Lab 7

For lab this week, I chose to analyze the relation of the Station Fire to nearby roads and hospitals.  Fires in the Los Angeles area often put whole communities at risk of destruction.  They also put people in danger.  During the Station Fire, two firefighters died and 11 people were injured.  Having knowledge of the highway system to get to the nearest hospitals would maximize the chance of survival for those severely injured.

("Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones & Tedmund D. "Ted" Hall were killed in the line of duty fighting the Station Fire.")

These firefighters gave their live in the line of duty when their truck plunged off a mountain road.  A key component to any nation is its infrastructure, particularly transportation.  Transportation is important in bringing water and firefighters in to fight the fire, as well as letting people safely evacuate the perilous area.  Thus, the placement of roads and highways are important resources for fighting fire and escaping it.

Fire is often thought of as dangerous catastrophe, as it can often burn and incinerate victims.  But that is not the only negative effect on health fires can have.  They can have other indirect effects as well.  For instance, the air quality could be significantly worsened by the fire as carbon monoxide and particulate matter fill the air.  Also, fires can facilitate the occurrence of mudslides in the area during the rainy season following a major fire.  Some of these hazards, in particular fires and mudslides, can obstruct the mode of transportation needed to get to the hospital.  That is why knowing where the nearest hospitals are and how to get there is important during emergencies. 

Smoke from the Station Fire can also be hazardous to health

Hospitals often play a pivotal role during times of disaster like fires or hurricanes.  Therefore, my map looks at the distance from the fire along major highways and freeways to nearby hospitals.  In the particular  case of the Station Fire, I examined the rough distance from the center of the fire to each hospital along major highway lines.  

In the chart at the bottom, I found the four closest hospitals and also noted UCLA's location.  These distances to the hospitals show that the fire was in a pretty remote area.  Therefore, it didn't harm too many people (although harming anyone is too many).  A lot of buildings were lost in the process of extinguishing the fire, though.  So hopefully, for next time, the roads are known so that the firefighters can optimize their safety and civilians can optimize their escape and ensure treatment if necessary.  

 

 

Hospital	Distance on Highways to Fire
VERDUGO HILLS HOSPITAL	3.9 Miles
GLENDALE ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER - WILSON TERRACE	6.5 Miles
HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	8.1 Miles
ST. LUKE MEDICAL CENTER	10.9 Miles
LOS ANGELES COUNTY OLIVE VIEW-UCLA MEDICAL CENTER	19.5 Miles

References 

"Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones & Tedmund D. "Ted" Hall were killed in the line of duty fighting the

Station Fire.." Web. 23 Nov 2010. <http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-picture-firefighters-   killed,0,453570.photo>.

 "How Forest Fires Affect Air Quality." British Columbia: The Best Place on Earth. KTLA, n.d. Web. <http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/topics/forest-fires-air-quality.html>. 

"Image" <http://www.examiner.com/wildfire-in-national/firefighters-make-progress-on-station-fire>.

"Report: Number of Firefighters Reduced Before Station Fire." KTLA: 02 10 2009. Web. 23 Nov 2010. <http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-angeles-fire,0,4969494,full.story>.

"Sudden Downpour Triggers Mudslides in Burn Areas." KTLA 5. KTLA, 13 11 2009. Web. 23 Nov 2010. <http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-la-canada-mudslide,0,3855382.story>.

Lab 6

The area I selected is called the Idaho Primitive Area.  I was looking for some interesting slope contours and it led me to the backcountry of Idaho.  This area is interesting in the fact that it is not well-known yet is surrounded by many national forests like Challis National Forest or Bitterroot National Forest to name a couple.

 A shaded relief model of the area using a color-ramped DEM layered
above a hillshade model

A slope map of your location

An aspect map of your location

A 3D image of your location

Lab 5

 

Map projections are a mathematical transformation of our 3D world onto a two-dimensional plane. Once on a 2-dimensional surface, you can observe the world on a flat, easily-transportable surface such as paper, which offers a lot of potential for specific analyses. Different types of map projections have different advantages. The Mercator projection, for example, is great for navigation because it preserves angles and directional relationships. While a projection may have undesirable distortions, the projection may be an excellent choice for large scale maps that provide a lot of detail. From this point of view, distortions are necessary to observe certain features of the earth in more detail.

The greatest potential in map projection lies in computer displays. Having the capability of projecting maps on a computer makes it possible to develop programs such as ArcGIS that are great tools for analyzing the Earth’s surface. ArcGIS and other similar software play large roles in informed decision-making. Computer capability in analyzing the earth also simplifies and quickens calculations and complicated analysis. In this lab, we were able to measure the distance using any unit we selected such as degree-minutes and miles, and the value was available with two-clicks of the mouse. This process saves the trouble of having to measure distance on a globe finding a bendy ruler then eye-balling and estimating the final value. This is only one example of a basic calculation that is facilitated through the usage of map projection.

Transforming a three-dimensional object onto a two-dimensional surface introduces certain distortions that can be a downfall of map projection as well. These distortions come in the form of shape, area, distance, or direction and are definite perils when it comes to not relaying incorrect or misleading information. It is important to understand and become familiar with how reality is distorted in order to increase geographic awareness and map appreciation.

The images above are examples of different map projection types that fall into three families: conformal, equal area, and equal distant map projections. The first 2 projections, Mercator and stereographic are conformal maps, which means they preserve the oriented angles between lines and curves. This map is used by sailors and pilots to navigate.  In preserving this detail, other details become distorted such as distance and size. On the Mercator graph, for example, the distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul, Afghanistan is measured to be 10,000 miles while the actual distance measured on a 3D graph is 7,000 miles. In this case, the distance has been stretched out. The equal area and equal distance map projections similarly preserves one detail while other details are distorted. Equal area projections preserve area and equal distance projections preserve distance.

Lab 4

ArcGIS is a software that helps us understand spatial relationships by providing a set of tools that captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that are linked to locations.  Locations can be accurately marked using a combination of points, lines, and areas. Even though running through the tutorial the first time was unfamiliar and slow, the software is easy to pick up. Once you know how to upload information into the software, apply different layers on the map, integrate information from two sources, and tweak the display of the map, you are able to start creating basic map presentations.

Another great potential in ArcGIS is that the analysis of the information assembled can help with informed decision-making. This is why, ArcGIS is useful in many fields including cartography, remote sensing, land surveying, public utility management, natural resource management, precision agriculture, photogrammetry, geography, urban planning, emergency management, navigation, and aerial video just to name a few. An example of informed decision-making is provided in our lab where we mapped the noise contour that would be generated by the proposed airport expansion. This could help the county residents make an informed decision on where the airport should expand.  Another example of  a practical use for GIS was shown in the documentary we watched in class during 5th week where the environmentalists and the lumber companies were able to come to a compromise using the information shown to them by GIS.

While all these potentials make ArcGIS a very attractive software, it’s important to recognize the pitfalls as well. Firstly, when working on an ArcGIS project, it is almost necessary to work on one computer station throughout the duration of the project. Otherwise, the data inputted into the project would have to be saved on a flash drive. If the data is not moved along with the ArcGIS project, only the layout will show up but no changes can be made to the data. For the purpose of the tutorial, that is simple because there isn’t that much information. However, ArcGIS projects usually contain a lot of information that would require a large memory space in addition to a long upload and downloading period, making data transfer tedious and inefficient.

Another inconvenience is that ArcGIS is a costly software. In order to take advantage of all of the GIS features, you need time to learn how to use all the tools, which is difficult when the software isn’t easily available. Due to the price, the only people who have access to the software are those who work for a company or academic institution, who have already purchased the software.  Ironically, the professional aspect that makes this software so attractive is also one of its pitfalls. Since ArcGIS is a professional software, becoming proficient at this software is difficult without a specialized course to teach the intricacies of the program.