Development of a Field Navigation Map - Week 1

Introduction

For this exercise, students will be navigating a local area utilizing two different maps: one utilizing the UTM coordinate system with a grid and the other using the traditional world Geographic Coordinate system using decimal degrees. Along with the two maps, students will use a compass and pace count for navigating. Pace count is knowing how many steps a person takes within a given distance where the common standard is 100 meters.

Methods

Students were provided with access to a geodatabase to work with in the creating of the maps which featured numerous data sets. This material was located in:

• Q:\StudentCoursework\JHupy\Coursedata\336_Geospatialfieldmethods\Geog336_Data

Two maps were to be constructed for this exercise: one containing a UTM grid of at least 50 meter spacing and another with Geographic Coordinates in decimal degrees. The maps need to be 11x17 in landscape format and saved in PDF format and should contain the following elements: 

• North arrow
• Scale bar (meters)
• What the projection is
• What the coordinate system is
• A properly labeled grid
• Background of student's choice
• List of data sources
• Watermark of map creator's name
• Pace count

Grid Map

Layers included in final map:

1. Eau_Claire_West_SE (raster)
2. Slope_grdn452 (slope feature class created from raster grdn45w092_13)
3. Navigationboundary

Steps taken to create map:

1. Project the data frame in NAD 1983 (2011) UTM Zone 15N (Meters) in 'Layers' properties (figure 1)
2. Connect to folder containing Priory geodatabase and my_priory geodatabase (this is where output of tools will be saved)
3. Add Eau_Claire_West_SE, Navigationboundary, and grdn45w092_13
4. Clip grdn45w092_13 to Navigationboundary (figure 2):
• Go to ArcToolbox > Data Management Tools > Raster > Raster Processing > Clip 
• Input Raster: grdn45w092_13
• Output Extent: Navigationboundary
• Output Raster Dataset: grdn45w092_13_Clip
5. Then analyze slope of the output (figure 3):
• Go to ArcToolbox > Spatial Analyst Tools > Surface > Slope
• Input Raster: grdn45w092_13_Clip
• Output Raster: slope_grdnClip
• Output Measurement: Degree
6. Set transparency of slope_grdnClip to 60% (figure 4)
7. Add a grid to the map under 'Layer' properties in the 'Grids' tab (figure 5)
• New Grid
• Measured Grid, hit next
• Enter 40 meters in the X Axis and Y Axis sections
• Finish grid and adjust accordingly

Figure 1: Projection tab example

Figure 2: Clip tool example

Figure 3: Slope tool example

Figure 4: Transparency setting example

Figure 5: Grid tab example

Geographic Coordinate Map

Layers included in final map:

1. Navigationboundary
2. Contour_grdnClip2
3. F1_merged

Steps taken to create map: 

1. Project the data frame in NAD 1983 (2011) State Plane Wisconsin Central (Meters) in 'Layers properties
2. Add Navigationboundary, grdn45w092_13_Clip, F1 and F1_1 to map
3. Create contours of from grdn45w092_13_Clip (figure 6):
• Go to ArcToolbox > Spatial Analyst Tools > Surface > Contour 
• Input Raster: grdn45w092_13_Clip
• Output Polyline Features: Contour_grdnClip2
• Contour Interval: 2 (for 2 meters)
4. Merge the F1 and F1_1 rasters to create one raster (figure 7):
• Go to ArcToolbox > Data Management Tools > Raster > Raster Dataset > Mosaic
• Input Rasters: F1, F1_1
• Target Raster: F1_merged
5. Display labels for Contour_grdnClip2 by going to layer's properties > Labels and selecting 'Label features in this layer' box and adjust labels accordingly

Figure 6: Contour tool example

Figure 7: Mosaic tool example

Results/Discussion

The UTM map with 40 meter spacing can be seen below (figure 8). The coordinate system is NAD 1983 (2011) UTM Zone 15N (Meters), (the zone where the field navigation will take place).

Figure 8: UTM map containing grid with 40 meter spacing

The Geographic Coordinate map with decimal degrees can be found below (figure 9). The coordinate system is NAD 1983 (2011) State Plane Wisconsin Central (Meters), (again, the navigation area falls within this zone). The projection is Lambert Conic Conformal.

Figure 9: Geographic Coordinate system map with 2 meter contour lines, labeled

Data used from Priory geodatabase:

• Eau_Claire_West_SE: this provided a good quality basemap for the grid map
• F1 and F1_1: when merged, a good quality, grey scale basemap for the contour map where contour lines could easily be seen
• grdn45w092_13: a good quality DEM that allowed for numerous surface analyses, but first had to be clipped to the study area to speed up computational processes
• Navigationboundary: shows map reader the study area and was the extent used to clip the grdn45w092_13 DEM

Data not included from Priory geodatabase:

• drg_s_wi035: topographic map that appeared too gritty
• labels: not visible at a large scale
• LidarNE and LidarNW: couldn't get these layers to show when zoomed in on study area
• priory_2ftcontours: created 2 meter contours from grdn45w092_13 DEM

Conclusion

Overall, the map creation was successful, but how well the maps will work in the field navigation part of this exercise remains to be seen. It is necessary to include enough elements within a map in order for it to be useful for navigation, but it is also possible to clutter to the map with too many elements and impede its usefulness. Finding the right balance of elements is key to a useful navigation map.