Introduction
Geospatial systems have successfully merged data, cartography, and technology into visualization tools and platforms. Big data can finally be mapped, analyzed and represented interactively. Whether they are used as for collaborative projects or as tools for spreading information, these geographical systems can be accessed anywhere using the World Wide Web.
One of the commonly used software is CartoDB. Released in 2011, it is an open source program that uses GIS and location intelligence to visualize data. Users without prior GIS knowledge can easily learn how to use CartoDB, making it a very intuitive and accessible tool.
CartoDB has also worked with non-profit and government institutions to help with the humanitarian challenges that arise from natural disasters. One example was their presence and participation in Quito, Ecuador, where they partnered with the Mayor’s Office and the Inter-American Development Bank’s Knowledge and Learning Department during the Hackathon for Natural Disaster Management. The goal of this event was to “create innovative solutions to disaster risk management challenges” which included volcanic eruptions.
Volcanos & Mapping
Volcanic eruptions and their effects have been archived throughout the history. The earliest recorded explosion was from Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, where the burial of two cities was described in two letters.
Eruptions have since been thoroughly documented, as their data and information are paramount for urban planning and structural development. Risk assessment, education and safety standards rely on historical GIS data to reduce vulnerability and hazards brought about by natural disasters. These visualizations have helped experts comprehend the extent of volcanic events and their risks to communities.
Examples
Three visualizations were sourced from different institutions and organizations to serve as examples.
The first one is a map of major volcanic eruptions from 1-2000AD. Its pop-up is very informative, featuring the volcano name, city, eruption years, and volcano type (and corresponding icon). There is a little meter to the left of the pop-up to symbolize how its elevation ranks to other volcanos.
The second example is a visualization of the seismic activity of Iceland’s largest volcano, Bardarbunga. Seismic activities represent the tension and pressure that build up before a possible eruption. A heatmap synchronized with a timelapse spanning 10 seconds is seen to represent 4 days of these events.
The third example was made by the Smithsonian museum that maps earthquakes, eruptions and emissions of sulfur dioxide from 1960-2017. Its pop-up information is similar to the first example, except this includes the VEI (volcanic explosivity index) and start/end eruption information. This does not provide users with any information regarding its eruption patterns between its first and last explosion.
Methodology
To create a similar visualization as the three examples above, records with at least two orders of magnitude were required, as well as data on their geospatial dimensions or shapefiles. They were then uploaded to CartoDB before being further customized.
Deadly Volcanos Map
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An interactive map of deadly volcanos was made using CartoDB. It features volcanos whose explosions have been responsible for at least one death. When a volcano is clicked, its type, elevation, and eruption year/s are seen.
Each volcano is represented by a circle, with its size and color representing the number of total fatalities. The darker the red, the higher the number of fatalities. The color red was chosen, as it symbolizes blood and death.
All information used in CartoDB were sourced from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, whose main goal is to “preserve, monitor, assess and provide public access to the Nation’s treasure of geophysical data and information.” The volcanic explosions data range from 79AD to 2018.
Results
The map is very clean, organized and informative. It has a fatality count that changes depending on the user’s overall map view. It has two filters: a country filter and a volcano type filter. The country filters each have death tallies, Indonesia being the highest with around 57k. The total number of countries with deadly volcanos is 36.
The types of volcanos fall under 14 categories. There are three main types of volcanos, but NOAA labeled some volcanos outside of the three general types. Using this filter makes it easy to spot the differently shaped ones.
Thoughts
I had fun using CartoBD and creating this map. Finding an appropriate data set was one of the biggest challenges. My initial strategy was to map out ash beds throughout the Hawaiian islands. However, there was not much information to be said about them.
I came across a database of volcanos and their statistics, so I searched for the volcanos responsible for at least one death. The results contained latitude and longitude information, so I did not need to download any shapefiles.
After creating the map, I noticed that there were multiple circles inside each other that could not be clicked. It was then when I realized I did not clean my data set. The data set had multiple entries of the same volcanos, that messed up the visualizations on my initial map.
I had to recalibrate my data, input the years, and tally the deaths into one row per volcano. Once finished, the map looked clean and I was able to design its features to how I wanted it.
Future Directions
If I had more time and resources, I would follow the first and third examples by putting either an icon of the volcano type, or an actual photo of the volcano. Finding free icons that resembled volcano cones was difficult. Given that some volcanos on my map fall outside the three general categories, it would be a challenge finding icons to represent them. The most efficient and visually appealing strategy would be to use actual photos of the volcanos.
I would also like to learn how to use different views and different filters, and try to make something similar to the Refugee Project by Hyperakt.
References
Bárðarbunga - 4 Days in 10 Secs https://iceland.carto.com/viz/765b8016-2708-11e4-b97f-0e230854a1cb/public_map?__hstc=124960853.8ced31f0d0da727396be259457dcdf26.1522351952061.1522435625185.1522730534161.6&__hssc=124960853.7.1522435625185&__hsfp=4251088803
Eruptions, Earthquakes and Emissions. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://volcano.si.axismaps.io/
Join Us For the Hackathon For Natural Disaster Management, in Quito! Tyler Bird - https://carto.com/blog/carto-is-going-to-ecuador/
Magma Carto https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/04/daily-chart-5
Mount Vesuvius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius
Remer, A. (n.d.). GIS as a Tool for Assessing Volcanic Hazards, Vulnerability, and at Risk Areas of the Three Sisters Volcanic Region, Oregon. Retrieved from http://www.gis.smumn.edu/GradProjects/RemerA.pdf