Participation Post

http://students.uwf.edu/cml30/animation/oil.avi

I'm truly amazed by how many applicable things ArcMap can be used for. The exported video would be very useful in disaster events, especially when you can show the oil extent and future trajectory to the public. I did run into some problems but they were minor and the mistake was easily recognized. At first I clicked on the 'one slide at a time' and then my other mistake was switching over to my local computer before it was done exporting.

The role GIS has in disaster management is crucial and overlooked by so many who are unfamiliar with the field. GIS is the foundation for putting together a base like those such as awareness programs for the public, evacuation routes for counties, the location of medical aid, and areas that are prone to the most disaster. In the case of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the spatial data can be used not only for tracking trajectory, but for evaluating the ecological damage expected along the coast. It is also useful when other alarming factors such as hurricane season is thrown into the mix. Last but not least, maps can be created showing were treated areas that are being burned, sprayed, and so on.