P.H. Crown and R. Elgr Spatial Information Systems laboratory Department of Renewable Resources

Baikal Archeological Project

Environmental Context Module A Spatial Analyses – GIS Approach to Landscape

Simulation

P.H. Crown and R. ElgrSpatial Information Systems laboratoryDepartment of Renewable Resources

University of Alberta

Landscape Simulation

To simulate current landscape characteristics (patterns of slope magnitude and aspect derived from topographic data).

To model past landscape characteristics by combining current characteristics with other data (soils data, geologic data, vegetation data, radiation and climate models).

To present a landscape visualization to place human activity into a physical setting.

Sources of Information

Map Data Published at Various Scales

•Topographic Maps (1:1,000,000 & 1:200,000)

•Soils Maps

•Vegetation Maps

•Collection of documents describing various features of the Lake Baikal area (physical landscape, faunal populations)

Landscape Simulation

Phase I – Base map and ancillary data

Phase II – Digital Elevation Model

Phase III – Derived data sets

Phase IV – Query and Spatial Analyses

Landscape Simulation

Phase I

• Scan maps to a digital form

• Geo-reference all maps to common geographical coordinates

• Merge individual maps for a complete area mosaic (correct errors in contours, hydrography, coordinates between maps)

Digital Elevation Models (DEM)

Phase II• Model the landscape surface using data

extracted from topographic maps – an extremely labour intensive activity.

• The more data used, the more accurate the DEM.

• Data include digitized contour lines, elevation points, hydrography, lake boundaries.

• Presentation as vertical and oblique views of the landscape.

Digital Elevation Models (DEM)

Model 1

Entire Lake Baikal Study Area

Area bounded by:

• 510 to 580 North Latitude

• 1010 to 1110 East Longitude

Digital Elevation Models (DEM)

Model 2

3 Microregions

• Irkutsk

• Ol’Khon Island

• Lena River

Interpretation of Soils Data

• Soils develop differing sets of characteristics in response to sets of environmental circumstances of climate, vegetation, geologic material, topography.

• Forest soils vs. Grassland soils vs. others

• “Read” the current set of soil characteristics to infer past environments.

Human Activity

Cemetery sites identified, plotted, and linked to a relational database.

Habitation sites will be plotted with a link to a relational database

Spatial analyses only possible if an accurate georeference map of the study area is available:

• for accurate distance measurement between points.

• for accurate area measurements.

Landscape Simulation

Phase III – Derived data sets

• Calculate slope magnitude an aspect data for each cell in the DEM

• Calculation of radiation onto the landscape (controlled by Earth’s axis of rotation, latitude, and slope characteristics)

Landscape Simulation

Phase III – Derived data sets

• Landscape visualization as “fly by” through the landscape

• Different research programs could define their own path to follow

Some Next Steps

• Mapping present land cover from satellite data

• Mapping surficial geology for erosion potential

• Mapping habitation sites

• Contribute to the scaling of climate change data to the landscape

• Developing other queries

Example Questions and Queries

Mobility• habitation sites proximity analyses to potential travel

corridors, radiation balance, vegetation

Annual Range• ease of travel, proximity analyses as above

Diet• Change in vegetation structure, river flow directions

or rates, sedimentation from erosion (wetter or drier climate) and decline of fish stocks/increase in seal stocks

University of Alberta

Spatial Information Systems Laboratory

Department of Renewable Resources

THE BAIKAL ARCHEOLOGICAL PROJECT

Environmental Context Module

Landscape Simulation

METADATA for Geo-Referenced Maps

August 2003Rastislav Elgr, Rick T. Pelletier, Peter H. Crown

University of Alberta

Spatial Information Systems Laboratory

Department of Renewable Resources

THE BAIKAL ARCHEOLOGICAL PROJECT

Environmental Context Module

Landscape Simulation

METADATA for Digital Elevation Models

August 2003Rastislav Elgr and Peter H. Crown