Introduction
The
goal of the first Geospatial Field Methods lab activity was to collect the data
to be used in the creation of a digital elevation surface to be created in a
later lab exercise. This was accomplished using a variety of survey tools and
sand boxes with pre laid out grids located on the eastern side of Phillips
Science Hall on the lower portion of the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
campus. The collection of this elevation
data was done in a small group with all group members contributing to the effort
of data collection. This lab was
designed to hone our critical thinking ability as well as to give students more
experience in common field techniques such as those used to survey a site and
collect topographic data.
Methods
To
begin this lab exercise, the class left Phillips Science Hall and headed
outside to the location of the sandboxes to be used for this lab. These sandboxes had not been used in months
and were therefore covered in many inches of snow and ice and required clearing
before the lab exercise could begin. As
a result of the large amount of snow build up, some strings marking out the
grid were dislodged and required fixing. With the sandbox ready, the group
began adding snow to certain areas of the grid and carving out divots in the sand
elsewhere to create a varied topography.
Figure 1.
Preparing the sandbox
With
the grid complete and the desired amount of variance in topography reached,
measuring and collection of elevation data then began. To do this, a meter stick was used to measure
the distance from the sand and snow to the level of the grid strings which
represented sea level, or 0’ in elevation.
Data points were collected from the center point of each grid square and
spray paint was used to mark which of the grid columns had already been
collected as data was collected column by column originating from a 0,0 point
in the lower corner. Each data point was collected to an accuracy of 5
millimeters and recorded in a table that had the same number of rows and
columns as the grid over the sandbox had.
Figure 2.
Collection of elevation data points
Once
elevation data for each of the grid squares had been collected, the group
recovered the sandbox and came back inside to begin the process of data entry
in an Excel spreadsheet. This
spreadsheet was formatted in a way with X, Y, And Z values that would best
allow for the transfer of this elevation data into a GIS for the creation of a
digital elevation model.
Figure 3. Examples
of collected data in Excel spreadsheet
Discussion
An
important component of this lab was to develop and hone our ability to think
critically both as an individual and as a group. This lab contained little direction which
therefore forced us to think about the steps that were necessary for us to take
rather than simply follow directions that were provided by the professor. Although
this proved to be a hurdle at first, the group came together to properly solve
the problems that presented us. While the main problems of this lab exercise
were solved and overcome, there were some other slight problems that could not
be solved. The first of these problems
was the accuracy of the data collection as the grids were not perfectly aligned
and measuring the height of the strings from the sand/snow was not always a perfectly
accurate job as the meter stick would slightly sink into the sand or snow which
meant we had to be very careful when measuring.
Conclusion
Overall
this lab was useful in developing our ability to think critically about a
problem that we received little guidance to solve. This lab also helped develop our problem
solving and teamwork skills to solve a problem that would be found in the
field. The more experience in field work
gained through the completion of this lab was also quite useful to my development
as a student of geography. The
information gathered in this lab will be used for future lab exercises and the
skills that have been gained in this lab will be used not just for future labs,
but for future classes and employment as well.
Evaluation
Prior to this
activity, how would you rank yourself in knowledge about the topic.
4-A good
amount of knowledge
Following this
activity, how would you rate the amount of knowledge you have on the topic
5- I am an
expert)
Did the
hands-on approach to this activity add to how much you were able to learn.
4-Agree
What types of
learning strategies would you recommend to make the activity even better?
A larger sandbox to conduct this lab at
a larger scale.
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