Images

The Tsunami Game

For this assignment, our class was instructed to go to http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/en/home.html and play the tsunami game, trying to save as many lives as possible. My strategy was to build safe structures such as schools and hospitals, where people could meet during a natural disaster; a more sturdy building will hopefully protect people from the Tsunami more. By building a hospital and upgrading it, my hope was that the structure would be supportive enough to outlast the environmental disaster that soon hit. To help protect the people from the tsunami, I put up sand dunes, trees and mangroves, which can help decrease the damaging effects of a tsunami. I also added an alarm system to the community center to warn citizens of any dangers. The hospital staff was also given a one week training course to better prepare them for the natural disaster. Along with this I put a seismograph in the ocean to detect when large waves are reaching shore.



In all, I did better on my first round of the game than I originally thought I would. The clues were informational to tell which defense mechanisms worked best, and where to build structures, place trees, etc. In the end there were 62 people injured, 61 people killed, and $4,000 worth of damages.

One thing I could have done better is made more housing available for the community.

For the second time around playing the tsunami game, the goal was to kill as many people as possible as well as cause as much damage as possible. Instead of building sturdy structures such as hospitals and schools, I placed bamboo huts right on the beaches in the community. I also took away as many trees as I could, and did not put in a seismograph, or an alarm system to warn the community of any dangers. By minimizing housing and safety measures, 72 people died, 70 were injured and there were $5,450 in damages.

The Flood Game





This is a picture from the flood game I played next for this assignment. To try and minimize deaths and damages, I built a hospital higher up in the community and had a drainage system put in to try and eliminate flood damages. I also waterproofed homes, and built rock walls by the water to try and prevent flooding. Next I put in an alarm system and evacuation plan in the community center.

The Earthquake Game

The next scenario I tried on this website was an earthquake. One preventative measure I took was to retrofit all of the buildings to help them withstand the power of the earthquake. I also put in an alarm system and radio system in the community center, had evacuation signs put in, and purchased a training course to educate people about earthquakes and safety measures that should be taken. Along with that I built a hospital and more housing for people.

ARCGIS Map



 This is the map I created for our first ARCGIS lab assignment in class. This data shows the level of drought severity around the country according to the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). This type of data falls under the engineering paradigm. This computer data is giving a weather forecast, more or less, of the drought severity around the country through the use of technology. In order for this map to take a complexity paradigm approach, data would be needed on the effects of not only the areas affected by the drought, but also how those societies are affected. The complexity paradigm focuses on the interactions of society and nature, thus improving long-term management of those hazards. Coming from the southeastern part of the state (Germantown, WI) I have seen first-hand how the drought has affected local farmers in the area; the effects are also seen in the grocery store with increased prices on produce. Hopefully by taking a complex approach to this problem, the U.S. and other countries affected by drought can improve their long-term management to better suit the environment and society.

ARCGIS Map: Lab 3

This is a map that corresponds with a lab done in class. This map shows earthquakes that have occurred worldwide from 1970-1993. During this lab I also utilized querying capabilities, and researched information such as how many people live in areas at risk for large earthquakes, and where the most earthquakes occur. This data takes an engineering approach when referring to the environmental hazard paradigms because it shows data that is useful in determining which areas are most likely to be affected by earthquakes, and in return, which areas are at higher risks for environmental hazards such as landslides and tsunamis. If this data were to take a more complexity based approach, it would have to show the relationship between society and the environment, such as death tolls and costs of damages due to earthquakes. 

Colorama

While the drought in Wisconsin may be affecting the colorama in other parts of the state, the trees here in Eau Claire are looking beautiful! For more information on the drought and it's effects on the leaves changing color this fall, visit my blog post from 9/10/12. 

 

Lab 4: Drought

This is a drought forecast for September- Novemeber 2012 using the Palmer Drought Severity Index.

 

 

 

Current Crop Yields

This map shows current crop yields which is affected by many conditions, such as climate & drought.

This map shows the shaking hazards and presence of quaternary deposits in the United States.

 

 

While looking at the different layers of this map, you can see that all three are directly correlated. Building status, density, and liquefaction all show patterns relating to one another. For example, the more liquefaction in an area and the higher the damage density, the more unsafe the building status is.

 

This map shows the relationship between PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration), PGV( Peak Ground Velocity) and building damage density. In general, you can see that the more severe damage, and damage to flexible structures can be most directly related to PGV.

 

Hurricane Sandy Puts Environment on Election Agenda

Photo Credit: Patrick Chappatte, NY Times

 

 

After little discussion on the environment during the presidential debates, I found this comic interesting and relevant to this years election. Visit my blogs to see more on the presidential debate and the topic of global warming. 

 

Popularity Contest: Who Erupts The Most

This map shows the 5 countries which have had the most volcanic eruptions. (Indonesia, Japan, United States, Italy, Russia).

 

 

Mount Rainier Lahar Flows

 

A potential impact of a lahar in this area would be the delivery of disaster aid. If/when the lahar flows on to roads and railways, emergency crews and disaster relief would not be able to get to victims.

DEM AND TIN IMAGES

Here are examples of a DEM and TIN image. The TIN image looks more jagged and doesn't have as smooth of a picture.

 

Topographic View

 

Mount St. Helens Before and After

 

Total Volume Loss- Mount St. Helens

 

Risky Regions

 

This map shows 5 areas in the United States that have a high risk of landslides. These areas include: The Rocky Mountains, the west coast, the Bitteroot Range, and the Blue Mountains. According to Keith Smith and David Petley, authors of Environmental Hazards, landslides occur in the 5 following types of terrain:

1. Upland areas subject to seismic shaking

2. Mountainous environments with high relative-relief

3. Areas of moderate relief suffering severe land degradation

4. Areas with high rainfall

5. Areas covered with thick deposits of fine grained material

 

 

 

 

Slope Angles and Risk

This map shows the slope angles of a given area. Areas shaded black have a slope angle of 30%. Areas shaded grey have a slope angle of 60% and areas shaded white have a slope angle of 90%.

 

 Parcel Damage Due to Stream Flow and Rain Volume

 

 

 

100 Year Flood-EC

This is a map depictinga 100 Year flood in Eau Claire, Wi. This does NOT mean that this flood will occur every 100 years, but rather that it has a 1/100 chance of occuring. For this portion of the lab, I looked at which University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire buildings would be effected by this flood. I also looked at different zoning methods of the city.

EC Flooding- 790 feet & 800 feet
The following two maps were generated to show a map generated for 790 feet (first map) and 800 feet (second map) in Eau Claire, Wi. As the pictures show, floods like this would cause a lot of flood damage to the surrounding area.

 

 

 
3D View- 100 year flood EC

This is a map created in ArcScene showing a 3D map of a 100 year flood in Eau Claire, Wi. For this part of my lab, I looked at 3D models of the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire campus to see which building would be affected first in this situation. I also looked at which buildings are not in the flood zone area (upper campus) and the type of land these areas have in terms of shape.

Facilities At Risk

This map shows the facilities near the cities of Oxnard and Ventura that are at risk of a tsunami. There are 51 total facilities that are at risk.

Storm Surge

This map shows the water depth and elevation of a category 3 inundation zone in the southwest area of Florida near Naples. The stronger the hurricane is, the higher the storm surge. Along with this, (as seen in purple) the higher the storm surge (darker) the lower the elevation level of that location is.