Lab 4

     In this assignment we got our first exposure to using GIS software. The particular program we were working with was called ArcMap. As always, it takes a while to become familiar with a new program. We started off by using a tutorial to learn the basic functions of the ArcMap program. The tutorial was very well put together and it was easy to follow the directions to reproduce our own map.

     The potentials of GIS are extremely great. Products of GIS software can be used in many different fields. The ability to represent data spatially can be a very powerful and useful tool. Being able to present data in a graphic illustration corresponding to geographic locations can make the data much easier to understand. For example, in this lab we produced several different maps. One of them showed the population density for different areas in the county. We represented population density on the map by assigning different ranges different color. With this map, we can very quickly see what parts of the county are the most densely populated. If we just had a table with the population densities it would be much more difficult to interpret the data and get an idea of the geographic picture.

     Despite its many benefits, GIS may have some pitfalls. GIS software can be very complicated, and it is very easy to make mistakes when producing a map. If the user is inexperienced they can have a very difficult time producing a useful map. Inexperience can also lead to the use producing products that represent the data inaccurately. Another potential pitfall of GIS is that the readers of the map may not interpret the product in the way that the creator intended. The product may have been meant to portray one thing, but the reader may interpret it in a totally different way. That is why when you are producing your map you must be extremely careful to make it as easy to interpret as possible. It is also always a good idea to ask someone else to look at your map and tell you what they think it is saying, just so you know that you are on the right track.

     Overall, my first experience with ArcMap was very good. The tutorial provided good instruction that was not overly complicated. The finished product does a good job of spatially representing the data given and portraying it in an easy to read format. After completing this assignment it is easy to see why GIS is so widely used and how it can be beneficial in so many fields of study.

Lab #3

Lab 2

1.  Beverly Hills Quadrangle
2. The adjacent quadrangles are Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice, Inglewood.
3.  Topography: 1966, Planimetery 1978, Last Revision 1995
4.  Multiple datums were listed on the map; National Vertical Datum of 1929, North American Datum of 1927 (NAD72), and North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83).
5. 1:24,000
6.  
1. a) 1200 meters
2. b) 1.89 miles
3. c) 2.64 inches
4. d) 12.5 centimeters
7.  20 feet
8. 
   
1. a) Latitude: 34 degrees 4'20" (34.07 degrees), Longitude: 118 degrees 26'15" (118.44 degrees)
2. b) Latitude: 34 degrees 0'30" (34.01 degrees), Longitude: 118 degrees 30'0" (118.5 degrees)
3. c) Latitude: 34 degrees 7'50" (34.13 degrees), Longitude: 118 degrees 25'45" (118.43 degrees)
9. 
   
1. a) 560 feet, 171 meters
2. b) 140 feet, 43 meters
3. c) 740 feet, 226 meters
10. UTM Zone 11
11. 361,000 Easting, 3,763,000 Northing
12. 1,000,000 square meters
13. See Image
14. 14 degrees
15. South
16. See Image

Solution to Problem 13

Solution to Problem 16

Single Men vs. Single Women

This is a map produced by Richard Florida showing the amounts of single men and women.  The blue circles indicate that there are more single men while the red circles indicate more single women.  The larger the circle, the larger the difference single men vs women or vice versa.  This is interesting because there seem to be much more single men on the western half of the country and much more single women on the eastern half of the country.

USA National Gas Temperature Map

This the USA National Gas Temperature Map published by GasBuddy.com.  This is a map of the U.S. showing gas price ranges by county.  Each county has a different color that corresponds to a different price range for gas.  This map is very interesting because it shows us that by living in L.A. we are paying some of the highest gas prices in the nation.

USGS Earthquake Map

This is an Earthquake Map of Southern California which was published by the USGS (United States Geological Survey).  The USGS site has a system that keeps live updates of earthquake times, locations and magnitudes. The system maps the earthquakes across the entire U.S..  It is interesting to see how frequently earthquakes occur.  Most earthquakes are too small to be noticed without sensitive equipment, but these maps show that earthquakes occur very often.