ASPRS Map Competition

Student Map Competition

Participate in a fun, challenging and exciting project: The Student Map Competition at the CaGIS/ASPRS 2013 Specialty Conference in San Antonio, Texas!

Date: October 29-30
Materials Deadline: October 1, 2013
Download the Competition Details in PDF Here.

Responding to disaster events requires a quick response on the part of public officials in order to protect the public. Maps are one means of communication that public officials use to warn citizens of potential danger. Often the final map used to communicate these dangers is a product of both complex data analysis and cartographic design. In recent years the importance of these methods of analysis and design on our ability to efficiently communicate information has become clear. Examples such as the Haitian earthquake in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma, are just some of the examples of the importance of information communication about natural disasters. This challenge focusses on the use of data from Hurricane Ike, a category 4 hurricane that took place in September 2008. This hurricane made landfall along the Gulf Coast, and affected the city of Galveston, Texas.

The Challenge
The application of geospatial tools to predict the location of potential natural hazards and to inform and manage public response requires collaboration between scientists across disciplines. The objective of this competition is to demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively to determine the best methods for (a) developing predicted inundation areas using storm surge predictions and topographic information for the Galveston, Texas area; (b) merging predicted inundation information and evacuation routes to create a map to help the public understand the potential for impact in their geographic area and appropriate evacuation routes from their areas to safe zones.

The data for this competition is freely available from three government agencies. You will need to obtain storm surge data for Hurricane Ike from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and combine it with 10m topographic data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) evacuation routes are also available online. Links to these datasets are provided on the full competition details online at http://www.asprs.org/Conferences/San-Antonio-2013/Program/Map-Competition.

Your success will be judged on the map or visualization product (suitable for a public audience), a written document detailing the methods you used to arrive at the map product, and an oral presentation of 10 minutes at the CaGIS/ASPRS Fall Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.