Week 6

The map below shows the best places to live in Alachua County, according to the couple's specifications. Each specification had an equal weight in the top map. The bottom map was unequally weighted. Distance from UF and the hospital were both weighted at 40% and median house value and age were weighted at 10% each. The orange outlined census tracts are the best places to live according to the specifications. The unequally weighted specifications allow the best areas to live to be closer to the couple's jobs. Descreasing the weight of age and median home value makes the best areas to live closer to the school and hospital. This will allow the couple to avoid traffic, like they wanted.

The map below shows each of the couple's specifications for finding a house. I did not have any problems with this lab. It was fun and interesting.

Week 5 Impact Assessments

This map shows a Social Impact Assessment. This map shows where most of the students in the area live.

The map below shows the results of an Ennvironmental Impact Assesment. The map shows how the construction of a new building will increase traffic flow in the area.

Participation - Week 4

GIS plays an important role in disaster relief and response. It can be used to map areas that have been damaged after a natural disaster. Disaster relief aid, such as FEMA, can respond to these areas first. This will help save money because aid will be sent only to areas in critical need of help. Clean up is another major issue after natural disasters. GIS can be used to show what areas have the most damage. It can show what streets are passable and what buildings are destroyed. GIS can even help prevent damage from occurring. Models can predict what will occur if a hurricane, for example, came through the area.
Although the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is not a natural disaster, GIS can be used in the disaster response. GIS analysis can show organizations, such as Waterkeepers and the EPA, what coastal areas and animal species are most vulnerable to the oil spill. The analysis will allow the organizations to respond to the most vulnerable areas first. GIS can also help responders decide where to place boom. The boom can be placed so that the most vulnerable coastal areas can be protected.

Oil Spill Week

The map below shows the coastal land types that will be most affected by the oil spill. The most vulnerable land types are all located within the estuary. Luckily, the beach is the least sensitive to the oil since it will be the hardest hit. Properly placed booms can protect the more sensitive lands inland.

The map below shows the booms that are in place and the ones that are proposed, but not in place. It also shows the management areas which are all managed by the state.

The map below shows the animals that will be affected by oil. SOme species in the list are not native to the area but were in the attribute table, so I included them anyway. There were no mammals in the area that will be affected, according to the data.

This assignment was agonizingly long and difficult!

Hurricane Week

Below is a map of coastal Mississippi counties that were affected by hurricane Katrina. The map shows where flooding occured and the infrastructure that was affected. All hospitals located in the area were affected by flooding. Many churches as well as highways and railroads were also affected by flooding.

Below is a map of coastal Mississippi counties that were affected by hurricane Katrina. This map shows the hydrography, bathymetry, and elevation of the area.