WR 204 Assignment_LULC.docx
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School
Colorado State University, Fort Collins *
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Course
204
Subject
Geography
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
Pages
3
Uploaded by AmbassadorWorldDonkey41
WR 204 Assignment 6: Land
Cover/Land Use
The objective of this assignment is to is to explore land use and land cover data using
Google Earth Engine and the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC)
Consortium.
Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based platform developed by Google that allows
scientists and researchers to analyze and process large amounts of remote sensing
data for various applications, including studying land cover change. It offers a wide
range of remote sensing data, such as satellite imagery, climate data, and terrain data,
that can be accessed and analyzed in a single platform, without the need for extensive
data management and processing infrastructure. One of the key advantages of GEE is
its ability to handle large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. This allows scientists
to process and analyze data that would be too computationally intensive to handle
using traditional desktop software. GEE also allows for easy collaboration and sharing
of data and analysis results among researchers and scientists worldwide.
More info is available here: https://earthengine.google.com/
The Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium is a collaborative
effort among federal agencies, universities, and other organizations to produce a
comprehensive and consistent national land cover database for the United States. The
Consortium is coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The MRLC Consortium uses a
combination of satellite imagery, aerial photography, and other remote sensing data
to classify and map land cover across the United States.
More info is available here: https://www.mrlc.gov/viewer/
Figure 1: Satellite image from Google Earth Engine of a Glacier in 1994
Questions to Answer:
1.
This location is undergoing glacial retreat. Compare the image above
with the same location on this
website
. The image on the website was
taken in 2020.
a.
Using the measure tool on the left sidebar on the website (at the
bottom), measure the area (in km^2 ) of glacier that has retreated
between the image above and the image on the website.
•
7.03 km
2
b.
Using the area calculated above, what is the average annual retreat
of the glacier in km^2 per year (hint: use the years given above).
c.
Zoom out from the location. What country/region is this glacier
located?
•
2.28 km
2
per year
d.
Click the “Visualize” button, then “Layers>Timelapse” to see the
timelapse of this area. Notice how the snow on the surrounding
peaks varies significantly between 2000 and 2022. What is the
likely cause of this and why might it be useful to know more about
exactly when the satellite imagery is taken?
•
The variation in snow is likely due to the photos being
capturing during different seasons. If we know what time
of year each photo was taken, we can develop a greater
understanding of how the amount of snow varies each
year.
2.
Go to this website, and play this timelapse from a different location.
a.
What is the major land cover change that is occurring? Feel free to
look up info using the named places on the map if you cannot
recognize it.
•
Increased human development. The time lapse shows
several the construction of several roads, an airport, and
further development of the Bitumount oil sands facility.
b.
What is the name of the large river that flows through this area?
•
Athabasca River
c.
This river happens to flow north from the location. What large
inland waterbody does it flow into?
•
Lake Athabasca
3.
Open the folder titled “Unknown Western US Location”. Compare the 2001
and 2019 landcover images. (Great South Lake area)
a.
What is the primary land cover to the west of the developed region
in 2001?
•
Developed, high intensity
b.
This landcover has changed between 2001 and 2019. The regions
that were dark blue were replaced by a few different landcovers.
Name one of these new land covers.
•
Woody wetlands
c.
Using the site location image and any other external sources, what
is the largest waterbody in the site image? (hint: there is a major
US city in red to the east)
•
Great Salt Lake
d.
Look up recent news about this waterbody and the major
landcover change that is occurring. Read an article explaining the
current issues facing this waterbody, write a paragraph (3
sentences max) summary of the article and provide the link you
used.
There is no correct article, this is just to get you to think
about the connection between humans and landcover.
•
The Great Salt lake is drying up quickly due to the
increased demand for water and climate change. If the
lake completely dries up, the population of Salt Lake City
will be exposed to toxic dust containing copper, arsenic,
or zirconium. Along with human health risks, this dust
could also cause soil degradation and snow melt.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drying-great-salt-lak
e-could-expose-millions-to-toxic-arsenic-laced-dust-180981439/
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