Geography 462 Lab Assignment Overview and Schedule
Last Updated: 10/22/09
Note: This is a living document. It provides up-to-date information as of the date listed above.
This document provides an overview of the lab assignments associated with Geography 462 Coastal Geographic Information Systems. This document highlights the hands-on portion of the course, summarizing the knowledge skills and analysis abilities to be developed as part of each lab. By reviewing this document, students will gain a reasonable idea of the overall flow of activities as they form an idea of is and isn’t possible in GIS - particularly from a raster data model perspective. More specifically, providing these directives, students will gain a sense of what they might want to plan for and think about regarding final project ideas. Remember that we cannot introduce all capabilities at once, and thus the learning process builds upon itself as we move through the course.
|
Lab Num |
Lab Materials |
Section |
Start Date |
Due Date |
Points |
|
1 |
Spatial Data Foundations |
AA/AB |
9/30 |
10/12 |
20 |
|
2 |
Attribute Operations and Queries |
AA/AB |
10/12 |
10/19 |
20 |
|
3 |
Distance and Overlay |
AA/AB |
10/19 |
10/26 |
25 |
|
4 |
Surfaces |
AA/AB |
10/26 |
11/2 |
25 |
|
5 |
Neighborhood Operations |
AA/AB |
11/2 |
11/9 |
30 |
|
MIDTERM EXAM November 4 |
|||||
|
6 |
Flow Operations and Surfaces (extra credit Part 4 Movement on Water – 10 points) |
AA/AB |
11/9 |
11/23 |
30 |
|
7 |
Final Project |
AA/AB |
|
|
50 |
|
|
a. Scoping Document |
|
10/19 |
11/6 in section |
10 |
|
|
b. Presentation |
|
10/19 |
12/7 & 8 in section |
10 |
|
|
c. Final Report |
|
10/19 |
12/11 in exam |
30 |
Lab Assignment 1: Spatial Data Foundations (answer sheet)
The main purpose of this lab is to gain orientation within the ArcGIS software as well as some of the data that is commonly used in GIS mapping projects and data with possible Coastal Zone Management applications. Particular tools, toolbars, and extensions are introduced in simple terms for orientation purposes as well. For the layers and data features that are dealt with, the ideas of reference systems are introduced and applied. This lab offers a chance to begin working with the ArcGIS environment, as well as to begin understanding possible limitations that may exist within the software system. Becoming familiar or aware of limitations form assignment to assignment will help in the selection of ideas for final projects.
Lab Assignment 2: Attribute Operations and Queries (answer sheet)
This exercise turns toward the marine side of shorezones and, where attribute query and edits to attribute tables are used to adjust spatial data for exploration and assessment. Vector and raster examples are presented to show some of the utility inherent in these data structures. You will utilize attribute tables, attribute query and operations as the operational content here. The adjustment of attributes to serve specific analysis needs is almost always a necessity whenever handling spatial data. In this lab you will be using Boolean logic (yes or no) queries to identify features that meet requirements of interest. You will also perform calculations on attributes and derivation of new attributes on selected records to change levels of measurement and produce new information. The learning objectives of this lab are:
Lab Assignment 3: Distance and Overlay (answer sheet)
This lab assignment makes use of distance and overlay operations for GIS. These operations are among the fundamental origins of spatial analysis. You will compute distances with the raster data structure as the main learning objective. You will also use overlay to analyze distance relationships in specific zones. Both help us understand relationships contributing to a “vulnerability perspective” about protection of coastal habitats. The learning objectives of this lab are:
Lab Assignment 4: Surfaces (answer sheet)
In this lab assignment, you will work with surfaces. Surfaces are continuous “fields” of data values, used to represent phenomena such as elevation or air temperature that vary smoothly across space. Surfaces extend the spatial data concepts introduced in labs 1, 2 & 3 to support the modeling of dynamic processes. This lab introduces topographic and marine current surfaces, two factors which can be used to model the movement of water and waterborne materials. Learning objectives include:
Lab Assignment 5: Neighborhood Operations (answer sheet)
This lab exercise focuses on neighborhood operations as a way of having you explore the spatial relationships that exist among the spatial objects on a surface. The meaning of the term neighborhood with which you are likely most familiar has to do with where people live and the surrounding buildings and people close by. That same idea exists in surface neighborhoods, but the concept generalizes to “what is located next to what” no matter what the phenomenon of study. Neighbors are important for computing direction and gradient (hence slope), as well as aspect, plus what ever more complex operations use those basic relationships – for example hillshade.
Lab Assignment 6: Flow Operations and Surfaces (answer sheet)
This assignment is about flow over land and through water. Part 1 sets up a
scenario wherein a gasoline tanker truck driver is unable to slow quick enough
to negotiate a highway curve. The truck overturns, and the tank ruptures.
Gasoline spews out onto the ground, becoming a contaminant. The rupture spews
the gasoline in a quick manner, but we will simplify the release by assuming a
molecule rather than a volume release occurs over time. Part 2 has the
contaminant moving from ground to rivers/streams. It is assumed to flow across
the land without being absorbed into the ground, as the texture of the land is
assumed to be “smooth”. Part 3 is when the contaminant moves down
rivers/streams to the mouth of the river in the
Lab Assignment 6 Part 4: Movement on Water (answer sheet)
. In Part 4 the contaminant will move from the mouth of river toward open water and/or shore zone. Movement will be directed by tidal currents.