Monday,
September 9, 2024
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Note: ETGS members will receive an email with info for logging into the meeting.
September Presentation
Developing an ArcGIS Toolbox for Automated Roadside Outcrop Detection: A Case
Study of Tennessee
By
Robert Moore
Senior Undergraduate Student
Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, TN
Abstract
A significant challenge in the geoscience community when
initiating studies in new regions is the absence of a comprehensive
database that includes local outcrop locations of geologic
formations, their precise geographic coordinates, and their geologic
ages. Moreover, accessible outcrop locations often remain unknown to
researchers due to their remote nature or lack of documentation. To
address this, we utilized publicly available light detection and
ranging (LiDAR) data, road centerline features, county and geologic
polygon data sources provided by the USGS and Tennessee Geological
Survey. Our study focused on the entire state of Tennessee. We
systematically located, extracted, and filtered roadside outcrop
data across this region. The identified locations were then
organized and ranked based on multiple criteria (e.g., distance from
roadway, area of exposure, length of face) to generate a quality
score. This process involved two Python-based ArcGIS Pro tools and
an additional custom application that we developed. The ArcGIS Pro
tools function as query-based dialogue boxes, prompting users to
connect and organize input data based on county, state, and geologic
formation name. The custom application enables the verification of
our identified locations by checking their visibility in Google
Street View. Throughout development, we incrementally scaled up the
quantity of data from individual LiDAR tiles to entire counties and
then to multiple counties, to test processing load limitations. Our
study geospatially identified a total of 9,989 outcrops. Of these,
2,336 locations (~23%) were filtered out due to the lack of
available street view imagery. The remaining 7,653 outcrops (~77%)
yielded usable street view imagery. The dataset produced ~78% usable
locations. This increased to ~86% when the locations within city
polygons were excluded. This accounted for ~33% of the 7653-location
set. Overall, this research presents a novel method for detecting
accessible rock outcrop locations in a region based on county,
state, and geologic formation name, significantly reducing the time
needed for field-based reconnaissance.
Biography
Robert Moore is a senior
undergraduate student at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, TN. He is on
track to graduate in December 2024 with dual bachelor's degrees in
Earth Sciences (Geology) and Music Performance and Composition. His
passion for science is enriched by his experiences in the arts,
fostering a unique and creative perspective that benefits both
disciplines.
Robert's professional experience includes working with advanced
laboratory equipment such as XRD, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, AAS, and LA ICP-MS.
Additionally, he earned an MSHA (Mine Safety and Health
Administration) certification during his most recent internship.
Over the past year and a half, Robert has honed his research skills
under the guidance of his thesis advisor, Dr. Gourab Bhattacharya.
Robert's research includes organizing and executing fieldwork,
processing geological samples, creating customized scripts for
ESRI's ArcGIS Pro software and app development.
Greetings, and welcome to the September 9, 2024 ETGS virtual meeting.
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