Microclimate

Introduction

 This exercise was to collect the data for our previously created micro-climate geodatabase. To collect this data we used Trimble Juno GPS units. This data is for the domains that are in the geodatabase. The data features were temperature, wind direction and azimuth, wind speed, snow depth, relative humidity, and time. Some groups took notes. The class was separated into groups of two and were sent to separate areas of campus. My group, Lee and I, were sent to upper campus.

Study Area

Our study area was upper campus, mainly around the dorms closest to the campus hill. We began with some points behind the McPhee Strength and Performance Center, made our way down the sidewalk near Murray Hall, then crossed the street to Tower’s courtyard, to in front of Towers, to the flagpole in the middle of upper campus, the backyard of Horan, and then finished around Governors. The deepest snow depth was farthest from the sidewalks and mostly in the backyards of the dorms.

Figure 1: This shows our study area of upper campus at UW-Eau Claire

Methods

Before using the GPS unit to go out and collect data we had to set up our project in ArcGIS. There were a few steps that had to be taken to make sure that our data would be exported properly into Arc. The first two steps were pretty basic and were to edit symbology and add a raster image the GIS.

Next is to add the ArcPad Data Manager Toolbar. This toolbar is used so that we could get data from ArcPad which is a program on the GPS. For this toolbar to work the ArcPad Data Manager extension had to be turned on. To do this go to Customize > Extensions and check the box “ArcPad Data Manager”. Once this is done we move onto the next step.

Figure 2: This shows our ArcPad toolbar and extension on how to get it to work. The #1 is the toolbar and #2 is the extension

On the ArcPad Data Manager Toolbar click the first icon, Get Data for ArcPad. This opens up a wizard which will begin the process for our data collection. At the first screen click Next. The next screen is the Select Data screen. Here click Action and choose Checkout all Geodatabase layers only. This will select all of our domains for data collection. Click Next. The next screen is Select Output Options. For this we wanted to store the output options in our Microclimate folder > Checkinout_username (for me it was fabianev) > micro_fabianev. After this the next screen was Select Deployment Options and there the “Create the ArcPad data on this computer now” was selected. Finish. The deployment was then successful.

Connect the GPS to the computer. The information is transferred to the GPS. To do this the checkinout folder was pasted in the SD card of the GPS

Figure 3: This shows the second window. Here is where we selected "Action"

Figure 4: The process on where the ArcPad data was saved.

After all this technical work we went outside. As stated earlier our study area was upper campus. To collect our points we opened ArcPad on the GPS and navigated to our document that was just created. The map popped up and from there points were collected. The points that were collected were our domain types that were created earlier and also mentioned earlier. We walked around upper campus collecting points from various locations; near McPhee and around the dorms. One has to enter all the information manually into ArcPad. To collect our data we used a special tool which found, temperature, dew point, relative humidity, and wind speed.

After all these points were collected we went back to the lab. To get our data from the GPS to the GIS we copied and pasted the folder from the SD card. Now, we go back to the ArcPad Data Manager Toolbar and select ‘Get Data From ArcPad”. Here the green plus symbol was selected and our data was added. Click check in and all the data will be added to ArcMap.

Results

The whole class’ data was stored into a geodatabase called “classmicro” A classmate merged all the shapefiles together to combine all the data. A series of maps were made to show what information is out there.

Figure 5: Snow depth in centimeters around campus

Figure 6: Wind speed in mph around campus

Discussion

For some reason some of the points ended up outside of campus and very far away at the equator. I attribute this to a GPS error as it was acting up and not cooperating. From what I understand there were others that were having issues. But, to overcome these technical issues is very important.

Conclusion

This exercise was useful and showed that even within a small area there are many changes and climates. It was very useful to learn how to use ArcPad and is something that will come in very handy in the future.

UAS Field Day

The weather was nice enough for once for class to meet outside. 3/10/2014 was a perfect clear day for a Wisconsin winter so this was a perfect opportunity to showcase multiple UAS components. These were a rotocopter, a kite, and a rocket. The rotocopter was created by UWEC physics student Max Lee with input by Professor Joe Hupy. All these were fitted with cameras to capture images. The rotocopter is controlled by an operator in a certain area to capture all these images. I showed up late so I was not able to hear all the information on the rotocopter. The kite was used like any other kite except that a camera was placed on the string and sent over 100 feet in the air. The camera was set to take a picture every 5 seconds up to 100 pictures. The kite was a very interesting concept as I have never thought of using a kite in this way. The final component of the field day was a rocket. The rocket created by Professor Joe Hupy was retrofitted with cheap cameras. Sadly, shortly after launch the rocket failed due to an engine being placed incorrectly.

**The following images were taken by classmate Drew Briski as I did not have a camera handy and my phone was dead.**

Figure 1: The UAS rotocopter with 6 wings. Operated by Max Lee. A very interesting UAS

Figure 2: The kite in flight with a camera that took images every 5 seconds

Figure 3: The rocket before its ill fate.

Geodatabase and Domain Creation

Introduction

                A geodatabase is a great tool to use for creating and maintaining map documents in ArcGIS. In the future we will be making a microclimate map of the University’s campus. Features of this map will be collected from the field and stored in the geodatabase. In the geodatabase are feature classes which are were all the separate features are stored i.e., temperature, notes, wind, and snow depth. The geodatabase is an easy and efficient way to store information due to rules that exist to allow for less errors and more accurate information.

Part 1: Class Work

                In class we laid out the essentials for creating and using domains. Domains are associated with field types and allow only certain types of attributes to go into a field type. When creating a field the type of data that it uses is associated with the domain. In the domain there are numerous types of data that can be used. The ones that were suggest for class are short and long integer, float, and text. These field types all have different attributes to them short and long integer, and float all have to do with numerical values. Short integer uses numbers that are in a range from -32, 768 to 32, 767, long integer ranges from -2,147,483, 648 to 2,147,483,647, and float allows for decimals places. Text entails exactly what it states, the use of text. When it comes down to it short integer is recommended over long because of storage usage. In a domain a range of can be set which eliminates errors. For example, if the range is from 1-10 a value of 11 cannot be entered or even more so relevant a value of 80, which can happen because of an accidental finger movement. The domain will pick up this error and not allow for completion of the field.

                For this exercise we were given a set of fields to use. These fields are to be used in the microclimate map that will be made in the future. These fields were group number, notes. Relative humidity, snow depth, temperature, dew point, time, win azimuth, wind direction, and wind speed. As one could discover most of these are numerical values and use short integer. These features will be collected in the field using ArcPad which is an ArcGIS extension that is used to store data in respected feature classes. This data is stored according to its domain. For example, snow depth has a short integer field type which means that it cannot be entered as a text type or there will be an error.

Part 2: Geodatabase and domain creation

                To create a geodatabase the first step is to open a new document in ArcMap or ArcCatalog, both will work. Once that is done navigate to the folder you wish to locate the geodatabase in. Right click the folder, choose new, file geodatabase, and name it something that relates to your study interest. For this exercise I named my geodatabase mc_fabianev.

Figure1: Creation of a Fiel Geodatabase in ArcMap

The next step is to create your domains. Right click your newly created geodatabase and select Properties, in the Database Properties window click the Domains tab. Here is where the Domain Names and Description is set. A certain domain name would be Temp and its description would be something along the lines of, “Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit”. Under the Domain Name table is Domain Properties. Here is where our rules come in. For the classes the recommended Field Types are Short Integer, Float, and Text. This is also where the range is set if the Domain Type is a Range Domain. The other Domain Type is Coded Values which are commonly used with Text Domains. When finished hit apply to create all the Domains

Figure 2: Creation of Domains in Arc. Domains are the field attributes used to create Feature Classes

After the creation of Domains the process of creating a Feature Class is started. Right click the geodatabase, select New and then Feature Class. A window called New Feature Class will pop up here you name your Feature Class. Name it something appropriate, mine is micro_fabian_prj. Then select the type of feature. Common features are point, line, and polygon. For the purpose of the exercise point was chosen. Click next which will lead to the coordinate system selection. For this exercise NAD 1983 UTM Zone 15N fits well because of the location of the field exercise. Click Next. XY Tolerance is unchanged. Click Next. Default database storage remains unchanged, use the default option. Click Next. We are finally out our field creation step. In the Field Name column enter the fields that are to be created. In the Data Type column next to it is where our Domains come in. Selecting the field type will relate it to the Domain Type. Fill out all the appropriate fields and the completion of the feature class is complete when Finish is clicked.

Figure 3: Creation of Feature Classes in Arc

To import the Raster base image into the geodatabase right click the geodatabase > Import > Raster Datasets > Folder where Raster is located > Add.

Figure 4: Importing a Raster Image to a Geodatabase

Conclusion

       The creation of geodatabase and domains helps the collection and application method of field and GIS much easier. By having domains errors are eliminated allowing for a smoother process when data entry begins. 

Exercise 5 Navigation Maps

Figure 1: Showing UTM zones of the world. Wisconsin is located in zones 15 and 16.
Source: http://www.xmswiki.com/xms/images/8/88/UTM_world_no_Image_Map.jpg

Introduction

                Being able to use other means to navigate besides a GPS come in handy for obvious reasons. Using a compass and map for navigation may be considered archaic to some but it is a very useful skill. In the event that technology fails using a map and compass could be the only resources available. This exercise was an introduction to navigating using non-technological means. Two maps were created for an area in Eau Claire owned by the University. This area called the Priory is located 3 miles south of campus. The two maps were to be using a UTM grid and a decimal degree grid. The maps were to be made using features accessed in ArcMap and given by Professor Hupy. These maps were made using practical methods and features.

Projection and Coordinates

                The main projection used was the Universal Transverse Mercator projection or UTM. UTM divides the earth into 60 different zones. Wisconsin is located in zones 15 and 16. Using this projection yields accurate results when mapping in this area.

Methods

                The task was to create maps and choose what was to be included in the maps. Some of these choices were a pair of contour lines, a DEM, aerial images, boundaries, a topographic map, and labels for elevation. The choices that were made were to be based on the effectiveness of the features.

                Before all these maps were to be made a geodatabase was to be created in Arc. To do this one has to navigate to a personalized folder. This process can be done in either ArcMap or ArcCatalog and is very easy. In a personalized folder right click the folder, hover over new, and select File Geodatabase. In this File Geodatabase all data that is selected will be saved. This can be done by exporting or going through a process like projecting in ArcMap. For the first image I chose boundaries, 5 meter contours, and an aerial image of southeastern Eau Claire. I set the bottom layer in Arc as the aerial image as the others would be visible placed above the image. The 5 meter contours show a change in elevation in 5 meter intervals. I chose these features because they are not complicated to read and get the message across that at these intervals is an elevation change. The grid for the first map was to be in decimal degrees. To do this select layers in the table of contents, properties, the grids tab, and graticule. Choosing intervals is a matter of discretion. Decimal degrees shows the longitude and latitude that a section is located at.

                

Figure 2: This a map of the Priory and surrounding area. The gird units are in decimal degrees.

                For the second map I again chose the southeastern quadrant of Eau Claire but I placed that under a DEM of the area. The DEM or digital elevation model is like a visual continuous layer of contour lines. The DEM shows the elevations as different shades. These shades range from a dark red to a green. The dark red shows a higher elevation and the green shows a lower. A yellow color would be a mid-elevation. I chose this method because it is legible to read and shows an important aspect of the land. One can look at it as the slope gradient of the land. For this UTM 50 meter intervals were used. The 50 meter intervals show how far away in meters an area is from the Equator and Prime Meridian.

Figure 3: The second map of the Priory and surrounding area. Grid units are in  UTM 50 Meter Intervals. Used is a DEM

Discussion

                This exercise presented some problems as choosing what features to include was difficult. There are many different aspects that go into this process but just because one person understands the visualization does not mean that others will. Working out the kinks for the grid and formatting proved to be difficult. This exercise was hard to get a grasp of because of the relative ambiguity of it. It is difficult to explain to someone in words how this process was done and explaining with visuals and a face to face conversation feels to me to be easier.

Conclusion

                Creating maps for navigation and being able to use these maps is a skill that seems to be dying out, but is very useful. Making a map that is not cluttered and complicated is all about discretion. What to put on a map to make it admirable takes sometime but in the end works out well. These maps will be looked at again for future use in other exercises and it should be interesting to see how that works out.