Module 7: Choropleth Mapping

The purpose of this assignment was to practice making choropleth maps in both ArcMap and Adobe Illustrator.  Choropleth maps can be used to express standardized values of a phenomenon between several enumeration units; in this case, enumeration units were states (top) and census districts (bottom).  Both of these maps were first made in ArcMap, then edited in Adobe Illustrator.  Exporting files to the .ai file format has continuously caused me problems that are ultimately manifested in the finished map product.  Both maps do, however, show a general trend of population increase in the "Mountain" region of the U.S.

Module 6: Projections (Part 2)

Above is a map of Petroleum Tank Monitoring Sites in Pensacola, FL.  This was generated in ArcMap via data acquired from FGDL and LABINS.  The lab involved utilizing these websites to obtain, define, and reproject data for a single map.

Module 6: Data Classification

The purpose of this week's assignment was to explore the various data classification schemes that are often encountered in ArcMap and to generate maps using this new knowledge.  The top map (above) compares four classifications (Equal Interval, Natural Breaks, Standard Deviation, and Quantile) in terms of  accuracy of representation of the data provided.  Escambia County, FL census district (year 2000) data was used for these cholorpleth maps.  After comparing these maps, I decided that the Natural Breaks classification was the most accurate in representing the data distribution and thus generated the second map, which is simply an expanded version of that above.  The categorical 'breaks' display detail at points in the statistical distribution of the data.  The most important lesson from this assignment is that the same data (in this case demographic data) can be misrepresentative of the true spatial distribution of a phenomenon.

Module 5: Projections (Part 1)

Above are three maps comparing different projection coordinate systems for Florida, USA.  There is noticeable distortion which is exemplified in the discontinuity of county area.  It should be noted that the region represented in the map is bisected by a UTM zone transition (i.e. Florida is in both UTM zone 16 and 17), but the projection uses only one UTM zone (zone 16) as reference.  Similarly, there are three State Plane zones in Florida, but only one is used as reference here. As personal choice, I used the same legend style for each map as if to be actually comparing three side-by-side maps in one document.

Module 5: Spatial Statistics

Above is the frequency distribution of temperatures observed throughout Western Europe.  Data was reported at weather stations (grey dots).  To gain an understanding of spatial statistics and the processes in which to analyze them in ArcMap, a frequency distribution can be used.  Further, such a distribution can be used to locate outliers.  Above there appears to be an outlier on the right-hand side.  Outliers may be censored (removed) or otherwise accounted for during analysis.

Module 4: ArcGIS Online and Map Packages

Above are screenshots of maps that were manipulated in ArGIS 10.2, then shared on ArcGIS Online.  The process of creating and sharing map packages was difficult, mostly because the unfamiliarity with ESRI's website, but the experience of navigating through ArcGIS Online and the online training was useful.  ESRI 's ArcGIC online can be used to find relevant map packages, and share your own maps to colleagues and other users.  Overall, this assignment introduced me to the process of locating and utilizing maps generated by others.

Module 4: Typography

Above is a map of Marathon, FL part of the Florida Keys.  It was created in Adobe illustrator and was made to accentuate the major cities on the island and a few points of interest.  The cities can be easily differentiated from the small islands by text size as well as pin point indicator.  The water bodies are blue font as is usually standard in map making.

Module 3: Map Design

Above is a map of the South Florida Hispanic population by county.  It was generated in Adobe Illustrator from data provided by UWF. As the legend indicates, the most densely populated regions are darker blue and the less dense are lighter blue.  The most challenging aspect of generating this map was creating the color theme.  The process of selecting appropriate colors (i.e. colors that 'worked well' together) was more difficult than expected.  After trouble shooting, I found a relatively useful color scheme using blue.  The blue color ramp may be the most contrasting and easiest to differentiate scheme for a chloropleth map. Overall, the process allowed for me to freely navigate through AI's color toolbar and other options.