LA County Station Fire 2009

Report on Risk Areas of 2009 Los Angeles County Station Fire

Assignment: Create a brief report that analyzes or describes one aspect of the Station Fire in LA County in August/September 2009. Such aspects include (but are not restricted to), for instance, the spread of the fire, potential areas at risk of debris flows, communities at risk, or a fuel map.

     This report will focus on the relationship between highways and the areas at risk during the 2009 Los Angeles County station fire in Angeles National Forest. I hypothesize that highways prevent the spread of fire. The experiment will use ArcGIS to create a mash-up of the fire perimeters and highways in the region.
     The Station fire was a large disaster which caused a lot of damage. Almost $100 million was spent battling the fire, and $12 million to repair damaged structures. (NOAA) Out of the 20 largest fires in California, the Station fire is number 10. The fire destroyed more than 160,000 acres of national forest and destroyed 209 structures. (Cal Fire) Dr. Stephens, a professor at UC Berkeley, attributed the cause of the fire to dry brush that accumulated for over 40 years. Firefighters tried to deal with this problem by digging trenches and clearing brush near communities. (New York Times) Highways in the Angeles National Park are a break in the fuel for the fire. Asphalt is non-flammable and there is a large gap between one side of the highway and the other.
     The DEM model of the fire perimeters confirms that the topography of the region is very hilly. This inaccessible region hindered fire-fighting operations. (USDA) In combination with the dry vegetation, this is an optimal scenario for a large fire. The Fire Department had not anticipated that and missed an opportunity to contain the fire. (LA Times) The thematic map of the region shows the fire concentrated mostly in the preserved area of the park. The fire began in an area near the highway and expanded the furthest away from the highway. Only a part of the largest fire perimeter crosses the highway. This proves that the highway helped significantly in keeping the fire back.
     This is not to say that urbanization completely prevented the spread of fire. The Station Fire came dangerously close to homes and destroyed a number of structures. This occurred even when the fire department was well staffed. In emergencies, the LA County Fire Department can recruit 6 more crews to help contain a fire. (Fire.lacounty.gov) Rather, it was the dry brush that caused the fire to spread rapidly. Highways can not be used as the only source to predict the path of the fire.
     To summarize, highways did prevent the Station Fire from spreading to the south-east direction by breaking up the vegetation, separating the fuel from the fire. According to my maps, the fire extended at most 3 miles on the other side of the highway, while it spread more than five miles in the other direction.

Works Cited

"20 Largest California Wild Fires." California Department of Forest and Fire Protection, 28 Sept. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/20LACRES.pdf>.

Archibold, Randal C., and Maria Newman. "California Fire Is Pushed Back." New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2011. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/us/03fires.html?adxnnl=1>.

"Fire Camps." Los Angeles County Fire Department. Los Angeles County. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://fire.lacounty.gov/AirWildland/AirWildlandFireCamps.asp>.

Pringle, Paul. "Station Fire's Strength Was Miscalculated." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 27 Sept. 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. <http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/27/local/me-fire27>.

"State of the Climate Wildfires Annual 2009." NCDC: * National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) *. NOAA, 8 Jan. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/fire/2009/13>.

"Station Fire Initial Attack Review." USDA. Forest Service, 13 Nov. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2009/releases/11/station-report-11-13-2009.pdf>.

Census 2000/2010

Week 8 Write Up

     The map of the Asian population shows the concentration of Asian populations in the US. One can infer that the majority of Asians in the US live in California or the New England area. This could be due to a variety of factors. Asians began immigrating to the US in the 1800's. There was a massive immigration of Chinese immigrants to the California during the Gold Rush era. This has led to the development of several concentrated communities, the best example being San Francisco's Chinatown. Many Asian immigrants also came during the tech boom of the 1990's and settled in the Silicon Valley, evident in the map.
     The map of the Native American population shows the concentration of Native American people in the US. One can see that the population is concentrated in the Dakotas, Montana, Utah, and New Mexico. This is also due to a historic event. When America was officially founded, the European settlers often fought and ruined the Native Americans with their diseases and advanced weapons. Finally, President Jackson ordered his infamous "Trail of Tears" eviction of Native Americans to poorly settled areas of the Midwest. The survivors remain in those areas today, clearly shown in the map.
     The map of the African American population in the US shows a large concentration of the population in the American South. This is a clear indicator of early American history. The Northern US (New England and States bordering Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana) did not import as many slaves as the Southern US. The South had large plantations that required a lot of labor, which the African slaves supplied. After emancipation, the majority of African Americans were too poor to leave the South, where they remain today.
     These maps describe historical patterns that are relevant today. Traditionally, the South has been seen as economically unequal with larger gaps between rich and poor compared to the rest of the US. Consequently, the majority of African Americans live there. Likewise, the Native American population has not left the place where President Jackson ordered them to go. They inhabit parts of the US that would seem uninhabitable by many Americans. This could lead into a discussion of why minorities remain impoverished despite efforts to balance the system. GIS is an amazing tool in this example. It highlights important patterns that are not immediately noticed by looking at a chart or text. It is easily understandable and is becoming easier and more accessible. GIS is truly changing the way society views and interprets data.

DEMs in ArcGIS

Spatial Reference: GCS North American Datum of 1983

A one paragraph description of the area you selected and the extent information (in decimal degrees), as well as the information about the geographic coordinate system:

     This map describes the topography of an area near Jacksonville, Florida. The geographic coordinate system used in the map is taken from the North American Datum of 1983. The topography of the region itself is more level than mountainous. This makes sense because Florida has a wetland climate, which is characteristic to areas at sea-level. I find it very interesting that at least 4 maps are needed to describe the topography of the region. This is due to map abstraction and exclusion of important data.

Extent Coordinates
North: 28.62769 degrees
West: -81.48482 degrees
South: 28.42422 degrees
East: -81.27167 degrees

Shaded Relief Map

Slope Map

Aspect Map

3D Rendering of Region

Lab 5: Projections in ArcGIS

Write Up: Projections in ArcGIS

Write four paragraphs about the significance of map projections. Be sure to reference your six maps as examples.

     Each map projection has its own purpose. Some give accurate depictions of area or shape. Other projections give accurate distances between points.If used properly, map projections can elucidate geographic relationships. At the same time, a map projection used incorrectly will give misleading data that can greatly skew lab data.

     Perhaps the best example of map distortion is the Mercator distortion. Along the equator, the map is relatively accurate in its shapes and size of land masses. However, continents like North America that stretch from North to South are particularly distorted. This could lead to inaccurate assumptions, such as extrapolating that North America is larger than Africa. In reality, Africa is much larger by 2,243,000 square miles. (enchantedlearning.com) Rather than using only one projection, an individual must use several projections to answer geographic questions. 

     I encountered map distortion in the lab when I measured the distance between Washington DC, USA and Kabul, Afghanistan. According to Google Earth, the distance is close to 6956.6 miles. The Fuller projection underestimated this distance at 6363.79 miles. The Stereographic projection overestimated this distance at 9878.04 miles. The Azithumal, Flat Polar Quartic, and Sinusoidal projections estimated, on average, 8212.34 miles. The Equidistant Planar projection, as per its name, was closest to the accepted value with an estimate of 6972.48 miles. Clearly, the correct projection must be used in finding data. An equidistant projection should be used to find distances.

     If an individual uses the proper map projection for his data then he will avoid misleading calculations. Each map must be used for its specific purpose and nothing else. In the lab scenario, I should have used the equidistant map to determine the distance between DC and Kabul. The other maps were meant for different purposes and should have been ignored. 

Sources:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/continents/Land.shtml

Lab 4: Proposed Airport Expansion

Write a four paragraph review of your ArcMap experience that discusses the potential and pitfalls of GIS:

GIS has significantly developed as a technology from Dr. Snow's study on cholera patterns. Today, anyone with an internet-enabled laptop can access and use it easily and quickly. Programs that use GIS can better explain the world around us but one must understand that data can also be misleading.

One such program is ArcGIS, sold by ESRI mapping software. Unlike Google Maps, ArcGIS requires basic training to use. In my own experience, I found the software useful in noticing hidden patterns. The goal of the tutorial I followed was to see which land parcels would be affected by the increased noise of an airport expansion. By highlighting only the data needed, I noticed that several parcels, including a school, would be affected by the expansion. ArcGIS is instrumental in this respect to relate seemingly dissimilar data.

However, GIS does have its pitfalls. The final product did not visually look similar to the example in the tutorial. The size of the Schools and Noise Contour map did not match the tutorial's, and the subsequent maps also had the same error. These visual mistakes could lead to misinterpretation. The noise contour seems smaller than it actually is because the map has a smaller scale than the tutorial's. Clearly, one must understand these pitfalls when designing or reading these maps.

GIS is an invaluable asset to society in how it visually represents patterns in data. Such software magnifies patterns in data that are normally missed. An individual must understand its benefits and pitfalls when he uses such software.

Lab 3: Neogeography

Assignment: A commentary (two paragraph minimum) about the pitfalls, potential and consequences of neogeography.


     As the Economist ebulliently describes, neogeography gives an individual the ability to use GIS from his or her own personal computer. With so many people using GIS software, there are endless opportunities for technological improvement. Used properly, advancements in neogeography will transform how people use technology to understand the world around them. 

     There is a potential for improvement in how geographic information is shared through applications that implement neogeography. Any individual can create his or her own map with its own attributes and share it with the public. This practice has spawned web applications such as SCVNGR. In addition, anyone can correct that map and add their own information and bias to the map. As time goes on, the map is edited to be more comprehensive and useful for a large group of people.

     Despite the advantages this new technology provides, there are pitfalls that any map user must know and understand. One can use the example of the AT&T lawsuit against Verizon's "There's a Map for That" advertisements. AT&T claims that the map used in the advertisement is misleading. A viewer may believe that AT&T only offers service in limited areas and none in most of the US. Actually, AT&T has stated that it offers service in most of the continental US. What the map showed was 3G network coverage and ignored 2G network coverage. An individual must be careful to identify bias in maps developed through neogeography.

     Neogeography offers a number of beneficial and harmful consequences to map users. Any individual with a internet-enabled computer has access to a wealth of information with this new technology. Anyone can also edit an old map or create a new map. Data can be more accurate and would reflect the needs of most of the population. However, there is no way to evaluate accuracy or authority. Consequently, many of these maps may then have biased or incorrect data. An individual must be able to evaluate the accuracy of these maps and compare several versions to avoid incorrect or biased data.




Link to the Map

Lab 2: USGS Topographic Maps

1. The Beverly Hills Quadrangle
2. Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice, Inglewood
3. (?) 1966 or 1929
4. Several Datums were used to make the Map: NAD 27 and NAD 83
5. 1:24000
6.
a 1200 m
b 1.89393 mi.
c 2.64 in.
d 12.5 cm
7. 20 feet
8.
a N 34 degrees 3' 45'' W 118 degrees 33' 40" ; N 34.0625 W 118.561
b N 34 degrees 0' 27" W 118 degrees 29' 59" ; N 34.0045 W 118.4997
c N 34 degrees 7' 13" W 118 degrees 25' 10" ; N 34.120 W 118.419
9.
a 560 ft; 170.688 m
b 140 ft; 42.672 m
c 600 ft; 182.88 m
10. Zone 11
11. 3763000 Northings and 362000 Eastings
12.1000000 m^2
13.
Points 5 and 6 are on UCLA

14. 14 degrees
15. South
16.