounding the fire. On the map above, I focused on some major effects of a fire on the lives of those living nearby.

First off, the effect that a fire has on the water sources near it greatly affects the lives of the people in the area. As you can tell from the map, there were many rivers throughout the area that was burned down by the station fire as well as within a 20 mile radius of it. According to an article published by University of Idaho extension, "Wildfire affects streams and rivers in a multitude of ways" (Barkley, 2010). It increases sedimentation, nutrient and temperature changes, and large woody debris can have its own changes on the stream environment as well. Damaging a county's water supply can be extremely detrimental to the people who depend on that water for everyday use.

Another way that a fire can affect the lives of the people living in the area is by polluting the surrounding air with smoke and debris. This is especially detrimental to those in the surrounding hospitals. During the time of the fire, the air quality ranged from moderate to hazardous in the affected area. It would make sense to assume that patients in hospitals nearby the fire (within the 10 mile buffer) were heavily affected by the fire's impact of the air quality. A weak immune system paired with smokey air does not usually lead to good circumstances. According to an article by Gye Young Park, "[Fire] smoke inhalation has a prolonged, negative effect on pulmonary function. The immediate change in the airway after smoke inhalation is an intense inflammatory reaction" (2002). There were 19 total hospitals (see above) within the 10-mile buffer zone of the station fire perimeter on the fifth day of the fire, which was September 2nd. Of those 19, two hospitals were extremely close and they may have been evacuated. While homes may have been evacuated, evacuating a hospital is an even greater ordeal because of all the special life support units that people need.

A third example of the impact of a wildfire on the lives of the people in the surrounding area is the effect of the debris and air quality on the recreation areas nearby. For example, Dodger's Stadium, which is located just outside the border of the 10-mile buffer, was at the end of its baseball season during the time of the fire. While none of the games needed to be cancelled, there was a possibility that they would have to be delayed if the fire continued to grow. Additionally, the LA Zoo, which is located within the 10-mile radius, is a generally outdoor facility. The debris and air quality most likely affected the zoo animals in a variety of different harmful ways. According to the L.A. Times blog, volunteers arrived with pick-up trucks on August 30th to evacuate the hundreds of exotic animals at the Wildlife Waystation in Little Tujanga Canyon, which was "no simple task" (Pierce & Barnett, 2009).

Overall, the point here is that a wildfire has an impact on the lives of people at a much larger extent than may meet the eye. The smokey air and debris can really affect the way people live during the fire as well as days after the fire. While evacuation centers may be set up, the interruption that evacuation can have on a person's life is in itself difficult. Wildfires affect so many little things. I remember being on the tennis team in my junior year of high school when there was a large wildfire in the nearby area and we could not have tennis practice for over a week. The most unfortunate thing about the 2009 Station Fire is that it is thought to have been deliberately started by a person.

References:

1) Barkley, Y. (2010). Wildfire and its effects on streams and rivers. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/Wildfire_and_Its_Effects_on_Streams_and_Rivers

2) Bloomekatz, A. B. (2009, Sept. 2). Station Fire is Largest in La County's Modern History. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from "http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/station-fire-is-largest-in-la-countyhistory.html">http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/station-fire-is-largest-in-la-county-history.html

3) California Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Fire Response and Recovery. Retrieved from http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Disaster/Fire/

4) Park, G. Y. et al. (2003). Prolonged Airway and Systematic Inflammatory Reactions after smoke inhalation. Chest, 123 (2). doi: 10.1378/chest.123.2.475

5) Pierce T. & Barnett L. (2009, Sept. 1). Wildlife Waystation works to evacuate exotic animals from Little Tujunga Canyon. Los Angeles Time. Retrieved from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/09/animals-waystation-fires.html

6) 2009 California Wildfires. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 22, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_California_wildfires

Lab 6, Week 7

3-D Image of locationA Slope Map of my location:

An Aspect map of my location:

A Shaded Relief model of the location:

My location is located in Northern United States in Wyoming. It's geographic coordinates are 45.22 N and -115.28 W. The decimal degrees of the location of interest is .00028 degrees. (The projection was in WGS 84; NED in 1 arc second) By looking at the above maps, it is easy to see that this location is very rocky. This is especially seen on the aspect and hillshade maps. However, there is also the flatter, less mountainness area towarsd the top of the location, which is clearly seen in the slope map because that area is generally green there. Additionally, there is also an area of little confusion, which is most likely a small lake. This can be seen in the small gray area at the bottom right corner that can be clearly identified on the shaded relief model.

LAB WEEK 6: Geospatial Data Management

What is the distance from Washington DC to Kabul? By looking at the above maps you would be lost with an answer that ranges from 5,060 miles to 10,153 miles. So what’s the real distance? It is 6,502 miles. The Bonne map projection came closest to this number. However, every map projection has its “issues”.

There are three main types of map projections: conformal, equal-area, and equidistant projections. The 90º angles (right angles) of the longitudinal and longitudinal lines are characteristic of conformal map projections. Conformal maps preserve angles, but not distance. For this reason, you can understand why the distance between the two cities is so incorrect on the projection. The Mercator projection, which is a conformal projection type, has the largest distance. You can also tell that the map itself is distorted because Antarctica is the size of almost the rest of the land mass on the earth, which is definitely not true in reality.

Equidistant map projections are characterized by a uniform distance from the center of the map to all other places on the map. The two equidistant map projections that I choose were Aitoff and Equidistant Cylindrical. As you can tell, they look very different, but both fit in within the guidelines of what qualifies as an equidistant projection. Equidistant projections preserve area from a standard point or line, which is usually the center. However, while this type of projection preserves distances on the map itself, these distances do not closely resemble reality, which is why the measurements between the two cities are so off.

The third type of map projection is known as equal area. An equal area projection attempts to maintain the same proportional relationships to the areas on the Earth that they represent. Because of this, the equal area projections are closest to reality. This explains why the Bonne projection comes closest to the correct Washington DC – Kabul distance. Of all the six map projections I would also have to vote for the Mollweide projection as looking the most realistic. Everything looks more or less laid out to the proper scale, unlike the – projection where Alaska looks like it is as big as Australia.

Overall, I enjoyed this lab. Once I got the hang of it (because I had to keep starting over for different reasons) I could fly through making the projections. I feel like a much better sense of ArcGIS since the last lab. I felt that I could actually maneuver through the program without needing to constantly be referring back to a tutorial. However, if there was a tutorial I would have probably heavily relied on it, which is why it is good that this lab didn’t include one. I felt that this way I learned more.

Lab 4 - ARCGIS TUTORIAL

My experience with ArcGIS was an in challenging at first, but looking back at my life, aren’t most things? It’s all about practice and gaining familiarity. During the first exercise I was constantly flipping back and forth between the tutorial and the program for each single step. The program was brand new to me and I barely could understand how to navigate through it without the step-by-step instructions of the tutorial. I began to think that ArcGIS is really difficult to use and doubted that I would ever be able to even use the program’s simplest applications with ease. However, looking back at other programs that I’ve used, I realized that I felt this way about them too at first. For example, the ticketing system that we use where I work (known as Archtics) was extremely complicated in my eyes when I was first being taught how to use it. I remember thinking, “How am I going to ever get the hang of this?” Now, a few years later, I know the system very well and can easily use it for more complicated tasks as well as train others on how to use it. It’s the same with ArGIS; I just need to give it time and practice, and eventually I’ll hopefully understand it enough to no longer need a tutorial to instruct me every step of the way.
Even though the programming system itself might be difficult to work with, the tutorial did make it very simple. I would have to say that it was probably one of the most helpful tutorials I have ever used because it didn’t miss a step. It would even tell you when to press ‘ok’ on dialogue boxes. Even though it was only a beginner’s tutorial session, I was truly stunned by the type of things that ArcGIS could do. I think it’s pretty awesome how multiple layers can be integrated into one concrete map. Maps are no longer a guide for direction, but with the help of today’s program’s and technology, maps can illustrate a large variety of things.
ArcGIS has a vast amount of potential in the world of geography. By allowing multiple layers to be included in the same map we can be exposed to a variety of different relational data. However, being able to display a lot of information in your map requires skill, and that is the downfall of ArcGIS. A regular person who isn't very familiar with the program will not even know where to begin. Even going through the tutorial for the first time doesn't make someone very proficient with the program. It is very different from neogeography, which allows non-experts to create maps and other interactive spatial data illustrations. ArcGIS requires long hours of training and also a basic backgroun in geography so that they can have a better feel for what they are doing.
Overall, this lab was quite enjoyable. Even though it was long and time-consuming, I did learn a lot and I am excited to get more experience with this program. Before this class I wasn't aware that such a program existed for the average student (with a tutorial ofcourse) and I am proud of my end result.

Neogeography

Noegeography Commentary
Neogeography literally means "new geography", which refers to geographic information and maps that are created by the average person with no expert knowledge of geography. The Google-My Maps that we all created in lab are examples of what can be classified as 'neogeography'. The main difference between neogeography and traditional geography is the accuracy and precision that goes into the traditional work. Neogeography on the other hand, typically lacks any formal or analytical basis.

Neogeography has changed the way we travel and make travel decisions. With hands-on tools and easy access with cell phone internet access, neogeography is at the palm of your hands when you need it. People are able to navigate more easily around cities and new places thanks to neogeography and easy to use navigation devices. Finding a place to eat nearby is also something that can be done with the click of a button. Neogeography has great potential and has already successfully exposed many "non-experts" to the world of maps, geography, and spatial awareness. Other than just being a tool to help with directions, neogeography allows for interactive maps that can be embedded with videos, pictures, and more. In this way, people from around the world can share their trips and stories and inspire others that they don't even know.

However, every good things has its faults. One of the pitfalls of neogeography is its ability to control a vacation or a trip. Let's say I was to go to DC and I stumbled on the interactive Google map below. Everything is already so neatly mapped out for me that I may as well follow along. However, this takes away from me creating my own path and finding things on my own rather than having everything right in front of me. Neogeography can definitely take away from that. While neogeography is a teaching tool because it allows people to be more spatially aware of their location, it can take away from the valuable learning tool of "learning from your mistakes". For example, when you used to get lost before GPS it would challenge you to test your sense of direction and find your way back, but with a GPS or another neogeography tool, the job is taken care of for you and you may lose out on that learning opportunity.

Below is an interactive Google My-Maps of a walking tour in DC. I took this route over summer, and while my legs definitely hurt after the long day of walking, it was all worth it. DC is beautiful and has a lot to offer, and hopefully a fraction of that can be shown in my map.


View Washington DC Walking Map in a larger map

Lab #2 - Topographic Maps

1. What is the name of the quadrangle?
Beverly Hills Quadrangle

2. What are the names of the adjacent quadrangles?
Van Nuys Quadrangle, Burbank Quadrangle, Hollywood Quadrangle, Topanga Quadrangle, Inglewood Quadrangle, Venice Quadrangle, Canoga Park Quadrangle

3. When was the quadrangle first created? 1966
4. What datum was used to create your map? North American Datum

5. What is the scale of the map? 1:24,000 (which means one inch on the map is 24,000 inches on the ground)
6. At the above scale, answer the following:
a) 5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to how many meters on the ground? 1200 meters b) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to how many miles on the ground? 1.89 miles c) One mile on the ground is equivalent to how many inches on the map? 2.64 inches d) Three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to how many centimeters on the map? 12.5 centimeters on the map

7. What is the contour interval on your map? 20 feet

8. What are the approximate geographic coordinates in both degrees/minutes/seconds and decimal degrees of:
a) the Public Affairs Building; (34° 4' 22", -118° 26' 24") and (34.073°, -118.440°).
b) the tip of Santa Monica pier; (34° 0' 25", -118° 29' 56") and (34.007°, -118.499°).
c) the Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir; (34° 7' 10", -118° 24' 37") and (34.119°, -118.410°).


9. What is the approximate elevation in both feet and meters of:
a) Greystone Mansion (in Greystone Park); 560 feet in elevation, 170.7 meters
b) Woodlawn Cemetery; 140 feet in elevation, 42.7 meters
c) Crestwood Hills Park; approximately 750 feet in elevation, 228.6 meters

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

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

³⁷63^{000 m}N and ³72^{000 m}E

12. How many square meters are contained within each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines?
1,000,000 square meters. (1000 meters *1000 meters)

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.

14. What is the magnetic declination of the map?
14.0 degrees East

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

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