Mapping Ideas

[Singel]

So I have to make a map for the term project in a GIS course I'm taking. I'm free to choose anything to make the map of, my only restrictions are that it must be black and white, and fit on a single 8/5x11 sheet of paper (Can be freehand, or using ArcMap). For tomorrow I just need a 100 word proposal on what I want to do, but I don't have a clue what that is yet.

Anybody have any suggestions for an idea that would be somewhat interesting, fairly simple, and preferably skiing related (other ideas welcome too)?

I was thinking maybe something on snowfall, but I'm not sure how large an area I should focus on, how accessible that information is, or how I'd actually represent it.

[PaSucks]

I asked this exact question a few years ago. I made a map comparing "moral indicators" by state vs. how each state voted in the presidential election. It looked good but wasn't really very relevent.

What are you interests and where are you located?

Do you like fishing? Make a map of trout stocking points in a particular watershed. Environmentalist? Map the spread of an invasive species in your area. Geography major? Map Spanish migration of hispanics from their country of origin to the states they choose to live in.

I don't know what you could map in therms of snow. I would imagine your prof wants your project topic to be something significant, and not just a map of snowfall at various ski areas. I imagine you could do something with avalanch forcasting, but not on just one 8x11.

[Singel]

I'm both an environmentalist and a geography major, and I'm in Calgary, Ab. I'd thought about something like the distribution of grizzly bears, etc. and that may in fact be the best way to go. I'm also taking an unrelated course about the crusades right now, so i was also considering mapping the routes of a few different groups, or maybe one specific group of crusaders as a partial substitution for studying for that course.

Thanks for the input and suggestion, I know it's really just a matter of me being less lazy and looking deeper into the topics to see if I can visualize how I'd map hem, but any suggestions help getting on that track.

[PaSucks]

Another easy idea, although not much fun imo, would be to map where all the former geography majors from your school went to grad school. Someone in my program did that every few years. Not much work and serves a purpose and your prof may love it, but it doesn't really teach you that much about making good maps and it doesn't really demonstrate how incredibly useful GIS can be. Something else to consider though.

[Random Task]

One of my favorite maps (though pretty snobby) was to plot Nascar fans by the percentage of homes in each county that are mobile. The mobile home data used to be in the ESRI data, but I'm not sure if a map of US mobile home ratios would go over well in Ab.

Did manage to get a laugh out of my professor at the time though, as well as alienating myself from Nascar fans and those who grew up in trailers in the class.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Do a 3d map of Moose Population Movements in Yakatat

[rossibandit]

Here is an easy one for you.

A map showing the number of Conservative Riding in Alberta versus other political parties in Canada. You would just need to color all of Alberta black.

All kidding aside, its interesting to look at BC political map and see the differences between urban and rural ridings. Urban tends to vote NDP or Liberal while Rural ridings vote Conservative.

[Telenater]

Lots of possibilities, they're only limited by your imagination.

species/habitat maps
elevation/habitat/climate
urban growth/landcover change
landuse planning
environmental justice
marketing/store placement
amenity value/accessibility

[Singel]

Thanks for all the input, as I said before I knew it was just a matter of me researching a topic a bit. I've decided to do something in the area of energy production and consumption, maybe with a focus on renewable energy sources...

I'm thinking I may plot the locations of nuclear power plants (Also considering wind power, or even something like purchase of hybrid vehicles, etc.) as well as the energy consumption by state in the U.S. I'm just not sure this really offers any valid insight (obviously the east consumes more power, and also has more nuclear power plants), or really answers a question (such as which states are being most progressive in converting to renewable sources, and which are lagging behind) Perhaps a global focus is more appropriate, but its also more complicated, and as a major economic power, and consumer of energy the US is probably the best way to go. Ideally I'd want to incorporate all energy sources, or even just all renewable energy sources, but I'm not sure how well I could plot all of that data, maybe a sweet National Geographic style map with graphics of coal plants, oil drops, nuclear symbols and wind turbines

I wonder if it would be too simplistic if I just shaded each state based on the % of it's energy comes from renewable sources...perhaps also with whether it is democrat or republican...

So many ways to go here, I think I just kind of needed to blabber all of my thoughts down to work it out a bit. Any feedback/thoughts are appreciated

[eirikainersharp]

Another cool idea would be do do an avalanche hazard map for somewhere you like to go touring.

[Singel]

Another cool idea would be do do an avalanche hazard map for somewhere you like to go touring.

I'd never violate a 'pinky-swear stash'! Unfortunately I have had limited opportunities to get out touring, but the few times I've been out I've been lucky enough to be taken to a secret spot worthy of placing a burlap sack over my head for the last half hour of the drive.

[F#*k you cat]

I did a map for a class that netted me 100.00 plus free registration to the SWUG (ESRI South West User's Group) in Park City. It was a elevation model of the western US showing Tsumani hazard. (Based on elevation above sea level) just after the Dec 24th Banda Ache Tsumani. With it was a Power Point presentation with before and after aerial photo's from Digital Globe. Additionally I found a cool animation of the wave traveling around the globe and used it in the PPT.

[BigDaddy]

Nice ideas but a little too frivolous. How about a Map of the Stars homes in Aspen?... or a map of Angelina Jolies chest?... You need to focus on some real issues and try and do something a bit more noble!

[telepariah]

You want frivolous? How about the spatial diffussion of pink refrigerators in North Dakota in 1957?

Some geographer actually built he whole career on that one. Just goes to show how easy it really is.

What the hell is geography? Geography is what geographers do.

[Buzzworthy]

Lots of possibilities, they're only limited by your imagination.

Well mine sucks then cause I mapped with ArcPad our parking lot, trees, light poles and fire hydrants.

But I used a geodatabase! Check out, check in.