Data Gathering

Introduction:

To understand the impacts of frac sand mining in western Wisconsin I needed to be able to download data from a few different sources.  The goals of this lab were to promote the skill of file management, use python code to create a geodatabase from the downloaded data, and be able to extract data from multiple sources. 

Methods:

I downloaded data from several different locations which include:

• The first was downloading the Railway systems from the US Department of Transportation statistics website.
• The next is the USGS National Map Viewer which allowed me to download data that included the National Land Cover and elevation from their website. 
• Next, I downloaded data from the USDA Geospatial Data Gateway which allowed myself to download cropland which comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Website
• I then downloaded a Geodatabase for Trempealeau County, Wisconsin from the Land Records Office. Website
• Finally, I downloaded data from the Department of Agriculture once again, but from their Soil Survey website for soil data.

Data Accuracy:

• Scale - relationship between depiction on map and its actual size in the real world
• Effective Resolution - 
• Minimum mapping unit - The smallest plotable object at a certain scale. 
• Planimetric Coordinate Accuracy - How close the objects are to the real location on the Earth. 
• Lineage - a documentation that shows how the data was collected, used, and by who.
• Temporal accuracy - How up to date the data is, and when it was published. 
• Attribute accuracy - How accurate the data is represented when compared to real world.  The data is then recorded as a specific number for metric attributes and as an accuracy percentage for categorical data.

Conclusion:

This lab was one of the most difficult and frustrating yet.  It was challenging me in every way possible to figure how how to manipulate the data to correctly display it.  I was having trouble organizing, maintaining, and keeping it all together. I however did learn a lot from this lab and found it very important lab to go through. I learned many skills from this assignment that I will take with to future assignments.