Tutorial: Create and host an interactive web map with Python Interactive maps are a great medium for data visualization because they allow users to explore a dataset for themselves.  Most interactive maps have functionality for a user to pan & zoom around a map, click on markers, and get more data from popup windows. Creating…

Hardware in GIS: Tools of the Trade If you have any experience with GIS, you’ll understand that the work can be incredibly demanding on your computer. Following the increased need to process big data and higher resolution imagery, you’re going to need some specific hardware to get the job done. Throughout this blog we will…

Microsoft’s Planetary Computer vs. Google Earth Engine: A Compare and Contrast Traditional geospatial analysis involves working with locally hosted raster and vector data that has been downloaded from a source, and stored on the hard drive of the processing machine. As the needs and capabilities of technology expand, it has become necessary to outsource both…

Free GIS Data and Where to Find It Many governments and non-for-profit organizations have a desire to be transparent with the information they collect. As a result, you’ll find much of their data freely available online. Using free, open-source data is going to save you time and money- You just have to know where to…

Flooding has plagued civilization forever, however increasing urbanization, population growth and economic growth is leading to greater damage 1. A number of things can cause flooding, including heavy rain, snowmelt and dam failures being the main ones 2. Urban flooding poses a greater risk to human life and potentially large economic loses, due to the…

Modelling Fire Risk in ArcGIS Pro When wildfires occur, wildlife and their natural habitats are destroyed putting some animal and plant species at risk, even of extinction. Human settlements within affected areas also see losses in property, and risks to their lives and health. Even though a high percentage of wildfires arise from human activities,…

Navigating Geospatial Open Source: A Guide to an OGC Stack As a technical discipline that is extremely reliant on high resolution imagery, powerful software, and enormous amounts of robust data, the geospatial realm appears to be a field with a high barrier to entry, and an expensive price tag. The commercial satellite imagery upon which…

What is a GIS or Geospatial Certification? Don’t be mistaken, a certification is not the same as a certificate program. A certificate program is about teaching, whereas a certification involves an institution of professional body confirming your skill level and expertise.  Like any professional certification, a GIS certification proves that you have the knowledge, experience,…

Analyzing, Monitoring, and Predicting Drought Using Remote Sensing Introduction Drought is a serious natural disaster that occurs when there is a lack of precipitation over a long period of time. The world is currently experiencing an increase in droughts, which are causing concern because they can lead to other natural disasters. The UN estimates that…

How to Set up a Python Environment for Geospatial Programming In a past post, we discussed the Essential Geospatial Python Libraries. Now we’ll put theory into practice with examples of geospatial Python in action. This post will lay the foundation by providing a step-by-step guide to setting up a Python environment from scratch and installing…