Lab #8: Mapping the Station Fire in ArcGIS

In exploring the geography of California one can tell that wildfires play an important role here in Southern California. In August/September 2009 Los Angeles County Residents played witness to the Station Fire, a fire of unprecedented magnitude here in Los Angeles County. The Station Fire started on August 26th, 2009 and was 100 percent contained by 7 p.m. on October 16th, 2009 (CAL FIRE). The Station Fire burned a total of 160,577 acres and claimed the lives of two firefighters who were battling the blaze. The Station Fire is considered the largest fire in Los Angeles County and the 10th largest fire in the state of California.

During the summer of 2009 I remember the thick smoke that filled the air. I was able to see the flames from my house and many of my friends who lived in La Cañada were evacuated as their homes were threatened by the fire. Looking at the mountains I could see trails of orange and red creeping up and down the mountain. From my job which is located on the west side I could see the giant mushroom cloud of smoke fill the air. The picture below is one of a bicycle ride with friends in Marina Del Rey, behind you can see the smoke that the Station Fire created.

Furthermore, in researching the Station Fire one is able to use the powerful tools that ArcGIS has to offer and thus produce powerful maps that can tell us lots of information about our surroundings. In this project I decided to create a Digital Elevation Map (DEM) using data from Seamless Server. In this first map I show a shaded relief model which represents the spread of the fire from August 29th (pink) to August 30th (yellow) to September 1st (red).  From this map we can see how far the fire spread in a matter of a few days. Using the attribute table found on ArcMap I was able to see the total amount of acres burned on each day. On August 29th a total of 5205.42 acres were burned, on the 30th 100276.91 acres were burned, and on September first a total of 125230.74 acres were burned. The fire continued to burn up until October 16th thus resulting in the rest of the 35, 347 acres that were burned resulting in a total of 160,577 acres burned. 

In creating this DEM I then chose to create both slope and aspect maps which can be seen below. By using slope and aspect as forms of spatial analysis I was able to learn a lot about the spread of the Station Fire. I was able to learn that slope and aspect are very useful to firefighters as they are topological factors that are calculated to help determine fire risk and behavior. Slope is the ratio of rise over run and it can be defined in terms of percentages as seen in the slope map below. Slopes can range from slight to steep but the influence that slope has on wildfires is of substantial importance. The steeper the slope the faster a fire moves uphill. When fire moves uphill flames become closer to the fuel source (vegetation) and the heat caused from radiation increases the dehydration and preheats the vegetation. This in turn leads to a faster ignition of flames than fires that occur on level ground or areas with slight slopes (Idaho State University). In the slope map that I created below the black outline represents the Station Fire as of September 2, 2009. The Station Fire occurred in the Angeles National Forest, an area with steep and extremely rugged terrain. The steep slope of the area helped in the spread of the Station Fire. In the map the areas of steep slope are represented in colors of red, yellow and orange. Thus, we can tell that the fire occurred in an area with slopes ranging from 40.1 percent to that of a 100 percent slope. Furthermore, with time the fire also spread to the outermost edge of this outline, an area with a steep slope as defined by the red coloring on the map.

Secondly, in using the tools of ArcGIS I also created an aspect map. Aspect is the direction that the slope faces (north, south, east and west) (Idaho State University). Aspect helps determine the effect of solar heating, air temperature and moisture. In California, south facing slopes receive more solar heating which in turn results in lower humidity, rapid moisture loss and lighter fuels such as grasses. In the aspect map below one can see that the Station Fire occurred in an area that had a south facing slope. The outline of the Station Fire as of 9/2/09 details a south facing slope as seen in the legend. The primary directions of slope in the Station Fire were those of southeast (green), south (light blue), southwest (blue), and west (dark blue). 

Thus, the south facing slope helped lead to an area with rugged and steep terrain but also an area with stronger fuel sources other than grasses. In looking at the map below we can see the spread of the fire from 8/29/09 to 8/30/09 to 9/1/09.  Solely looking at August 29th we can see that in the lower corner the main types of vegetation in the area were those of grasses, brush, and dormant brush which are all considered "light fuel" sources. Thus, it can be inferred that the station fire, a fire that was caused by arson, started in an area covered in light fuel sources such as grass. These light fuel sources helped feed the fire into areas with steeper slopes and higher burning fuel sources. Using ArcMap this was seen as I zoomed into the map so that I could see the primary vegetation types surrounding the outline of the fire on August 29th. When I zoomed in, the primary color was that of green which represents grass and pine/grass. This information is further backed up by the point that south facing slopes have lighter fuel sources. However, it must be noted that as the fire spread and grew it was growing because it was reaching areas of higher slope that were filled with higher fuel sources such as tall chaparral and mixed conifer forest. Thus, the Station Fire truly was a forest fire as the vegetation that gave the most fuel to the fire was that of trees living in Angeles National Forest. 

From "Surface Fuel Types in Los Angeles County #2" we can see the different vegetation types burned during the Station Fire as shown by the black outline. This data was obtained from the Fire and Resource Assessment Program's (FRAP) website in which a shapefile of fuel model classes (FBPS) found in Los Angeles County. The fuel model classes were classified by vegetation types based on Hal Anderson's "Aids for Determining Fuel Models for Estimating Fire Behavior" (April 1982) published by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.  The primary source of fuel for the Station Fire was that of tall chaparral forest which is represented in a mustard brown color. The second most popular fuel type was a combination of mixed conifer light and mixed conifer medium which are represented by shades of purple and pink in the map below. These types of fire create vast amounts of plant litter that helps fuel fires. Plant litter can be defined as any of the debris found on the floor such as pine needles, leaves, twigs and any other dead plant material that has fallen to the ground. These types of fuel help allow the fire to reach aerial fuel sources above such as trees. Other types of vegetation that fueled the Station Fire include those of hardwood/lodgewood pine, brush, and pine. Had the Station Fire not been contained the surrounding areas that it would have burned include areas heavily covered in brush and grass-areas that were very close to residential neighborhoods such as La Cañada Flintridge, La Cresenta, Sunland, Tujunga, Littlerock and Acton. 

Lastly, in researching the Station Fire I was interested in seeing the proximity and distribution of fire stations to the actual fire. The Station Fire was a forest fire of great magnitude that required the help of firefighters located from all over the United States. Firefighters who fought the Station Fire included those from Los Angeles County, LA City, United States Forest Service and a multitude of other agencies. As an employee of the Los Angeles County Fire Department I personally understand the importance of inter-agency assistance. Without the help from other agencies the Station Fire would not have been contained. Thus, the teamwork and coordination between the different agencies battling the Station Fire was extremely important in containing the blaze.

In the maps above we can see the distribution of fire stations within Los Angeles County. The fire stations are represented by blue dots and these fire stations solely represent the Los Angeles County Fire Stations. I was able to obtain this data from the Los Angeles County Fire Department's website in which they list the addresses of all of their fire stations. I then took the address of each fire station and inputed it into Google Earth. From Google Earth I was then able to obtain the latitude and longitude of each LA County fire station in arc, minute, seconds. The arc, minute, seconds were then converted into decimal degrees. The decimal degree latitudes and longitudes were then imported into an Excel spreadsheet in which I later used to create a DBF file, something that I learned how to do during lab #7. With the DBF file I was able to create a point layer that showed the fire stations in LA County. In making this map I was able to see the distribution of fire stations within Los Angeles County and their proximity to the Station Fire. From this map we can tell that there are no LA County Fire stations occurring in the Angeles National Forest. From this one can assume that if fire stations were present in Angeles National Forest it would lead to quicker response times and quite possibly could have reduced the spread and devastation that the Station Fire brought to Los Angeles County residents. 

All in all, I was able to learn how powerful and useful of a tool ArcGIS can be in terms of fire fighting in addition to the other labs we did in class such as Census data analysis. I am completely impressed by the functionality and importance that GIS has in today's world in a field that is constantly growing. With the growth and new knowledge that GIS has to offer one can only being to imagine the possibilities that are out there.

Works Cited

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

CAL FIRE

http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=377 (Station Fire Incident Report)

FRAP (Fire and Resource Assessment Program)

http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/webdata/maps/statewide/fvegwhr13b_map.pdf (Land Cover Map)

http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/data/frapgisdata/download.asp?rec=fmod (Fuel Rank Maps and Data)

http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/data/fire_data/fuels/fuelsfr.html (Fuel Rank Maps and Data)

http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/data/fire_data/fuels/fuels_table1.htm (Fuel Model Classes)

Idaho State University, Department of Geosciences

Geospatial Training and Analysis Cooperative: Wildland Fires. "Topography." "Fire Regimes." "Fuels." "Fuel Characteristics." "Fuel Loading." <http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/wildfire/> Accessed 5 June 2011. 

Google Earth

Los Angeles County Fire Department

http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/20LACRES.pdf (Chart on California's 20 Largest Wildland Fires)

County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office. "Wildland Fires: Automated Early Detection and Rapid All-Weather 24 Hour Response." May 2010. <http://qpc.co.la.ca.us/cms1_145920.pdf> Accessed 9 June 2011. 

Los Angeles County GIS Data Portal

<http://egis3.lacounty.gov>

UCLA GIS Data Archive

http://gis.ats.ucla.edu

USGS Seamless Data Warehouse

Lab #7: Census 2000/2010

In this lab we are able to connect US Census 2000 data to that of GIS. In doing this we are able to find and collect data from a secondary source and apply it to GIS. All of the maps represent data that was collected during the US Census in 2000. The data is divided according to the percentage of each race (Asian, Black or Some Other Race) that is concentrated by county. Thus, for the first map the data is divided according to the percentage of Asians living in each county. Through looking at the legend we are able to learn that the areas on the map in light blue represent areas with a low population density of Asians living in the United States. Colors represented in darker shades of blue represent higher percentages of population density. Thus, we are able to learn that there are high concentrations of Asian people living within the state  of California, Washington and in the upper East Coast. The highest percentage of Asians living within a county is that of 46% and it is represented by dark blue on the map. 

In the second map we have the distribution of African Americans living in the United States ranked by percent. Once again we can tell that the areas in light blue represent low population densities whereas areas in darker shades of blue represent higher population densities. From the map we can tell that there is a high concentration of African Americans living in the South in states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama just to name a few. A reason as to why there are high percentages of African Americans in the South might have to do with the history of the slave trade and the plantations that originated in the South. The highest percentage of African Americans concentrated in a single county is that of 86.4% and it is represented by the darkest shade of blue on the map.  

The last map shows us the distribution of "some other race" living in the United States ranked by percent. The light colors represent low population densities and the darker colors represent higher population densities. From the map we can tell that there are high concentrations of "some other race" on the western part of the United States particularly in areas such as California, Texas and Arizona. There is a high percentage of "some other race" as well in Southern California, particularly that of Los Angeles County. The highest percentage of some other race is that of 39% and it is represented by the darkest shade of blue. 

In addition, we can tell that there are large percentages of Asians, African Americans and "Some Other Race" in California, particularly in Los Angeles County. One of the reasons as to why this might be is due to all of the ethnic enclaves situated in Los Angeles as well as to the wonderful melting pot that Los Angeles is!

Lab #6: DEMs in ArcGIS

In this week's lab we are looking at digital elevation models or DEMs. DEMs contain an array of elevation measurements that are usually organized as squares or rectangular grids. DEMs help highlight locations with dramatic elevation changes such as mountains, volcanoes and canyons. 

The area of interest that I selected was that of the Malibu/Ventura area. The map highlights Point Mugu which is a naval base in Ventura County shown in the lower left part of the map. The lower right area of the map features Highway 23, which is also known as Decker Canyon. Inland we have the 101 freeway which passes through agricultural land in Fillmore, Moorpark and Oxnard. Along the coast section of the map runs Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). I chose this area of interest because I have grown up camping and surfing in this area. Thus, I was interested to see what it would look like in a DEM. There are also great hiking trails and canyons as well in this area which represent the changes of elevation present in this area. 

What I found most interesting in this DEM was the contrast in elevation from that of sea level to the Santa Monica Mountains which surround the area. In the shaded relief model the blue color represents low elevation, i.e. sea level and below sea level, and the yellow and red represent increases in elevation. The red represents the Santa Monica Mountains. Furthermore, in the Slope map we see that the slope is very steep and rapidly increases. It goes from being flat (green) to being very steep (red). Lastly, the 3D image of my location helps show the increase in elevation from sea level to that of areas of high elevation, i.e. mountains. The points of highest elevation are represented in dark blue. 

All in all, I found this to be a very interesting lab exercise because Digital Elevation Models can tell us many things. For example, by looking at the elevation of certain areas we can figure out what types of flora and fauna are present in these regions based on the types of elevations that they live in. This is just one of the few things that DEMs can tell us. 

Here is some additional information about my maps:

Extent: 

top: 34.29 degrees, left: -119.15 degrees, right: -118.74 degrees, bottom: 34.03 degrees

Geographic Coordinate System:

GCS North American 1983

Lab #5: Map Projections in ARCGIS

The focus of this week’s lab was that of map projections. A map projection can be defined as “the transformation of coordinate locations from the earth’s curved surface onto flat maps.” Basically map projections are ways in which three-dimensional bodies can be represented on a plane. There are three ways to project the earth onto a developable flat surface based on geometric shape: azimuthal (plane), cylindrical (cylinder) and conical (cone). Without map projections we would not be able to create maps. Maps help us transform the 3D world into a two-dimensional surface.

However, all map projections distort the surface in some fashion, as some properties are lost at the expense of the others. Every distinct map projection distorts each map in a unique way.  Some of the properties that are affected by this distortion include area, shape, direction (angles on the map), bearing, distance and scale. While it preserves some of these qualities others are compromised. By realizing how map projections distort reality an increase geographic awareness and map appreciation can be made.

Of the six map projections in this lab, two are classified as equal area, two are conformal and two are equidistant map projections.  Due to the fact that all projections result in some distortion of the earth, they are classified based on the properties that they maintain. Conformal projections preserve shape and area, equal area projections preserve area and equidistant projections preserve neither shape nor area but rather distance over a short area.

For my equal area maps I chose both the Mollweide and the Hammer-Aitoff projections. In both of these maps the area is preserved. For my equidistant projections I chose a Sinusoidal projection and a Conic projection. Both of these maps help preserve distance over a short area from a standard point or line. This can be seen in the fact that when comparing the two maps the distances from Washington, D.C to that of Kabul, Afghanistan do not differ by that many miles as seen in the other projections. The scale for these two maps is also the same, that of 9,000 miles. The Equidistant Conic Projection provides a “bird’s eye view” of the world resulting in a view from above.  In both of these equidistant projections the shape and area are not preserved and one can witness a sort of stretching. For the conformal projections I chose both a Mercator and a Gall Stereographic Projection. Both of these maps help preserve shape and area but not distance. This can be seen in that fact that the distance from Kabul to Washington D.C. varies the most in these 2 projections.

All in all, map projections are very useful no matter what their distortion. No map is 100% perfect but that does not take away from their usefulness. Depending on what your needs are will help you figure out what map is best for your specific project or needs.   

Lab #4: Introducing ArcMap

In Lab #4 the students of Geography 7 at UCLA were introduced to ArcGIS. In this lab we learned how to use ArcMap and ArcCatalog, both of which are crucial elements to ArcGIS. Our finished product was a full-featured map that had a background, scale bars, title and legend just like most ordinary maps. However, the map that we created was in fact quite unique. Not only did it have these map essentials but it also represented different layers. These layers provide thematic information for forming a GIS map. In addition to forming layers, students also learned how to digitize maps as well as export data, work with attribute tables and add data, and manipulate a road. We have learned all of this in our very first tutorial, which started with the mere basics of how to open ArcMap and ArcCatalog and use the toolbar for simple tasks such as zooming in and out.

In working with GIS we have been exposed to some of the difficulties and pitfalls in working with ArcMap. Let me start off by saying that for someone who is technologically challenged this was quite a difficult lab to overcome. For someone like myself who is not very good with computers this lab proved to be very frustrating and time consuming. With practice it is supposed to get easier and faster but I have a feeling that it will take lots and lots of practice. I think that the most difficult task for me was properly saving my work. Due to the many drives (S, D, F drives) that we are working with it became quite difficult to make sure that my work was saved in the right folder so that I could work on it at a later time. I’m going to be honest; I’m still very confused on how to save my work to the right folder and to copy the files. This was a huge problem for me as I had assumed that I saved all of my work on the flash drive only to return to it not being there. Instead I was greeted by a whole bunch of red exclamation marks. This brings me to the conclusion that GIS is a very difficult field and is geared toward people who are tech savvy. I feel like GIS is not geared toward the everyday person but rather is geared to a specific audience. Yes, the tutorial was straightforward but along the way there are bumps in the road probably due to my unfamiliarity with the program. All of these bumps I took as learning experiences and I’m sure that with time and practice that understanding how to use ArcGIS will hopefully get better.

In addition to the pitfalls of ArcMap within GIS there are also many possibilities. The potential is overwhelming and it is with this potential that GIS has taken unsurpassed importance and popularity within the growing academic world. GIS can be used not only for geography and information technology but it can also be applied to urban planning, public health, environmental work and conservation just to name a few. GIS is also beneficial as it allows students, who previously probably would never have been exposed to this tool, the opportunity to learn a new skill. Knowing GIS and how to use it properly will be a very important skill for people to learn especially in this very competitive job market.  Maps created on ArcMap are unlike normal ordinary maps that we are used to. Rather, they are complex maps composed of different layers that have all been created from different data frames located within the geodatabase. What is also quite important is the expanse of this geodatabase. I found it absolutely amazing! GIS in the right hands is quite a powerful tool if utilized properly. Lastly, another thing that I noticed was that with time steps that had to be repeated became easier. Troubleshooting, and doing the steps over and over again until I got them right also helped in learned how to use basic tools on ArcMap.

All in all, ArcGIS has both pitfalls and great potential. In my opinion the possibilities are endless and outweigh the pitfalls. With the growing field of geography and its large expanse I believe that GIS will become an even more important tool for scholars to utilize. GIS is going and is having a large impact on geography and other disciplines of the like. In addition, with the emergence of neogeography GIS also has great potential. Everyday people and scholars are taking geography into their own hands and are changing the field forever. Currently, GIS is extremely expensive and therefore is only limited to a certain audience. However, with a growing interest in map making as seen on the internet with Google maps and mashups who knows what the future will bring to our society…only time will tell!

Lab #3: Neogeography

View Santa Monica Beach Adventure! in a larger map

This mash-up map is a map that I created of Santa Monica, CA. I tend to spend most of my time during the summer working in Santa Monica and since I am unfamiliar with the area I thought that it would be a good idea to create a map with places that I could visit before or after work. I see Santa Monica as an extremely sustainable and fun city and I would like to get to know it better as a place that I can explore in my free time.


Neogeography

The field of neogeography is an up and coming phenomenon that is changing the face of geography. Neogeography can simply be defined as “new geography” and it is responsible for numerous changes that we see in the field of geography today. Neogeography gives untrained individuals the power to take map-making into their own hands, a concept that when thought about can be potentially dangerous. As quoted in an article about neogeography the author states that " Neogeography is about people using and creating their own maps, on their own terms and by combining elements of an existing toolset. Neogeography is about sharing location information with friends and visitors, helping shape context, and conveying understanding through knowledge of place" (Turner 2). However, as untrained individuals make their own maps it takes away from the power of cartographers and other professional mapmakers. Nonetheless, along with the dangers come many benefits as well.

Positive attributes of neogeography include a new found interest and appreciation for the field of geography. Many people who otherwise would not have engaged in map-making before are now embracing the tools and opportunities that neogeography has to offer. Everyday individuals are creating and sharing their own maps with millions of people around the world. In a sense these individuals have become geographers in their own unique ways. In addition, neogeography has increased the importance and use of maps for the everyday person. Maps are now used not solely for scientific research but for common day activities. For example, whenever I go to an unfamiliar place the first thing that I do is go onto Google maps or MapQuest to get a route so that I won’t get lost. In addition, I might even check out a couple interesting places and things to do in the area so that I can have fun in this new environment. Maps and mashups have provided individuals with the power to see and experience their own mental maps. In a sense it has made their visualization a physical reality.

Despite the advantages and new found potential for neogeography it also presents a very important danger that is worthy of major concern. The most important threat that neogeography poses is a threat to the validity of maps created by professionals. This has thus led to the creation of inaccurate and invalid maps that are sometimes viewed as the “real deal.” Thus, with people obtaining the power to create their own maps it unfortunately causes a serious problem in the academic field of geography. People using these maps for educational purposes must now pay special attention to the source of where they obtained their information. This is very much similar to students who write papers. Just about anything is now provided on the internet and it is important to check the source to make sure if it is from a valid source or not.

However, regardless of the dangers that neogeography offers I believe that the positive aspects of the field outweigh the concerns. Neogeography is still a growing field and it has a lot of room for improvement and proper oversight. I believe that the field of geography will gain importance and awareness with everyday people being given the opportunity of accessing geographic information. Education and awareness about geography will help geography continue and thrive as an academic field. It gives power to academic and non-academic people alike, giving them a small say in a large and growing interdisciniplinary field.

Lab #2: USGS Topographic Maps

1. What is the name of the quadrangle? The name of the quadrangle is the "Beverly Hills, CA Quadrangle."
2. What are the names of the adjacent quadrangles? The names of the adjacent quadrangles are Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice and Inglewood.
3. When was the quadrangle first created? The quadrangle was first created in 1966.
4. What datum was used to create your map? The horizontal datum used to create this map is the North American Datum (NAD) of 1927 and the vertical datum used to create this map is the National Geodetic vertical datum of 1929.
5. What is the scale of the map? The scale of this map is 1:24,000
6. At the above scale, answer the following:
a) 5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to how many meters on the ground? 1/24,000 = 5 cm/x cm = 120,000 cm/1,000 = 1,200 meters
b) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to how many miles on the ground? 1/24,000 = 5 inches/x inches = 120,000 inches/63,360 inches = 1.89 miles
c) one mile on the ground is equivalent to how many inches on the map? 1/24,000 = x miles/1 mile = 0.00004167 miles x 63,360 inches = 2.64 inches
d) three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to how many centimeters on the map? 1/24,000 = x km/3 km = 0.000125 km x 100,000 cm = 12.5 centimeters
7. What is the contour interval on your map? The contour interval on the 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 degrees 4 minutes 26.17 seconds North, 118 degrees 26 minutes 20.75 seconds West or 34.073936 degrees N, 118.4391 degrees W
b) the tip of Santa Monica pier;
34 degrees 0 minutes 31 seconds North, 118 degrees 29 minutes 50.50 seconds West or 34.008611 degrees N, 118.49736 degrees W
c) the Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir;
34 degrees 7 minutes 12.55 seconds North, 118 degrees 24 minutes 37.03 seconds West or 34.120153 degrees N, 118.41028611 degrees W
9. What is the approximate elevation in both feet and meters of:
a) Greystone Mansion (in Greystone Park);
570 feet or 173.736 meters
b) Woodlawn Cemetery;
140 feet or 42.672 meters
c) Crestwood Hills Park;
700 feet or  213.36 meters
10. What is the UTM zone of the map? The UTM zone of the map is Zone 11.
11. What are the UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of your map? The UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of the map are 3763000 northing and 361000 degrees easting. 
12. How many square meters are contained within each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines? Within each cell of the UTM gridline there are 1,000,000 square 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? The magnetic declination of the map is 14 degrees east.
15. In which direction does water flow in the intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and Stone Canyon Reservoir? The water flows south in the intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and the Stone Canyon Reservoir. 
16. Crop out (i.e., cut and paste) UCLA from the map and include it as a graphic on your blog.