Acquiring Data & Standardizing Projection Coordinate Systems

Continuing last week's focus on projection systems, this week we were required to acquire map data from a variety of sources and integrate them into a single map document after ensuring that all the shape files and raster data involved were projected onto the same projection coordinate system. This also included adapting a spreadsheet that contained spatial and attribute data so that it could be successfully imported and projected by ArcGIS. This file had latitude and longitude coordinates for petroleum storage tanks in Escambia County in degrees/minutes/seconds format, which ArcGIS cannot recognize. So, within the spreadsheet, columns were added that converted the d/m/s coordinates into decimal degrees, which ArcGIS can use. Once this was done, the file could be imported and then converted into a shape file. This was then used along with aerial photos and vector files - for Florida's counties, major roads, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's digital orthophoto quadrant map - to create the map below, which shows the locations and types of petroleum tanks in two quadrants located in Escambia County.

Petroleum Storage Tanks in South Escambia County, FL