Earthquakes - There's more than just Shaking

This will be the first of several posts for our GIS Applications class. Our first few weeks will be on  on Natural Disasters.  Earthquakes is our first topic.    The first map is of NewMadrid.   It's an usual series of quakes in the middle of the US.   We concentrated on the vulnerable RailRoads.

The next three maps are a study of the Northridge, California quake in 1994.
We looked at the geology underneath the quake and surrounding area.
We compared the Velocity and Acceleration of the ground area based on recording stations data. Then we studied the aftershocks.

Lastly, we are to include the Process Summary describing our steps to the end.

Process:  Part I -

1)      Made copy of original NewMadrid.mxd  as ORG_NewMadrid.mxd before any analysis undertaken. 

2)      Viewing largest earthquakes on map- Identify 4:  SC-1886; AK- 1811 & MI- 1812 (2).

3)      Examining urban areas- Memphis, Tennessee could be wiped off map sitting in MMI zones IX & X, then St.Louis, Missouri in Zone VIII would sustain substantial damages.

4)      Set up “intersect” for urban areas in NewMadrid layer. 91 cities identified. In Urban Areas layer created summarized table: S:\...\EqHuman\NewMadrid\NewMadrid.mdb as UrbanRisk. Summary on selected records only.

5)      Calculated population density of the counties by ad ding field to layer (type Double)>Pop_Density (field highlighted)> field calculator > expression [POP2001]/[Shape_Area]  equates to  “based on population of 2001 census” per area of county   X number of persons per sq meter (linear unit).  Field was populated.

6)      Estimated population In the MMI zones: arctoolbox>analysis tools>overlay>intersect used layers ‘counties’ and NewMadrid MMi- output in NewMadrid.mdb/County_MMI (added as Data layer file)

7)      Created population summary table in county MMI zones. In County_MMI layer created new field POP2001ADJ- (with type-long integer)  field calculator – [pop_densisty]*[shape_area]     then on same field created summary table in NewMadrid.mdb called PopMMI.  Table shows MMI zone, counties in each zone and total population in each zone. Using stats on the sum field total affected people (60,088,587).

8)      Created graph of Population in MMI zones.  Used graph wizard.  (in TOC-create graph)

9)      Step 7. Identified vulnerable interstates. Using NewMadridMMI layer, added field MMI-num (type short integer) In edit mode, populated field showing numbers for each MMI roman numeral zone.  Made separate layer for zones 8-10 to use for clipping. (MMI_8to10).

10)  Clipped interstates to MMI_8to10.   Clipped railroads zone 10, created new layer- Railrisk.

11)  Step 9. Used layer MMI_8to10 to select by location all dams completely within it. Made new layer Dams_risk.  Saved this new map as Earthqk_1lab_NewMadrid.mxd. 

12)  In Catalog cleaned up file directory deleting unnecessary layers.

13)  New layers created & kept: County_MMI; MMI_8to10; Dams_Risk; 1stRD_risk; RailRisk

14)  Polished assignment with final jpeg map.  S:\GISApps\....\MyData\Earthqk_1lab_NewMadrid.mxd.

                                                                                                                                          

Part 2 Summary- Building Damage, Northridge

1)      Opened Map Northridge1.mxd, made copy of original to work with.  In building status layer, set up properties for unsafe & limited entry as suggested.   Created new layer  in main map for only unsafe & limited entry.  Source for GCS same- Nad 1927 UTM Zone 11N, Transverse Mercator projection, GCS   North American 1927, Clark 1866 spheroid Changed colors to RED for unsafe and lavender for limited entry.  Too many other layers in map had yellow base colors which made viewing structures too confusing.

2)      Using spatial analysis>Kernel Density>input building status (red/yellow only)> output DmgPat_REDYEL>search radius 5000>popfield none>outputcell 100; created damage analysis of buildings. Saved this new layer as …Eqhuman\MyData\DmgPat_REDYEL.lyr (renamed to building damage density)

3)      Created new layer: Building Damage Centerline, using the building damage density centers as baseline.  Named bldDmgLINE.shp, coupled it with Major Faults as source for comparison analysis.

4)       When creating my map, I saw the need to highlight the quaternary geological layer. Through select by attributes, I created a new shapefile layer in the Northridge file (GeoQuat.shp).

5)      Finally visuals clicked & created maps for delivery.

Part 4- Process Summary- Distribution of Aftershocks, Base Map-Northridge3.mxd

11)      Created graph of Aftershocks, showing number per day and number of days after main shock.  Saved graph as Noh3AFTMaxSH.shp (It showed 11949 aftershocks up to 522 days after main one). 

22)      The Main shock was already a feature on the map with its own attribute table.

33)      Created separate layer with aftershocks magnitude >=3.0, saved shapefile as Quakes>3.

Exported as new layer to map.

44)      Saved new map as FinalNRidge3_AftSHK.mxd to give it clearer definition in map directory.  Prepared output as a final map for delivery.

55)      Realized after completing Part 4 that I had page 3 of Part III in my instructions. 

66)      Performed a kernel density on the aftershocks used>cellsize 100>search 3000> sqkm; saved file as AftSHK_DEN.   Showed aftershocks were not near the main shock. Makes one wonder if a new fault was developing when we put the PGA & PGV together.

77)      Put graphs on separate new map to import them as jpegs to dropbox. Main summary table was saved as Noh3AFTMaxSUM. 

Part 3- Process Summary

1)                  After realizing I had pages mixed up, I was able to get started. Imported NorthridgeAfter.csv.  Changed projection (but not clear as to why). Did not have warning box. Created shapefile as needed.

2)                  Already had main shock on my map.  Created new shapefile Quakes>3. Went into properties, quantities>classification>manual for new labels 4, 5 & 6.

3)                  Made map of aftershocks saved as FinalNRidge3_AftSHK.jpeg.

C# -It's a programming thing not a Note on my keyboard

 
These days a computer programming language can be named nearly anything. Since we are learning python, I chose to find a separate programming program to learn about.    I found  C # (pronounced "sea sharp") which was named after the piano note when it's original name "COOL" didn't take so well by its creator Microsoft.  This object oriented program was created by Anders Hejlsberg between 1990-2000 when Sun a competitor of Microsoft challenged some of Java's platforms.  It was officially ISO approved in 2006.

C# will become more popular as Microsoft depreciates their support of Visual Basic.  ArcGIS has announced it will no longer support Visual Basic after 10.0.  The properties of C#'s general purpose language allow it to naturally replace the VB platform.  However, it is not a standalone program like python.  It must work as a symbiotic partner with the .NET platform that is highly supported by Microsoft and ArcGIS.    C# is not for the novice nor for any beginner thus it's use by the functionally literate GIS participant will be minimum.

Through my research, I was not able to clearly identify what C# actually does for ArcGIS.  I learned that it more of a performance thing that helps with visuals.   From all the hub hub, C# is a program that one loves or hates.

The article from ArcGIS on the depreciation of their various platforms was helpful.

http://downloads2.esri.com/support/TechArticles/ArcGIS_931_and__10_Deprecation_Plan.pdf.

Generally searching C# was not particularly helpful either because being so new to programming it was difficult to decipher what I was looking for.   The best information can be found on http//about.com (articles by David Bolton). 

Now We add Programming to our List

Summer semester has now begun.  Programming will be our next Learning Adventure.  I'll quickly date myself and say that when I bought my first computer, it was an NEC, top of the line in 1991.  It came with "Basic dos" as its operating language.  The manual itself was large enough to use as a doorstop (which I did use on occasion as one in my office. (that office was in an old house with character)). 


Even then, I wanted to know why I was using "x" command.  I'd like to learn the " Why?, How come nots? and Whens?" on the programming.  I truly hope I do not need to be a math wizard because it's been more than a few years since I've done more than balance my checkbook.  As to figuring out what extra I'd like to be sure to learn in the class, it's too new to know. 

Small City Applies GIS in Airport Site Search

The City of Griffin, Georgia has had a small municipal airport for many years.  When they needed to explore the expansion of the current airport location, they turned to their in-house GIS department.  GIS was able to conduct a full blown Urban and Regional Planning investigation for the City.   By applying GIS techniques in conjunction with the requirements of the FAA to the present site, GIS was able to visually display to the City Commissioners and public the inadequacies of the current location.  Additionally, GIS was able to take the perimeters required by FAA and search within Spalding County to locate a viable alternative potential Airport site.

I have watched this City scenario unfold from its beginnings over the last four years.  The application of GIS has enabled this small town of 23,643 to visualize the economic, social and environmental impacts of enlarging an existing facility without making expensive mistakes.  They are using GIS to see the potentials and pitfalls of moving the airport within the county boundaries.  It has been a rewarding experience to speak with Jeff Smith in GIS and to see their products come alive as viable living “documents” used in the City decisions.   I look forward to learning solid skills which can be used toward the improving the quality of life and economic standing of small communities.

Here are a couple of maps GIS prepared for the September, 2011 public meeting.   (These came from a pdf document which did not allow a copy. Pictures were created with screenshots through paint).    

Source:    http://www.spaldingcounty.com/pdf/PHOH_Handout_Package_9-16-2011.pdf (Retrieved May 15, 2012).   Census Data:   U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts.

GIS Application (Government)> industry (Urban and Regional Planning> Issue (Airport- keep or move).

Proposed Alternative location

 Existing Airport

Size Matters? Cart Final Project

Its hard to believe this is the final post for the first semester of GIS.   Our Cartography final project combines several skills to produce a "newspaper type" map of stats for the 2009 SAT scores across the United States.    I took this one to heart & put all I could into it.   Attempting to finish it in Adobe Illustrator showed some inexperience fine tuning it with the Illustrator program. The efforts were top notch.