Applications in GIS

I chose to base my project on liquefaction on the effects it had on wetland ecosystems. I went into this project questioning the damage that would follow any seismic event and the economic impact that would have on local populations but came out with an entirely new interest. With 90 liquefaction sites in this area, 16 intersected with wetlands. The primary wetland type intersected was Freshwater Forested/Shrub lands while of the 2 types of liquefaction, the dominant in intercepted was crater filled.  The data really didn't display any correlation between the liquefaction and wetland location/prevalence. It did raise a potential future research project though: "Could it be possible that crater filled areas provide suitable land for wetland growth? I spoke to my professor in Wetland Ecology & Management and while he said there's never been a study done on that idea, it could make sense, since wetlands need broken up soil to properly function and therefore a ...

Our first project in GIS Apps was to design a mini-project for Geomorphology, specifically in relation to streams. For this project, I wanted to focus on water retention in an urban environment and the effects it could have on the local ecosystem. Being in Auburn, AL, it was most convenient to use data for this location since it was in a proximity that I could go and physically observe. This turned out well since it's quite difficult determining a cities elevation throughout the city, particularly a relatively flat one like Auburn (the city on the plains). I used GIS to determine what I believe to be an optimal location for a new site for permeable pavers. Permeable pavers are a form of roadway that allows water to permeate through into holding cells until it can properly infiltrate into the ground. The Area of Interest (AoI) was selected to be the crossing of W Magnolia Ave and Thomas St. Ponding frequently occurs here, although it was much worse before they added extra stor...