Finding An Ideal Ski Resort Location

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Finding An Ideal Ski Resort Location

• GIS Group Project
• Meredith Faust
• Dana French
• Kalyna Malm

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First things first

• In order to find an ideal ski resort location, we
  need elevation data

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Digital Elevation Models

• With GIS, the appropriate data is incorporated
  into a layer called a DEM, or digital elevation
  model.
• While searching for DEMs on the web, several
  options are available.

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Types of DEMs
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National Elevation Data (NED)

• Developed by USGS
• Merges highest resolution best quality
  elevation data from across the US into a seamless
  raster format.
• 124,000 scale DEM data for continental US
  163,000 scale for Alaska
• Result of maturation of USGS effort

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National Land Cover Data (NLCD)

• Used by Geostat Center at UVA
• Accquired by Landsats Thematic Mapper sensor, as
  well as a number of other data sources
• 30-meter format, shading scheme

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Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

• A joint effort from NASA, NIMA (National Imagery
  Mapping Agency), DLR (German Space Agency), ASI
  (Italian Space Agency)
• Flight of shuttles occurred February 11-22, 2000
• 12 Terabytes of raw data, being processed into
  DEMs

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• Outer
• S
• P
• A
• C
• E

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Step 1 Finding Elevation Data

• We found elevation data in NED form near the
  southern Virginia/North Carolina border at the
  following web site
• http//seamless.usgs.gov/viewer.htm
• The following slide shows the specific area we
  selected for our ski resort

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Geographic Context
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Step 2 Looking for Common Ski Resort Features

• In order to see the way that ski resorts are
  typically set up, we searched the internet for
  pictures of existing ski resorts.
• The following pictures show a large ski resort in
  Vail, Colorado, and Wintergreen right here in VA

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Vail, Colorado
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Wintergreen
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Ski Run Design

• The best ski resorts have maximum slopes
  converging to a few ski lifts.
• Based on actual resorts, slopes run parallel down
  small valleys within the mountain side

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Properties of Area Ski Resorts

• WINTERGREEN mountain has an elevation of 3,515
  ft, with a vertical drop of 1,003 ft.
• The longest run is 1.4 miles

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• RESORT
• Whitetail, PA
• Liberty
• Blue Knob
• Snowshoe

• VERTICAL DROP
• LONGEST RUN
• 935 ft
• 600 ft, 1 mi
• 1,072 ft, 1.75 mi
• 1,500 ft, 1.5 mi

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Close to Blacksburg

• Winterplace, WV
• Beech Mtn, NC
• Sugar Mtn, NC

• 603 ft, 1.25 mi
• 830 ft, 1 mi
• 1,200 ft, 1.5 mi

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Step 3. Using GIS

• There are 2 options that can be used to determine
  the best possible ski slopes for our selected
  area
• Option 1 3D Analyst in Arc Scene
• Option 2 Neighborhood Analysis

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Option 1

• Using the 3D Analyst in ArcScene to make the Data
  three dimensional

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3D Analyst

• Use the 3D analyst extension on ArcScene to view
  the DEM in three dimensions
• Once this is done, it will be easier to find a
  specific location for a ski resort from the
  picture of Vail, we concluded that a good ski
  resort contains a large valley, surrounded by two
  or more mountains containing a variety of
  different slopes for possible ski trails.

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Our DEM in its Original Form
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Turning the DEM from 2D to 3D

• Right click on the layer name
• Go to properties
• Click on the base heights tab
• Use the same settings as the picture to the left

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Option 2

• Using Neighborhood Analysis to determine the
  highest elevations

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Neighborhood Analysis

• Another way of finding the best ski resort would
  be using Neighborhood Analysis in the Spatial
  Analyst extension.

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Neighborhood Analysis

• You will need the following for this type of
  Neighborhood Analysis
• A DEM of the target location
• The Spatial Analyst extension and toolbar
  activated

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Our DEM in its Original Form(with the Spatial
Analyst activated)
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Neighborhood Analysis Cont.

• Now highlight the Neighborhood Statistic function
  under the Spatial Analyst arrow
• Select your criteria for analysis. In our
  example, we used Maximum

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Neighborhood Analysis

• Because we are using a DEM, the maximum function
  will find the highest (maximum) areas compared to
  each cell around it in the grid.
• When the program is done computing, The areas
  with the largest slope in the grid in relation to
  its neighborhood will be shown

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Neighborhood Analysis

• The following map output has the maximum slope of
  our DEM shown in RED.

• The most exciting potential ski areas are shown
  inside the blue circles.

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Neighborhood Analysis
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Discussion

• This is the best possible geographic location for
  a Ski Resort within our selected area because
• 3 mountains surrounding a large valley that is
  prime for ski slopes
• The Neighborhood Analyst found steep slopes
  within this region
• . and

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BECAUSE JONNY SAID SO!
Xtreme!
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Further Discussion

• This area is optimal for other reasons
• Interstate Access
• Nearby Colleges provide many potential customers
• High annual precipitation compared to other
  locations in Virginia

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And, of course, the best reason

• Because it would be

Xtreme!
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THE END