Lab 7: Vector Data Analysis

Learning Goals

  • Become familiar with vector processing operations in QGIS, import and create GIS data
  • Perform basic joins and spatial operations such as buffer, dissolve, intersect, union
  • Style maps in a custom fashion based on columnar values
  • Understand different data types and corresponding data representations
  • Query and filter spatial datasets

Written Responses

Provide written responses to the following Questions:

  1. Measurement Scales: The following data are using which type of measurement scale?

    • My happiness score on a scale of 1 to 10 = 7
    • My weight = 192 lbs.
    • The city I live in = Helsinki Finland
    • My current body temperature = 99.8 \(\circ\) F
    • My current body temperature = 37.7 ºF
    • My current body temperature = 310.8 K
    • The number of impossible burgers I can eat before passing out = 12

  2. Digitizing Methods: Describe at least two different methods for adding the information from a USGS topographic map to a digital GIS.

  3. Accuracy and Precision Errors: What are the five types of accuracy/precision errors associated with geographic information? Provide an example of each type of error.

  4. Boundary Mapping Challenges: Per the description of the positional accuracy of wetland boundaries in the textbook, discuss a different map feature whose boundaries are inherently vague and difficult to map.

Project Work

Tutorial Assignments

Complete the following tutorials. Pay attention to how you organize you project. You will turn in a zipped copy of you entire tutorials directory. Each tutorial should have a working project with all of its data intact. The grader will open your project to make sure it works.

  1. Convert excel file of latitudes/longitudes to a point shapefile:
    • Carefully follow the instructions and complete the Tutorial - Importing Spreadsheets or CSV Files: https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/importing_spreadsheets_csv.html
  2. Digitize map data:
    • Carefully follow the instructions and complete the Tutorial - Digitizing Basics: https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/digitizing_basics.html
  3. Perform a tabular join:
    • Carefully follow the instructions and complete the Tutorial - Performing Table Joins: https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/performing_table_joins.html
  4. Perform a Spatial Join:
    • Carefully follow the instructions and complete the Tutorial - Performing Spatial Joins: https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/performing_spatial_joins.html
  5. Perform a Spatial Query:
    • Carefully follow the instructions and complete the Tutorial - Performing Spatial Queries: https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/performing_spatial_queries.html

Submission Requirements

Submit on Canvas:

A zipped file with your tutorials and written responses inside