Study Area Defined and Geo-Reference problems

I originally tried to scan and use the JPEG image of the study area from the paper by P.White from 1979 to define the study area. I used the geo-referencing toolbar to accomplish this, and I used a hydrology dataset with rivers to line up the image. After choosing several control points and executing the algorithm, I ended up with a geo-referenced image with a high RMS error around the edges where there were no control points to snap too.

In order to create a shapefile that would define the study area, I instead used the lines of Latitude/Longitude in the original paper to create this shapefile in arcmap. Using the "go to X, Y" toolbox, I was able to enter the bounds of the study area to create control points which I snapped my study area polygon shapefile too. This created the shapefile in the screenshot below, with the original study area from which is was derived directly above it.

The lines of longitude that define the study area are: 37(deg)N and 38(deg)30'N
The lines of latitude that define the study area are: 106(deg)30'W and 108(deg)30'W



The next step will be taking all of my data and determining how to best clip to fit the study area. I have now identified the counties that lie in this area which are:

• Rio Grande County
• San Juan County
• Hinsdale County
• Montezuma County
• Conejos County
• Gunnison County
• La Plata County
• Saguache County
• Dolores County
• Mesa County*
• Montrose County
• San Miguel County
• Mineral County
• Archuleta County
• Ouray County

*Mesa County may be excluded due to the fact that only a miniscule portion of the NW study area contains it. I will update this later after I ask Brad about this....

This was determined by doing a "select by location" query using the study area as the base and selecting all counties that intersect. See screenshot below for detailed view of containing counties.



Later this week I will be working on getting as much county level data as possible now that I have identified which counties are contained in the study area. After this data is acquired I will try to clip/mosaic as nessessary to standardize all my data to fit the study area.

Currently 14/90 hours completed as of Feb. 24th, 2009

Hours update and some progress 2/8

Today I have been collecting data from the different places around the web and been organizing them on my local machine. I recently emailed Adrian Jelley about access to the Z: drive which I hope I can get later this week. Once I can obtain that I will begin storing all of my data at that location. But, for the time being it will be kept on my local machine in the Visualization Center.

I have now accumulated a total of 8/90 hours for this independent study.

Project Data Requirements

I have been cataloging the data that I will be collecting and analyzing over the next few weeks. Below is a list of things that need to be collected and stored in the same accessible place.

Remote Sensing Data

• 2.5m SPOT data
• 1m DOQQ's
• Aerial Photography
• Lithology
• Direct solar isolation from SOLARANALYST

Other Data

• 1:24,000 DEM
• Soils data - SSURGO
• Study area map
• Older aerial photos
• Original project map
• Precipitation data
• Vegetation data
  

Note on hours required to fulfull Independent Study

I have been calculating the hours that I will have to put in to fulfill the requirements of this independent study. Since I was instructed to provide 6 hours per week of work, I have calculated the full weeks of school this semester and multiplied by 6 to get the total hours that I will need to have completed by the end of this semester.

Roughly 15 semester weeks x 6 hours per week = 90 total hours

I am currently at: 6/90 total completed work hours.

I will be updating this blog each time I complete hours to track my progress towards the 90 total.