Caitlin Dempsey
Building a GIS Career
Geospatial technology is widely used across industries, with evolving GIS skills. Here are tips to prepare for a GIS career.
Acequias in the Southwest U.S.
In New Mexico and other Southwestern states, acequias are channels that are dug to divert water from snow runoff and rivers in order to irrigate fields.
Latitude and Longitude Explained: How to Read Geographic Coordinates
Learn more about lines you see on a map running east-west and north-south called latitude and longitude.
When Rivers Become Ice Roads
During the cold winter months, parts of Canada's Mackenzie River become a ice road that trucks up to 22,000 pounds can navigate.
Will Cool Air Pooling Protect Some Forests from Climate Change?
Researchers looked at the link between cool air pooling and cold-adapted forest composition.
5 Ways GIS Users Can Broaden Their Geospatial Skills
From programming and remote sensing to volunteering and networking, there are many ways to build new geospatial skills.
The World’s Smallest Mountain Range
Surrounded by flat farmland, the Sutter Buttes are an isolated volcanic landform often described as the world's smallest mountain range.
Learning GIS Programming
Having some competence in programming has become a critical requirement for many geospatial positions. So which languages should you learn for GIS programming?
This Bird is Not the Only Crested Jay West of the Rocky Mountains
Since the 1960s, blue jays have steadily expanded their range beyond the Rocky Mountains into western North America.
Choosing the Right Satellite Bands for Remote Sensing
Learn how different satellite sensors respond to Earth's features and which spectral bands are best for remote sensing.
Adapting Time Series Data for Earth Observation
UniTS is a tool designed to simplify the process of using multiple time series datasets created over different time periods and for different geographic resolutions.
Relief Inversion
Telling the difference between a canyon and a mountain on aerial or satellite imagery can sometimes be tricky due to an optical illusion known as relief inversion.
Measuring Tree Height with a Pair of Satellites
Using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from two satellites, researchers developed a method for estimating tree canopy height.
Using Animals to Collect Weather Data
Attaching sensors to wildlife could give scientists fine-scale weather data from the habitats animals move through.
Surge Flows: A Rare River Phenomenon
Surge flows are a rare phenomenon where shallow waters, sand or sediment, and steep topography combine to create waves in rivers.
North America’s Lowest Point on Land is Currently a Lake
Two recent heavy rainfall events have filled Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America on land, up with water.
Using QGIS to Create a Hexbin Map
It is fairly easy to create a hexbin map using QGIS by following this GIS tutorial.
Geography of Lightning Strikes in the United States
Researchers recently mapped out data from the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) between 2017 and 2022 to see where lightning strikes the most across the contiguous United States.
Overwintering Monarch Butterfly Populations
The latest counts of overwintering monarch butterflies in California and Mexico.
Before There was GPS: Personal Navigation in the Early 20th Century
Here are a few creative ways inventors tried to make driving directions easier before there was GPS.
Mapping Geotagged Photos in QGIS
Geotagged photos can be easily mapped out in QGIS by following this GIS tutorial.
Why Climate Change is Making Some Animals More Nocturnal
As daytime temperatures rise, some animals are becoming more active at night to avoid heat stress.
Geography of Atolls
Atolls are ring-shaped coral reefs, islands, or a series of islets that encircle a lagoon either partially or completely.
Cordiform: Heart-Shaped Map Projections
Heart shaped map projections are known as cordiform map projections which is derived from the Latin "cor" for heart and form for shape.
Nor’easter Storms in the United States
Nor'easters are powerful storms that bring heavy snowfall to the East Coast of the United States, primarily between September and April.
Using GIS to Map an Individual Animal’s Home Range
GIS can be used to model animal home ranges using location data collected through radio telemetry and GPS tracking.