Scribd
Upload
25 views6 pages

Projection Exercise

This report details the process of reprojecting and clipping geospatial data to analyze river systems in Tana River County, Kenya, using datasets from the World Resources Institute. The data was transformed from the WGS 84 Geographic Coordinate System to UTM ARC 1960 Zone 37 S for improved spatial accuracy, allowing for a comparison of hydrological changes between 1980 and 2080. The study emphasizes the importance of appropriate coordinate systems for accurate analysis, data integration, and compliance with local standards.

Uploaded by

Michael ngangira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views6 pages

Projection Exercise

This report details the process of reprojecting and clipping geospatial data to analyze river systems in Tana River County, Kenya, using datasets from the World Resources Institute. The data was transformed from the WGS 84 Geographic Coordinate System to UTM ARC 1960 Zone 37 S for improved spatial accuracy, allowing for a comparison of hydrological changes between 1980 and 2080. The study emphasizes the importance of appropriate coordinate systems for accurate analysis, data integration, and compliance with local standards.

Uploaded by

Michael ngangira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

DEPARTMENT OF GEOSPATIAL AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY


FGE 421: PRACTICAL EXERCISE
REPORT ON GEOSPATIAL REFERENCE SYSTEMS PROJECTIONS
CASE STUDY: RIVERS IN TANA RIVER COUNTY, KENYA
GROUP 3
F19/2349/2021 Henry Mwoha Mwigoti
F19/2363/2021 Salome Wanjiru Wainaina
F19/2352/2021 Karanja Daniel Kamau
1. Introduction
This report outlines the process undertaken to reproject and clip geospatial data to analyze
rivers within Tana River County. Using datasets from the World Resources Institute (WRI), the
analysis focuses on hydrological changes by comparing river datasets from 1980 and 2080. The
initial data was in the WGS 84 Geographic Coordinate System and reprojected to UTM ARC
1960 Zone 37 S which accurately maps our area of interest.

2. Data Preparation
2.1 Initial Datasets
The downloaded data included:
• Rivers (1980 and 2080): Global raster datasets representing hydrological information
from the World Research Institute (WRI) website.
• Kenya Administrative Boundaries: A vector dataset delineating county boundaries.
2.2 Coordinate System and Projection
The river datasets were initially in WGS 84 Geographic Coordinate System, a globally
recognized framework that uses latitude and longitude for spatial referencing. However, this
system is not ideal for detailed local analysis due to distortions in scale. Therefore, the data was
reprojected to the UTM ARC 1960 Zone 37 S projection, which is optimal for Kenya and ensures
spatial accuracy within the study area.
Steps for reprojection included:
Step 1: Open ArcMap and Load Your Data
1. Open ArcMap and load the dataset (shapefile, feature class, or raster) with the current
WGS_84 coordinate system.
2. Right-click the layer in the Table of Contents, and select Properties.

Step 2: Verify the Current Coordinate System


1. In the Layer Properties window, go to the Source tab.
2. Check the current coordinate system under the Spatial Reference section. Ensure it is set
to WGS_84 (EPSG: 4326).
3. Close the window.

Step 3: Define the Target Coordinate System


1. Right-click the Data Frame (typically named Layers) in the Table of Contents.
2. Select Properties and go to the Coordinate System tab.
3. In the dialog:
o Navigate to Projected Coordinate Systems > UTM > Southern Hemisphere.
o Select Arc 1960 UTM Zone 37S (EPSG: 21037).
4. Click OK to set this as the Data Frame's coordinate system.
Step 4: Project the Data
1. Go to the Arc Toolbox by clicking the red toolbox icon.
2. Navigate to Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Feature >
Project (or Raster > Project Raster if working with raster data).
3. In the Project Tool window:
o Input your dataset under Input Dataset or Feature Class.
o Choose an Output Dataset location and name.
o Click the Output Coordinate System button:
▪ Select Projected Coordinate Systems > UTM > Southern Hemisphere >
Arc 1960 UTM Zone 37S.
o (Optional) If prompted, select a transformation method appropriate for your area
of interest. For East Africa, use WGS_1984_to_Arc_1960.
4. Click OK to run the tool.

Step 5: Verify the Projection


1. Add the newly projected data to the map.
2. Right-click the new layer, select Properties, and go to the Source tab to verify it is now in
Arc 1960 UTM Zone 37S.
3. Data Processing
3.1 Importing Administrative Boundary Data
The vector file containing Kenya’s administrative boundaries was added to the GIS workspace.
The attribute table of the dataset was reviewed to identify Tana River County, which served as
the area of interest (AOI) for this analysis.
3.2 Clipping Using SQL Commands
To isolate Tana River County:
1. The attribute table of the Kenya administrative vector data was queried using SQL.
2. The query syntax specified the name field containing "Tana River" as the selection
criterion.

3. The extracted polygon was used to clip the raster river datasets for both 1980 and 2080.
This approach ensured that only data relevant to Tana River County was retained for subsequent
analysis.

4. Results and Observations


4.1 Visualization of River Data
The clipped datasets provided a clear depiction of river systems within Tana River County for
both years. By overlaying the two datasets, spatial changes in river extents could be observed,
highlighting potential impacts of climate change or other factors over the century.
4.2 Accuracy and Precision
The choice of the UTM ARC 1960 projection minimized distortions, enhancing the accuracy of
spatial analysis.

4. Conclusion
The process of changing the coordinate system from WGS_84 to UTM Arc 1960 Zone
37S in ArcMap is crucial for ensuring spatial accuracy and compatibility in geospatial
analysis. Different coordinate systems are used based on the geographic location and
purpose of the analysis. WGS_84 is a global geographic coordinate system, while UTM
Arc 1960 Zone 37S is a local projected system tailored for East Africa, offering more
precision for regional mapping and analysis.
This transformation is essential for:

1. Accurate Distance and Area Calculations: UTM systems minimize distortions over small
areas, enabling precise measurements.
2. Data Integration: Ensures consistency when combining datasets from different sources,
particularly in projects involving East African geospatial data.
3. Mapping and Visualization: Facilitates better visualization of local-scale maps by aligning
data to a projection suited for the region.
4. Compliance with Standards: Many local agencies and organizations require data in their
specific projected coordinate systems, such as UTM Arc 1960 Zone 37S.
By following this procedure, geospatial professionals can produce reliable and
standardized outputs for informed decision-making.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy