lab 8

Mapping the Census

The lab this week was mapping different races according to the 2000 census. Below I have included three maps that show the 2000 distribution of Asians, Blacks, and Some other Race in the Continental United States.

 Above shows the distribution of Asians in 2000. As you can see the highest population density lies in California with the San Francisco Bay area having the highest density. The distribution is probably like this because California is the closest section of The United States to Asia. We also see a spike in Asian population around large cities such as Seattle and New York City.

 Above is a map of Black Population Density in 2000 in the Continental United States. As you can see there is a significant increase in the population in the South. This is due to the slave trade that imported Africans to the South for plantation workers. We again see higher populations in larger cities such as Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco Bay Area.

The last map shows Some Other Race in 2000. The majority of this category is often hispanic/latino. As you can see the concentration of this category is in the countries bordering Mexico. Florida also has a higher concentration from cuban immigrants. In calfornia we see high percentages in agricultural areas as well as right along the border and in larger cities such as los angeles.

Using maps to show race populations from the census make the material much easier to process than say an excel sheet. it's easy to spot trends and high population densities. Using these maps we can see that large cities have higher racial diversity rates and we were able to see where certain races tend to congregate. 

GIS has proven to me to a very useful program and resource. It is much easier to process material in a visual manner rather than browsing numbers and raw material. I had my fair share of frustration while using ArcGIS but found the the program overall was very useful. Once each lab was completeled I felt a sense of accomplishment and each week the basics of the labs became second nature.

Lab 6

The area I chose for this weeks lab is the northern California coast. Specifically Mendocino County between highways 128 and 20. Looking at these maps you can see where the coast line due to the lack of slope. I chose this map because this is the exact area that I grew up and I can identify certain peaks/ridges and slopes as well as approximate placement of specific rivers and creeks. Along with the maps I have the extent information of the area in decimal degrees: Top  39.3947222217 N; Left  -123.880833333 W; Right  -123.414444444 W; Bottom  38.9688888883 N. The Spatial Reference is the GCS North American 1983. The maps I'm including show relief, slope, and aspect. The last map shows my area in 3D.

Lab 5

Our World is three dimensional. This is great for living and interacting but hard to represent on a two dimensional plane. When showing a map on in two dimension there are multiple ways to project the image. Each way has pros and cons. In order to have one aspect of the map be to scale another part must be sacrificed. For this lab we map six different map projections that fell into three categories: equidistant map projections, equal area map projections, and conformal map projections. Below I have two maps for each category. With these maps one can see the pros and cons of each type.

Equidistant:
Equidistant maps, as the name implies, represents accurate distance on the map. However, because of this area and shape are distorted in order to preserve true distance. Below I made an equidistant cylindrical map and and equidistant conic map. Both maps show the distance between Washington D.C. and Kabul, Afghanistan. 

Equal Area:
Equal area projection maps preserve the correct area of the features. The countries and continents show the correct area in proportion to others. This projection is not very effective on a large scale because the shape and angle of the features are distorted.

 

Conformal:

Conformal map projections preserve angle. This means that area and distance are distorted. This is easily seen in the two maps below. One also notices that features closer to the equator are closer to their true area than the features closer to the poles. 

These six maps let the viewer see the pros and cons of different types of map projections. Each kind of map can be used for certain situations. When changing a three dimensional area to a two dimensional plane there will always be some aspects of the true area compromised. One must simply decide which projection is right for each situation.

Lab 4

After being introduced to ArcGIS and spending some time completing the tutorial I instinctively began to have opinions about the program and started to identify some of the potentials and pitfalls of the software. My initial feeling about the program was that it was a bit confusing, tedious and boring. However, the longer I worked on the tutorial I became more comfortable with the software and could complete each step in a more timely manner and with fewer glitches.

Many of the pitfalls of ArcGIS were apparent from the beginning. Although the tutorial was easy enough to follow it took me awhile to actually learn from it. It was easy to mindlessly follow the steps but not as easy to comprehend the actual progress of each step. The program is also not very "user friendly" it takes awhile to understand the layout of the program, you definitely have to know your way around the program before you can start making progress. Possibly the biggest pitfall of the program is it is still only as good as the data. Meaning, humans must input data into the program in order to get a result. This means there is a lot of room for human error.

It is inevitable that all software will have problems, therefore it is important to identify the positive aspects of ArcGIS along with the negative. Firstly, ArcGIS produces great results. The maps are pleasing to look at and easy to read. Other features such as the legend are very helpful and easy to produce using the program. The program also gets results quickly, good maps can be made fast. Although with the tutorial we only created three maps, it is apparent that the possibilities seem almost endless. Lastly, the software is easy to share and transport this means that multiple users can work and collaborate on a map without having to stand side by side.

As you can see after just one exercise with ArcGIS I was able to recognize the pros and cons of the software. I was able to complete not only one, but three maps after the introductory tuturial, it is obvious that ArcGIS is very powerful and very helpful in geography today and will contintue to be so for many years to come.

lab 3

View Tour Mendocino in a larger map


The Potentials, Pitfalls, and Consequences of Neogeography

Neogeograghy, or new geography, has obvious potentials and positive attributes, but like all technologies also boasts flaws. "Mash Up" maps are gaining popularity among the mapping world. These maps are used on both a personal level and often in the business world. The idea of mash up maps is that individuals can add knowledge and information to pre-existing map such as google maps. The positive aspects of these maps is somewhat obvious. They are easy to use and many versions are open to the public. Individuals can create maps to show where they've been or to suggest routes or landmarks to others. Businesses can use these maps to promote sales, show availability, and compare with competitors. Although the positive attributes of neogeography are obvious, the consequences aren't as blatant. The main problem with mash up maps is credibility. It is often hard to tell if the information given is accurate and credible. Mash up maps can also be manipulated in a way to make the maps appear different than what they actually are. Another problem with neogeography is that one can only add features to maps but cannot change existing features. This means if someone knows that certain information is incorrect they cannot necessarily change it to show the truth. Like all technologies, neogeography has both potentials and pitfalls that through time will be smoothed out.

Lab 2

1. Beverly Hills
2. Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Venice, Inglewood
3. 1995
4. The map is based on horizontal datum from both 1927 (NAD 27) and 1983 (NAD 83) and the vertical datum of 1929
5. The scale of the map is  1:24,000
6. a) 5 cm (24, 000)  = 120, 000cm =  1,200 meters
    b) 5 in (24,000)= 120,000 in. =1.89 miles
    c) 1 mile= 63360 in.; 63360in./24000= 2.64 in
    d)  300,000cm/24,000= 12.5 cm
7. 20 feet
8.  a)x/7.5'=10.5cm/25.8cm
        x=3.05'
        60"*.05=3"
        7'30"-3'3" = 4'27"
         =34*4'27"
       4'27"=.07*

        x/7.5'=8.9cm/18cm
         x=3.71'
        60"*.71=43"
        30'-3'43"= 26'17"
         =118*26'17"
        26'17"=.438*

       34*4'27" (34.07*)  118*26'17" (118.438*)

     b)x/7.5'=1.5cm/25.8cm        x=.436'
        60"*.436=26"
         =34*26"
        26"=.007*


        x/7.5'=.2cm/29.5cm
         x=.51'
        60"*.51=30"
        30'-30"= 29'30"
         =118*29'30"
        29'30"=.49*

       34*0'26" (34.007*)  118*29'30" (118.49*)
 
     c)x/7.5'=25cm/25.8cm
        x=7.27'
        60"*.27=16"
         =34*7'16"
       7.27'=.12*


        x/7.5'=21.4cm/29.5cm
         x=5.4'
        60"*.4=24"
        30'-5'24"= 24'36"
         =118*24'36"
        24'36"=.41*

        34*7'16" (34.12*)  118*24'36" (118.41*)
9. a) 580 ft
    b) 140 ft
    c) 700 ft
10. UTM zone 11
11. 3763  362
12. 1000 square meters
13.

14. positive 14*
15. water flows south
16.

lab assignment 1

For our first assignment I wanted to find three maps that related to each other. I decided to start with a large area (the state of California) then find maps within the area. I then found a county map within California, then a town map within the county. I chose California, Mendocino County and the town of Mendocino because they are all areas I'm familiar with but still have more to learn about. 

 

Above is a population map of California from 2003. I like that the population is shown in areas smaller than counties this allows us to see changes in population in a more precise scale. With this map we are able to see where the cities, suburbs, and countryside lie. I think that it is interesting that the population increases in obvious areas such as near ports but there are also areas of high population that aren't as easily explained. I chose a map of populations in California because it is where I grew up and am most familiar with.

Image source: http://www.californiamaps.us/california-population.html

Google images, 1:56 pm September 28, 2010

This next map is of Mendocino County! This is where I've lived my whole life. I really enjoy looking at Mendocino County maps because I always learn something new. It's amazing how there is always something more to learn even when you think you know it all. I just learned that Gualala is the south most town in the county. I knew that it was one of the more southern towns, but I didn't know it was at the very edge of the county.

Image source: http://www.mendonet.com/office/mainmap.htm

Google images, 2:13 p.m. September 28, 2010

This last map shows the town of Mendocino where I grew up. This is probably my favorite of the three because I'm very comfortable with every component of the map. I can visually imagine any point on this map. I like looking at familiar places from a topical view because it forces the mind to make somewhat unfamiliar connections and it changes the way you view the area.

Image source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/north-america/usa/mendocino/

Google images, 2:31 p.m. September 28, 2010