Lab 9: Map Export and GIF Animations

Choropleth GIF and legend:

Graduated Symbols GIF and legend:

Dot Density GIF and legend:

Proportional Maps and legend (No GIF):

Lab 8 - Data Classification

Choropleth Map:
For Indiana and Ohio, there wasn't a major change in the population growth. I kept the natural breaks classification method, and classified the data into four classes. The advantage of using the natural breaks method is that the software automatically identifies real classes and is exceptionally useful for choropleth maps due to true representations of the data.

Graduated Symbols Map:
The symbol I chose for this map were circles. The symbol size ranged from 4 to 18. The benefit of the graduated symbols is that they are based off classed data, so none of the circles exceed the county lines. Another benefit is being able to determine how many classes will be represented, so the circles are easily identifiable per class.

Proportional Symbols Map:
The proportional symbols I chose were circles. There are four symbols in the legend. The only issue with the proportional map is that despite the small county size, some of the symbols are so large that they exceed the boundaries of the counties.

Dot Density Map:
For the dot density map, the dots are at a size 2 due to the differences between the population change for the counties; meaning that there are counties with such high percentages of population change that if I chose the dots to be any larger the map would just look clustered and the counties wouldn't be easily identified. One dot represents a certain amount of people, and the value of the dots change over time.

Color Scheme:
For the choropleth map, I chose a yellow-red color scheme; with red indicating higher percentages for the population change and the yellow representing negative/lower percentages for population change. Red is an extreme color and symbolizes empowerment, which is why I chose that color for the higher percentages of change because it symbolizes more extreme changes for the population.

For the graduated symbol and proportional symbol maps I chose light yellow and light green, with the symbols being black. I chose that background so the symbols stand out against the background. For the dot density map, I chose a white background with black borders around each county and the color ramp for the dots weren't great selections, but I chose dark green dots to stand out against the background.


Overall, I tried manually classifying the data but was having trouble with the numbers due to the variety of negative and positive percentages for each year. I ended up with the natural breaks because the data is truly represented with that classification method (as explained further above).

Lab 7: Joining Data in ArcMap

Below is a jpg image of Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois.

Projection used:
The projection I selected is WGS-1984 coordinate system with a Mercator projection. I chose this because I am not mapping a large region, just a few states. Since it's a small area, I wouldn't have to worry about much distortion; and the counties are very well distributed. The WGS-1984 is a reference coordinate system used by the Global Positioning System. If I will be discussing popular locations in these states, using the WGS will allow people to accurately use their GPS's while visiting the attractions.

Definitions pertaining to this exercise:

• .xls file: Excel file
• select by attributes: making a selection based on certain attributes in a field; allows you to provide a SQL query expression that is used to select features that match the selection criteria
• query: a request to select features or records from a database
• fields (in a table): a column in a table that stores the values for a single attribute
• records (in a table): the rows in a table that stores information for an attribute
• attributes: nonspatial information about a geographic feature in GIS, usually stored in a table and linked to a feature by a unique identifier
• relational database: a database structured to recognize relations among stored items of information
• join function: appending the fields of one table to those of another through an attribute or field common to both tables
• calculate/field calculator: tool that allows you to perform a calculation based on different fields in the attribute table; for example, length, and area can also be calculated. 

*all definitions taken from the ESRI software dictionary

Blog Maps - Lab 6 Exercise

Maps created during this exercise:

This is a map I created in ArcMap for our 6th lab. It shows when certain countries entered the European Union.

The two maps below show farm densities and popualtion by zip codes in the state of Indiana. These maps were also created with ArcMap.

Definitions of terms related to this lab exercise:

• map document: in ArcMap, the file that contains one map, its layout, and its associated layers, tables, charts, and reports. Map documents can be printed or embedded in other documents and have an .mxd extension.
• table of contents: a tabbed list of data frames and layers on a map that shows how the data is symbolized, the source of the data, and whether or not each layer is selectable.
• data frame: a map element that defines a geographic extent, a page extent, a coordinate system, and other display properties for one or more layers in ArcMap. A dataset can be represented in one or more data frames. 
• map layer: a reference to a data source, such as a shapefile, coverage, geodatabase feature class, or raster, that defines how the data should be symbolized on a map. They can also define additional properties, such as which features from the data source are included.
• attribute table: a database or tabular file containing information about a set of geographic features, usually arranged so that each row represents a feature and each column represents one feature attribute.

*all definitions taken from the ESRI software dictionary

Exploring the ESRI website:

While looking at the website, I noticed that there are a variety of industries that use ESRI and ArcGIS to determine a variety of issues. One in particular that I found was: "Italy's government uses a cloud GIS to monitor hazardous materials." (italy monitoring)

Another industry that interests me is conservation. On the ESRI website, I found a link that shows where the top 10 inspiring wildlife habitats exist. ESRI offers a conservation GIS program that is a platform for protecting the natural world.

My views on ArcGIS:

I originally took an Introduction to GIS class in the spring of 2014, when I was still a biology major. Now, in 2017, I am a geography major and am taking a GISII class, to learn more applications and gain the knowledge and experience to use GIS for a variety of issues. At first, I realized how intense and broad GIS is. There are so many tools, shortcuts, and features that it is impossible to memorize how to use and utilize them all. I noticed that practice makes perfect, and the more I use ArcGIS, the easier it seems to be. I love using this program, and it is extremely helpful in a variety of ways for a variety of fields.

Lab 5: Processing Data

What is FIPS?

• A FIPS number is a number given to easily identify a specific state and county. Each state is given their own five digit code; the first two represent the state. The acronym FIPS stands are "Federal Information Processing Series" (it is no longer considered the standard). The FIPS codes are easier to handle in information systems than actual county and state names.
• Sources:
• https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/ansi.html
• http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mirs/public/prods/maps/cnty_fips_def.htm

Processing Data:

I'd like to clarify that I did not panic during this lab while collecting and organizing my data for Indiana and Ohio counties. Acquiring different types of data (PDF, Excel, and text) really helped with this process. I was able to simply copy and paste the information I gathered, and it was not very time consuming! The longest part of the process was organizing all of the data so that the information processing systems will be able to identify it.

If I had to do this for a really big project, I would make sure I have data that I could easily copy and paste into an Excel worksheet that provides the years and the FIPS codes. The process of collecting the data definitely takes a lot of patience and attention. In order to do this, one would need to know how Excel works as well as the Census websites so the research and collecting processes would be simple.

Indiana and Ohio Google Map Mashup

This map mashup was created using Google Earth. It features fifteen locations in Indiana and fifteen locations in Ohio that serve importance in regards to history, culture, and tourism.

IndianaOhioBoretti

My HTML Post

Menu link Menu link Menu link Menu link Menu link

Website Logo Page heading This is a basic two-column web page layout. The left column or the menu column is a narrow band of space (usually between 15-25% of the page width) and is reserved for a menu of hyperlinks leading to other pages on your website. The table used to create this layout employs a single table row containing two table cells. The right column or the content column takes up the lion's share of the web page width and contains the actual content of each particular page. In a basic two column layout like this, it is common to place the website logo at the top of the content column on each page.

(I used html to create this post)