Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

Chapter 1

The first chapter went over the basic concepts of Web GIS and looks at some of the tools available.  I found these instructions to be very clear and found that it showed a good idea of the basics of what Web GIS has to offer.  The pictures shown in these tutorials were very easy to follow and were super helpful by being a guide to make sure that I am in the correct place for the steps.

Chapter 2

This chapter looked more into different types of layers along with the concept of story telling in Web GIS.  This chapter was easy to follow as a lot of it were things I had previously seen throughout the first half of this class (GEOG 291).  I felt as though creating the layers was very similar on Web GIS as it was on the Desktop version (ARCGIS) which was nice as I was familiar with the content.  When it came to tutorial 2-3 I was having some issues with getting it to work as but overall everything else was pretty easy to follow.

An application based on ideas from Chapters 1 & 2 could be looking at the use of mapping to see the specific attributes of the population that is impacted by Delaware being a food desert.

Chapter 7 Notes and Reflection

Focuses on 3D web scenes and how they allow spatial data to be displayed in more immersive and interactive ways. The chapter explains the difference between photorealistic scenes, which use real textures and imagery to mimic the physical world, and cartographic scenes, which represent data using more traditional symbols and styling in a 3D format. The chapter also introduced key scene elements, including surfaces, features, textures, and atmospheric effects. These elements work together to give users a better sense of space, scale, and elevation. I also learned about Lidar, which uses laser-based sensors to collect high-resolution spatial data, shown as point clouds that can represent features like building outlines or terrain elevations. Other technologies introduced included virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR), which are part of the growing shift toward immersive digital environments. The tutorials explained how to build 3D scenes, manage layers, and apply visual settings like lighting and time-of-day to enhance the scene’s appearance.

 

Application Ideas

Based on the concepts from this chapter, one possible use of 3D web scenes could be a zoning and land use map of Delaware County. Parcel data from the Delaware Data Inventory could be used to extrude buildings or land areas by zoning type. With 3D symbols and color-coding, users could quickly understand how land is being used and how it varies across the county. Another possible application would be to use building outlines and elevation data to explore how urban development in the area has changed over time. Combined with time-enabled layers, this could support planning or sustainability efforts by visualizing building growth and land use change in a clear, spatial format.

Chapter 6 Notes and Reflection

Introduced the concept of spatiotemporal data, which refers to data connected to both time and location. I learned that this kind of data is essential for tracking patterns that change over time, such as weather events, traffic, or environmental conditions. The chapter also explained how spatiotemporal data fits into real-time GIS, where live updates from sensors and devices can be used to inform decisions. One term that stood out was the Internet of Things (IoT). It refers to physical objects, like traffic cameras or air quality monitors, that are connected to networks and constantly sending out data. I hadn’t really considered how often we interact with systems like this in daily life. The chapter also introduced ArcGIS Dashboards and time-enabled layers. Dashboards display real-time data in charts, lists, and maps, making it easy to monitor change or activity in one place. I thought it was helpful to learn how different types of spatiotemporal data, like discrete incidents or moving objects, can be visualized in different formats depending on the purpose. Another useful part of the chapter was the breakdown of how to animate time series data. This involves publishing a time-enabled web layer and creating a time slider on a map to show how something changes across specific intervals. I could see how this would be valuable in many fields, especially for things like public health, climate monitoring, or urban growth.

 

Application Ideas

Chapter 6 introduced how time-enabled data can be used to track changes and events across both space and time. Building on this, an application that fits well with these tools would involve creating a time-enabled web map of reported traffic incidents or emergency calls in Delaware County using layers from the Delaware Data Inventory. The goal of this application would be to visualize when and where incidents are happening most often. By enabling a time slider, the map could show how incident patterns shift by time of day, week, or season. A simple dashboard could include real-time charts and filters for types of incidents or location categories, helping users explore patterns quickly. This kind of project would be helpful for identifying areas with high activity and could support local planning or public safety awareness.

Chapter 1&2

Chapter 1 was really kind of an introduction into ArcGIS. Some basic history, what it is used for, and how we can apply it. This is mostly a recap of things I learned in GEOG 291. However, this is help to re-visit. the frame work to Web GIS apps was interesting to read about. I found it interesting about the different way you can set up an app. Chapter two about smart mapping and storytelling was interesting. Introducing map layers was good so that  you can see what the building block of web apps are.

An app idea that think would be interesting to explore would be an app that shows interactive maps that show photos of specific places. In particular I think a map that shows images of the different parks around where I live would be interesting. Seeing as there is not a whole lot of advertising  for the parks around where i live this would be a way people could look at the parks and see if it was something they would be interested.

My name is Hazel Jolliff I am a Junior and I took GEOG 291 before spring break so I have a bit of an idea of how ArcGIS works. I found it interesting to go through the online course and see how ArcGIS online works. I thought it was cool that you can make groups and organizations. I think that it is helpful to be able to share things . it was a good refresher about base maps and operational layers, I had almost forgotten about those.

 

My Searches:

 

#1. My search was “ GIS” and “Crop Damage”

Reference: Lou, W., Ji, Z., Sun, K., & Zhou, J. (2013). Application of remote sensing and GIS for assessing economic loss caused by frost damage to tea plantations. Precision Agriculture, 14(6), 606–620. https://doi-org.owu.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s11119-013-9318-5

 

The article titled  “Application of remote sensing and GIS for assessing economic loss caused by frost damage to tea plantations”  focused on developing  a way to determine economic loss due to spring frost in tea plantations. The map used remote sensing and GIS to form a spatial distribution of temperatures in the given production area.

 

#2. My search was “ GIS Application” and “Archaeology”

 

Reference: Ebert, D. (2004). Applications of Archaeological GIS. Canadian Journal of Archaeology, 28(2), 319–341.

 

The journal was titled “ Applications of Archaeological GIS”. This is an example of a predictive model, the dark circles represent existing sites that were used to base

 

Chapter 7:

This chapter focused on 3D web scenes and what I found interesting was the metaverse. Specifically, the book mentioned Fortnite, a game I love to play as an application of the aspects of the metaverse. As I created the first map scene it started to become illegible even though I was following the steps from the book. Since it was not looking correct I changed a few things around; For tutorial 7.2, I changed km to inches for Pop. Per sq. Mi. to visualize the population data. This may be because the data set referenced in the book may not have been the same as mine or it has been updated since the book’s publication. Tutorial 7.3 posed a bit of a challenge since I was not in the right “‘Red Hills Community Park” luckily I was able to find it once i started to realize! I ran into another problem after finding the park…For some reason the car attribute must be attached to the wrong data or I missed a sizing step when symbolizing. Even though I ran into this problem, this chapter was really fun and I enjoyed making a fun park.

 

Application:

Ohio Wesleyan could gather data of everything on campus to make a public web scene for anyone to access. This could be used by students to find certain buildings or amenities on campus. New students and visitors could use this as an easier way to orient themselves when trying to tour the campus; allowing for a better transition and positive tour experience. Our campus is pretty small but buildings like Sanborn or the soccer field are not directly on campus and with a web scene you can discover all the extra spaces on campus you might not know are there.

Chapter 7 dives into 3D web scenes, and honestly, it was one of the more exciting topics so far. I learned how 3D maps can be either photorealistic (using real textures) or cartographic (more symbolic and map-like), and both have their own strengths. What really stood out to me was how these scenes can make data way more engaging and easier to understand.

The chapter also touched on VR, AR, and XR — I didn’t realize GIS was being used in those spaces too. Indoor mapping in 3D caught my attention, especially thinking about how detailed you can get with campus maps or large buildings.

Some questions I had:

• How well do 3D maps work on mobile?

• Can indoor maps be updated easily if layouts change?

  App Idea:

  I’d like to create a 3D web scene of Ohio Wesleyan’s campus. It could show building heights, walkways, and even textured facades of main buildings. It’d be a great tool for new students or visitors to explore campus virtually and get familiar with the layout.

Chapter 7

3d web scenes! This was a super interesting chapter. I’ve already done some 3d GIS stuff both last year in 291 and also in Remote Sensing this year with Drone2Map. We also learned about the differences between digital elevation models, digital surface models, and digital terrain models in Remote Sensing. The use of feature layers to create 3d objects is a weird way of going about 3d modelling and placement but I suppose this isn’t meant to be an animation software. The different scene types are very interesting. The different use cases for integrated meshes vs point clouds etc. are very interesting.

App Idea

3d web scene of my home neighborhood in Newton MA. Nobody from around here has ever been to my home area so it could be fun to show people.

Chapter 7 introduces and expands on 3d web maps or web scenes. The book explains that 3d maps are much more interactive and intuitive regarding interpretation and analyzation. The authors state that 3d maps are more interesting for users as well, which I definitely agree with. Web scenes include different types of visual effects, such as photorealistic or cartographic. The four main types of scene elements are either surfaces, features, textures, or atmospheric effects. As a layperson who uses maps occasionally, I personally enjoy the texture features of 3d maps as they help me really understand what I am looking at. The book also introduced Lidar, which is an element that uses lasers to show point cloud layers that provide different measurements. These measurements can communicate elevation or class codes.

The book gives a nice in-depth description regarding how to create web scenes on page 238 which will come in handy when I am creating my application for part of the final assignment. The next part of the chapter discusses virtual reality (VR), XR where the X represents any type of current/future computing technologies, and the metaverse. Before reading this, I was already familiar with VR as it became popular within the last couple years and I have tried many VR games before. A metaverse is something I have experience with as well, as I play a good amount of Fortnite which I suppose is considered a metaverse! However, I don’t know much about XR but the book states that it is some sort of combination between AR, MR, and VR. I computed a quick Google search on XR and learned that different types include: retail and online shopping, entertainment and video games, and education.

After reading this chapter, I feel more prepared to complete the second part or second application that I am interested in making for my final project, as well as having a better understanding of 3d web scenes and different types of virtual realities.

Chapter 6

The week 6 chapter and tutorial taught me about spatiotemporal data, and with that it exposed just how horrifyingly easy it is to get live access data from things like traffic/security cameras. I knew intellectually what the “Internet of Things” is but seeing the all the ways it can be put to use with just an hour or so of work is quite frankly terrifying. GIS dashboards are insanely useful for end-user data displays and they seem like a lot of fun to make stuff with.

Application Idea:

An app that tracks your real time progress along a selected route and compares it to previously recorded times like ghost racing in Mario kart.