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*************************************** Natural Hazards GIS for the Commonwealth's 2010 Hazard Mitigation Plan Known for providing post-disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also promotes planning and mitigation activities that reduce vulnerability to future natural disasters. As required under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K), which amends the 1988 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, state and local governments must maintain hazard mitigation plans in order to qualify for the full measure of the available federal hazard mitigation funding. The Commonwealth of Virginia 's Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved in September 2004, and was re-approved in March 2007 as an “enhanced” plan meeting a set of higher standards. DMA2K requires approved mitigation plans to be updated every 3 years for the State and every 5 years for local plans. The Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT) is working with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) to update and expand their Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan. A significant part of the hazard mitigation plan is a Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA), which explains major natural hazards and their impact on jurisdictions and state facilities. This portion of the plan utilizes GIS mapping to depict the hazards and assess vulnerability, but is often limited by data availability. A number of GIS techniques and FEMA modules have been developed to estimate risk and vulnerability to people and property. This presentation will summarize the Commonwealth's HIRA development process, including techniques to assess risk and vulnerability, natural hazard data availability, maintenance, and interaction between state and local plans. -------------------------------------------------------------- A trajectory-based change detection to identify reclaimed coal mines of southwestern Virginia An active area of scientific application in change detection studies concerns the use of spectral trajectories to characterize a continuous change event. It is a form of multitemporal change detection analysis which detects dynamic land cover changes by using a series of images from different years or growing seasons. Change in a reclaimed mined landscape occurs as a progressive event which can be detected by spectral trajectory analysis. This research utilizes a multitemporal stack of Landsat images from 1984 to 2005 to investigate the location and extent of the surface coal mines through time. The central premise is that a disturbance event like mining has a unique temporal pattern of land cover change, which can serve as the diagnostic of the event. Surface mining involves rapid removal of vegetation and exposure of underlying geologic material, followed by reclamation efforts, resulting in establishment of self sustaining and propagating vegetation. These sequential changes are reflected in the temporal progression of spectral values of the land cover features, or the spectral trajectories. Trajectories constructed from vegetation index values show the drastic drop due to mining and gradual increase during the restoration phase. This overall pattern is being used for a rapid and unbiased detection of surface coal mines, active in the last twenty one years. ----------------------------------------------------------- Open Source GIS and Its Local Utility The accessibility and global reach of the internet has facilitated new ways of collecting and disseminating geodata. In a wiki style approach to mapping, OpenStreetMap has been rapidly gaining popularity and participation. Much of the existing geodata in the world is either not offered for public consumption or has legal and/or technical restrictions on its use. OpenStreetMap (OSM) provides a means for world wide contribution geographic data while also providing it freely to consumers. It also allows for the collection of data that has not been previously captured. The purpose of my project is to show the utility in utilizing OSM to create a local web map with a specific theme. My effort is to create a web map using an open source mapping application programming interface (API), called OpenLayers, to display layers provided by the OSM project. The theme of the map is the cycling environment of Blacksburg , VA. I am contributing cycling related geodata to OSM by uploading public domain GIS data provided by the town of Blacksburg and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as GPS data. I am incorporating other types of data such as proposed routes devised by the Montgomery County Planning Department, and a Blacksburg bikeability layer. By utilizing OSM and other open source web mapping tools, a locally targeted map can be created that is more comprehensive and accessible. A web map of Blacksburg that combines these cycling related data layers can be a useful resource for cyclists as well as local planners. ---------------------------------------------------- A Global Approach To Disease Prevention: Predicting High Risk Areas For West Nile Infection In The US First identified in 1937, West Nile (WN) virus has affected birds, equine, and humans throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe . Its 1999 appearance in New York shows the ability of the virus to cross barriers and travel great distances emerging into new territories previously free of infection. Spreading much faster than expected, WN virus has infected thousands of birds, equine, and humans throughout the conterminous United States (US). Case and serological studies performed in the Eastern hemisphere prior to 1999 offer detailed descriptions of endemic and epidemic locations in regards to geography, land cover, land use, population, climate, and weather patterns. Based on the severity of WN activity within each study area, the patterns associated with these environmental factors allow for the identification of values associated with different levels of risk. From the analyses of these data, we can model the landscape of the disease within the US and identify areas of high risk for infection. State and county public health officials can use this model as a decision making tool to allocate funding for disease prevention and control. Dynamic factors associated with increased transmission, such as above average temperature and precipitation, can be closely monitored and measures of prevention can be implemented when necessary. In turn, detailed information from higher resolution analyses can be documented to an online GIS (Geographic Information System) that would contribute to a global collaboration on outbreaks and prevention of disease. ------------------------------------------------------ X3D-Earth: New Developments in GeoSpatial Standards and Services Web services and the distributed applications they enable are changing Extensible 3D (X3D) is the International Standards Organization (ISO) ------------------------------------------------------------- 3D Blacksburg Collaborative While 3D city models continue to proliferate, interoperability among the various producers and users of virtual city models remains a challenge. To help address this challenge, the 3D Blacksburg collaborative was formed as an open, multidisciplinary group working to enhance the cooperation and organization of 3D spatial data infrastructures on the Virginia Tech campus and Town of Blacksburg . Among the greatest motivations for developing a 3D city model are safety and security applications, including disaster management, situational awareness, and accessibility. Planning and asset management tools are desired to extend the current 2D work flow to add predevelopment plans into a 3D modeling environment to assess the impact. As a virtual campus and town guide, a 3D model is useful for tourism and providing information for regional development and conservation. In the context of neogeography, a virtual model puts a place 'on the map'. Modeling and analysis applications will be demonstrated along with highlights from student and faculty activities, including a comparison of several data sources for terrain and feature heights, a historical 3D project, X3D, Google Earth and SketchUp applications, visual security analysis, and 3D base mapping. Participatory and community-based approaches along with training and recommendations for best practices are planned for the continued growth and interoperability of the 3D Blacksburg collaborative. ------------------------------------------------- If you require additional information about the conference, feel free
to contact Seth Peery ========================================================= OGIS pages are maintained by Bruce Obenhaus |
