P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting Engineers incorporates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software services

with new and existing clients.

Presentation by Stephanie R. Fulcher, P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting EngineersSeptember 6, 2013

A Geographic Information System (GIS) includes:

Software HardwareDataPersonnelMethods

More about our GIS:

We use ESRi’s ArcMap

® 10.2 for Desktop, the world’s most popular desktop mapping and GIS software.

WHAT IS GIS?

What makes GIS unique from most mapping applications:

The ability to manipulate spatial data by its associated non-spatial data.

Fundamental operations a GIS can perform:

Capture and create data

Store dataQuery dataAnalyze dataDisplay and

present data

GIS at P. Joseph Lehman, Inc.:

Thematic MappingGIS Data Creation and

conversionProximity, overlay,

temporal, or statistical analysis of spatial data

Map production with a variety of base maps, layouts, scales, custom graphics, and themes for presentation use

USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATIONSYSTEMS (GIS)

GIS and Thematic Mapping

What is thematic mapping?

Themat ic mapping is a v isual representat ion of non-spat ia l at t r ibute data (what) and i ts assoc iated spat ia l data (where) . Some examples of themat ic maps are populat ion dens i ty , income by county, cr ime rates , or ra infa l l . At t r ibute data can be suppl ied (g ive us your data) , acquired (e i ther f ree or purchased), or created. This data can then be loaded into a GIS. Data is manipulated to d isp lay your des ired theme ei ther quant i tat ively or categor ica l ly.

You can dec ide how you want your informat ion to be d isp layed to best serve your needs for your pro ject , report , or presentat ion. Two examples of themat ic maps are d isp layed on the r ight . The fi rst d isp lays Female Head of Household, the second, Male Head of Household. Both maps were generated us ing the 2010 Census Data avai lable for f ree through Census.gov. Var ious other demographic data is avai lable through the United States Census, ready for GIS use. A l though these maps are d isp layed by census t racts , data can be generated for d iff erent geographic levels (county, s tate, school d is t r ic t , etc . ) .

This is a categorical thematic map showing gas and oil wells in northern Centre County, 2013. Data for this map was acquired for free from PASDA, Pennsylvania’s geospatial data clearinghouse. The data shown here can be used for further spatial analysis…

This map was produced by eliminating any orphan or plugged wells, focusing only on active or future well sites. A 2,500 foot buffer was applied to each well, and that land area was eliminated as well as any other piece of land less than one acre in size. The result is the blue area shown. This data can be overlaid with other data such as land use or roads data for further analysis.

This map, Slope of Northwestern Blair County, was made from a 10 meter Digital Elevation Model (DEM), available from PASDA. Slope was calculated from this data, and the result is a quantitative thematic map showing slope in degrees. Slope can also be shown as percent rise. Both slope and aspect (right) are part of the Spatial Analyst extension from ArcGIS.

Aspect of Northwestern Blair County was also derived from the same 10 meter DEM. Aspect, which is the direction a slope faces, can be shown in degrees or direction. Aspect is important when sunlight and light duration is a factor in a project. Both maps and data can be used for further analysis, overlaid with other data, or used in conjunction with a base map for reference.

Conversion from CAD…

CAD drawing files can be converted for use in ArcMap. After referencing drawings to real-world locations, base maps can be added for display and analysis.

The above map shows monitoring well locations, with their associated groundwater levels, measured on August 5, 2013. After creating a well layer and importing the data into ArcMap, contour lines were created to help determine the direction of groundwater flow. This information is useful for tracking soil contaminant movement.

Our GIS software, ArcGIS for Desktop, is great for making location maps. Show exactly what you want, at the scale you need, highlighting only the features you want noticed. Online resources are also available for the most up-to-date base maps such as imagery, topographic, and street maps. Logos and personalized graphics can be added for a professional appearance.

Other samples of GIS-produced maps:

This is a project location map, shown with a locator map. A topographic base map was used, supplied through ESRI’s ArcGIS software.

This map shows information about water resources, which can be useful in the permitting phase of a project. Although the base imagery is from ArcGIS, the data is from PASDA.

The above map uses data from ArcGIS Online, a service available with the software. Online data is current and reliable through ArcGIS. An inset map shows zoomed-in imagery of the project location.

Data for this soil map was supplied by the USDA NRCS in 2008 and downloaded from PASDA. An extent map shows the area the main map covers.

Data Normalization can also be used when producing thematic maps. Normalizing data is best demonstrated by population-related data. The map on the left shows vacant homes per state. The map on the right shows vacant homes per state, divided by each state’s population. This gives a more realistic representation of the theme, since there would be more vacant homes in a state where there are many more people.

Data Normalization

This presentation previews only a small part of what GIS software can do. GIS can be applied to almost any type of business trying to ‘solve’ or display a spatial idea. From demographics to network analysis, GIS is a great way to convey patterns and messages in a customized way.

All map images in this presentation were produced by Stephanie Fulcher, P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting Engineers, using ESRI’s ArcGIS for Desktop . Maps are intended for demonstration purposes only. All map images in this presentation were produced by Stephanie Fulcher, P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting Engineers, using ESRI’s ArcGIS for Desktop . Maps are intended for demonstration purposes only.