GIS in Water Resources       Review for Midterm Exam                Fall 2003

 

The material is classified according to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives:

 

Level         Title                      Meaning

1                Knowledge             Definitions, facts, formulas

2                Comprehension      Explanation of definitions, formulas, problem solving procedures

3                Application             Know how to use a formula or procedure to solve simple problems

4                Analysis                  Break down a complex problem and solve by steps

5                Synthesis                Derivation of basic formulas, design of new systems

6                Evaluation               Advantages and limitations of alternative approaches

 

Session           Topic                                                                                                   Level

1                      Introduction to GIS in Water Resources                                                      2

2                      Introduction to ArcGIS                                                                               2

3                      Exercise 1: Creating a Map with ArcGIS                                                     5

4                      Data Sources for GIS in Water Resources                                                  3

5                      Geodesy, Map Projections and Coordinate Systems                                   4

6                      Exercise 2: Building a Watershed Base Map                                                5

7                      Spatial Fields in GIS and Water Resources                                                 4

8                      Exercise 3:  Using Spatial Analysis                                                              4

9                      DEM’s, Watershed and Stream Network Delineation                                  5

10                    Exercise 4: Watershed and stream network delineation from DEM's            4

11                    Introduction to Networks                                                                            2

12                    Networks in GIS                                                                                        3

13                    Exercise 5:  National Hydrography Dataset and Networks in GIS                3

 

Readings in “Arc Hydro: GIS for Water Resources”

Chapter 1         Why Arc Hydro (especially p. 8 -10)                                                          2

Chapter 2         Arc Hydro Framework                                                                               5

Chapter 3         Hydro Networks (especially p. 34-41)                                                        5

Chapter 4         Drainage Systems (especially p. 68-76)                                                       5

 

You can bring a 1-page review sheet to the exam, 8.5” x 11”, with whatever review notes you want written on it (both sides if necessary!).   The exam will otherwise be closed book.

 

Expected Skills

 

·        Convert degree, minute, second coordinates to decimal degrees, and vice versa

  • Determine the length of a line along a meridian or parallel on a spherical earth
  • Determine the statistics (e.g. average value or sum) of an attribute of a selected set of features satisfying a logical query
  • Be able to take the parameters of a map projection and interpret what they mean (focus on geographic, UTM, Albers and State Plane projections)
  • Know the common national data sources for GIS in Water Resources and their GIS data formats
  • Know the concepts associated with the discrete object representation and field representation of geography
  • Be able to perform raster calculations and understand the concepts involved with raster calculation
  • Be able to identify and fill the sinks in a small digital elevation model
  • Take a small grid of elevation cells and calculate the flow direction and flow accumulation grids
  • Define the watershed of a cell in a DEM grid
  • Derive the Stream definition grid, Stream links grid, Catchments, Drainage Lines and Drainage points for a small DEM grid
  • Derive Geomorphologic and Watershed attributes from a DEM derived drainage network.  These include, channel length, slope, stream order, drainage area, drainage density.
  • Derive the connectivity between Catchments, Drainage Lines and Drainage points for a small DEM derived drainage network.