GISD 3020 APPLIED GIS I

Wind Modeling
for Orchard Spray Analysis

Bronwyn Fleet-Pardy
10/9/2013





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Table of Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................1
Study Area................................................................................................................................................1
Wind Rose Diagrams..............................................................................................................................2
Description of Model..............................................................................................................................3
Process..........................................................................................................................................................4
Data Preparation.....................................................................................................................................4
Steps for Creating the Model.................................................................................................................4
Creating the Raster.............................................................................................................................4
Creating the Orchards.......................................................................................................................5
Selecting an Orchard.........................................................................................................................6
Calculating the Area...........................................................................................................................6
Calculating the Amount of Pesticide.................................................................................................7
Defining the Total Area Effected.......................................................................................................8
Creating the Pesticide Drift................................................................................................................9
Creating an Aspect GRID.................................................................................................................10
Remap Table......................................................................................................................................10
Reclassifying the Aspect GRID.........................................................................................................11
Calculating the Distribution of Pesticide.........................................................................................12
Smoothing the Final Output............................................................................................................13
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................13
Cumulative Pesticide Concentration GRID.............................................................................................14
Software.......................................................................................................................................................a
Data Sources...............................................................................................................................................a
Works Cited.................................................................................................................................................a
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Introduction
For many years, it was presumed that large amounts of pesticide were healthier for agriculture
crops. Theoretically, there would be fewer insects to damage the vegetation. Today however,
these practices today have become unacceptable due to the environmental impacts pesticides can
have on soil, vegetation, water and the inhabitants within all these environments. Many pesticides
that were previously used are now classified as harmful and dangerous chemicals. Some have
been banned from use because of their toxicity.
This report documents Wind GRID Modeling and Map Algebra using various datasets; to display
wind dispersion and atmospheric pesticide drift around an orchard (geographically located near
Canning, Nova Scotia). The GRID Modeling was performed with the Raster Calculator tool, using
Map Algebra equations in the ArcGIS 10.1 suite. ESRIs ModelBuilder was utilized to execute
many of the processes, and Wind Roses from Environment Canada data were created as well,
these were completed in order to perform an orchard spray analysis depicting the wind aspect,
frequency and direction of the pesticide drift. The end resulting ModelBuilder is a visual diagram
of the process that is documented in this report.
The data was provided by the Nova Scotia Geomatics Centre (NSGC) and Environment Canada.
Study Area
The study area was a 1:10,000 NSGC Map sheet (map sheet code: YRY6KL) of the Canning area
in Nova Scotia. This area was designated by the analysts director. The map sheet contained 42
orchards within the region. The Wind Station for Canning is Greenwood A. The Environment
Canada data was collected during the month of June; the figures from the data are used
throughout the analysis.
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Figure 1: Southern portion of Nova Scotia
in blue with the rectangular red shape displaying the study area of Canning.

Wind Rose Diagrams
The wind rose diagrams were created as a visual representation to display the quantity of
Environment Canada data. This was done in a way so the data could be assessed quickly and
comprehensively. The 16 point azimuth was used for creation of the diagrams. The wind
frequency demonstrated in Figure 2, indicates the wind was typically flowing west/south/west for
the month of June. The drift frequency of distribution for the month of June averaged to
east/north/east as presented in Figure 3.
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Figure 2: Wind Frequency Wind Rose. The frequency of the wind is displayed in the lighter blue and the mean velocity
is displayed in the darker blue.

Figure 3: Drift Frequency Wind Rose. The distribution frequency is displayed in the lighter purple while the mean
distribution is displayed in the darker purple.
Description of Model
Wind Speed: 4.8 kilometres per hour, this was selected since it was the average wind speed
during the month of June. The particle size chosen for the model was 15 microns; this was
selected to display a greater result than some of the other micron sizes; such as 25 or 50, which
do not drift as far as 15 microns in a 4.8km/p wind speed. Some pesticides are more volatile
than others, the smaller the microns, the higher chance of the pesticide spray drifting further. The
quantity of pesticide that is being applied for this model is 5.5 litres per hectare. The height that
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the pesticide is being sprayed is 10 feet from the pesticide boom nozzle. These figures will be
used for several Map Algebra equations which will determine an accurate pesticide analysis and
will conclude what the total area affected by the drift is.
Process
Various steps were taken to complete the processes for the analysis. These are listed below.
Data Preparation
The data that was supplied by the NSGC was stored in a Microsoft Access Database. The study
area was clipped (using the Geoprocessing tool Clip) from this dataset, examined thoroughly for
any issues to understand the content of the attributes. The Environment Canada data was
transfigured into a Microsoft Excel sheet to generate the remap table and wind roses diagrams
for visual illustration (See: Wind Rose Diagrams, Remap Table). The data from the NSGC was in
the vector format therefore needed to be converted into a raster before any analysis could be
performed.
Steps for Creating the Model
Creating the Raster
Polygon to
Raster
Converts polygon features to a raster dataset.
ArcGIS
Syntax
PolygonToRaster_conversion (in_features, value_field, out_rasterdataset,
{cell_assignment}, {priority_field}, {cellsize})
Analysis
Syntax
N/A
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Figure 4
Result
Description
The result was a vector converted into a raster tif file, which can now have the
analysis performed on it.
Creating the Orchards
Region
Group
For each cell in the output, the identity of the connected region to which that cell
belongs is recorded. A unique number is assigned to each region.
ArcGIS
Syntax
RegionGroup (in_raster, {number_neighbors}, {zone_connectivity}, {add_link},
{excluded_value})

Analysis
Syntax
RegionGroup("%orchards.tif%", "EIGHT")

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Figure 5: All 42 orchards displayed in the figure are now assigned unique numbers.
Result
Description
The Region Group assigns like cells a specific value determined by their
connectivity, for neighbouring cells of a different value, a new region is created.
This formula is based on eight neighbouring cells, which can be up, down, left,
right and diagonal. The EIGHT was used because it delineates the join between
cells that have the same value if the cells are nearest to the eight cells of the
original cell.
The Region Group equation was used to produce unique number for the
orchards. The result yielded the raster orchard_num. Each orchard in the raster
now has it a unique number assigned to the value. This raster will now be used
for the next step in the process, which is selecting a specific orchard for the
analysis.
Selecting an Orchard
Extract By
Attributes
Extracts the cells of a raster based on a logical query.
Model
Description
The Extract by Attributes equation is used to perform a query on one of the
unique numbers that was assigned to the orchards. In this case orchard 20
is used, since it is centrally located in the Canning map sheet.
ArcGIS Syntax ExtractByAttributes (in_raster, where_clause)
Analysis Syntax ExtractByAttributes("%orchard_num%", "value = 20")


Figure 6: Orchard 20 selected for analysis.
Result
Description
The result is the extracted orch20 raster, which will be used for several
more of the raster calculations.

Calculating the Area
Lookup and
Count
Creates a new raster by looking up values found in another field in the table
of the input raster.
Model
Description
The Lookup equation was used to perform a reclass using the derived area.
This gave the value attribute the same number as the count attribute field.
ArcGIS Syntax Lookup (in_raster, lookup_field)
Analysis Syntax Lookup("%orch20%", "COUNT")
Result
Description
Each pixel in the orch20 raster now encompasses the value attribute as the
count attribute.
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Figure 7: Area 20 with the count and value attributes.
Calculating the Amount of Pesticide
Area Equation
for pesticide
A Raster Calculator equation was used to define how much pesticide is being
spread at the rate of 5.5 litres per hectare and that each pixel is .01 hectare.
Model
Description
The Map Algebra equation using the area of orchard 20, applied at the rate
of 5.5 litres of pesticide to calculate the results. This finds the amount of
pesticide that was applied per 0.01 hectare and how each cell will be
affected by the pesticide.
ArcGIS Syntax N/A
Analysis Syntax 5.5 * "%area20%" * 0.01


Figure 8: The amount of pesticide present in orchard 20.
Result
Description
The equation yielded the quantity of pesticide that is present in each cell of
the orchard when it was applied at 5.5 litres per hectare.


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Defining the Total Area Effected
EucDistance Calculates, for each cell, the Euclidean distance to the closest source.
Model
Description
The Euclidean Distance equation was used to determine the total area
affected by the pesticide. The assumed particle size is 15 microns at a wind
speed of 4.8 kilometres per hour. The maximum drift distance used for this
equation was 1080 metres. The parameters are set as such to average out
the distance.
ArcGIS Syntax EucDistance (in_source_data, {maximum_distance}, {cell_size},
{out_direction_raster})
Analysis Syntax EucDistance("%orch20%", 1080)


Figure 9: The distance of the area affected displayed high (1080metres) to low (0 metres).
Result
Description
The result of the EucDistance equation produced a high to low ratio of
pesticide concentration in the drift area that was based on the wind speed
and particle size.


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Creating the Pesticide Drift
EucAllocation Calculates, for each cell, the nearest source based on Euclidean distance.
Model
Description
The Euclidean Allocation equation is used for allocating all of the pesticide
over a1080 metres radius. Two equations were used. One was for all
orchards allocation. The other was for decimal points to maintain the small
orchard accuracies.
ArcGIS Syntax EucAllocation (in_source_data, {maximum_distance}, {in_value_raster},
{cell_size}, {source_field}, {out_distance_raster}, {out_direction_raster})
Analysis Syntax (EucAllocation("%orch20%", 1080, Int(100 * "%pest20%"))) / 100.000
EucAllocation("%orch20%", 1080, Int("%pest20%"))


Figure 10: drift_con20 raster displaying the total coverage of the pesticide used in pest20
and distributes it in the 1080 metre range from orch20.

Figure 11: drift_con20a distributes the same as the drift_con20 but preserves the decimal
accuracy for the small orchards, (orchard 20 is a smaller orchard compared to some in the
study area).
Result
Description
The two Euclidean Allocation equations produced drift concentration GRIDs,
one displaying a high to low ratio while the other displays an entire
concentration of pesticide. Although in the legend for drift_con20a, it
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depicts a high to low ratio, the numbers remain the same. The drift_con20
demonstrations the same characteristics.
Creating an Aspect GRID
Aspect Derives aspect from a raster surface. The aspect identifies the downslope
direction of the maximum rate of change in value from each cell to its
neighbors.
Aspect can be thought of as the slope direction. The values of the output
raster will be the compass direction of the aspect.
Model
Description
The Aspect tool is used to create an aspect that will allow for the orchard to
be reclassified using a remap table based on the compass rose (azimuth)
directions.
ArcGIS Syntax Aspect (in_raster)
Analysis Syntax Aspect("%Distance20%")


Figure 12: Based on the Distance20, the Aspect function
Result
Description
Based on the Distance20, the Aspect function used the azimuth and
distance to execute the analysis of the rasters surface.
Remap Table
Remap Table The Remap object is used to specify how to reclassify values of the input
raster.
Description The data was acquired from Environment Canada for wind frequency
integers for the month of June. The table reclassifies using aspect20. The
table encompasses the TO and FROM wind direction.
ArcGIS Syntax N/A
Analysis Syntax N/A
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Figure 13: Remap Table
Reclassifying the Aspect GRID
Reclass by ASCII
File
Reclassifies (or changes) the values of the input cells of a raster using an
ASCII remap file.
Model
Description
The Reclass by ASCII File is used to reclassify the values of the input raster
cells using the remap table that was created with figures from the Greenwood
wind station in June.
ArcGIS Syntax ReclassByASCIIFile (in_raster, in_remap_file, {missing_values})
Analysis Syntax ReclassByASCIIFile ("%aspect20%", "freq_rmt.txt")


Figure 14: reclass20 displaying the six groups based on aspect20.
Result
Description
The Reclass by ASCII file changed the value of aspect20 based in the
remap table and the result is a integer with six assigned values.


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Calculating the Distribution of Pesticide
Creating
Frequency
Equation
Reclassifies (or changes) the values in a raster.
Model
Description
The Map Algebra equation creates the mean frequency concentration for the
pesticide used on the orchards. This is based off of the reclass ASCII file and
the drift concentration GRID file.
ArcGIS Syntax N/A
Analysis Syntax "%reclass20%" / 100.00 * "%drift_con20%"


Figure 15: mfreq20 displaying the high and low ratio of the pesticide drift.
Result
Description
The reclass file divides the drift_con20 to make a percentage of the values.


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Smoothing the Final Output
The Focal Statistics Smoothing tool was utilized to give the outcome of the frequency equation an
enhanced visual.

Figure 10: Smoothed

Conclusion
Models can execute the same or similar processes repetitively, as long as the analyst has the
appropriate model. The parameters can be altered and improved in several ways and the model
will still run. Models can be a pronounced visual aid. Being able to change the parameters and
variables can be an excellent asset. If the analyst wants to change orchards, process more than
one orchard at a time, change study areas or change the input data to another dataset. This
model could be used as a mockup or example for another agriculture pesticide spray analysis.


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Cumulative Pesticide Concentration GRID

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Software
ESRIs ArcGIS Desktop 10.1 Suite
Microsoft Office
Data Sources
Nova Scotia Geomatics Centre
Environment Canada
Works Cited
ESRI.(2011,629).Lookup(SpartialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResourceCentre:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//009z000000sn000000.htm
ESRI.(2011,296).RasterCalculator(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResourceCentre:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//009z000000z7000000.htm
ESRI.(2011,629).ReclassbyASCIIFile(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResourceCentre:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//009z000000sp000000.htm
ESRI.(2011,629).Reclassify(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResourceCentre:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//009z000000sr000000.htm
ESRI.(2012,811).ArcGISHelp10.1BuildingexpressionsinRasterCalculator.RetrievedfromArcGIS
Resources:http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//009z000000zn000000
ESRI.(2012,118).Aspect(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//009z000000tr000000
ESRI.(2012,811).EuclideanAllocation(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//009z0000001m000000
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ESRI.(2012,811).EuclideanDistance(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//009z0000001p000000
ESRI.(2012,118).ExtractbyAttributes(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//009z00000029000000
ESRI.(2012,1024).PolygontoRaster(Conversion).RetrievedfromArcGISResources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//001200000030000000
ESRI.(2012,118).RegionGroup(SpatialAnalyst).RetrievedfromArcGISResources:
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//009z00000039000000
Hebert,M.(2013).GISD3020GridModellingandMapAlgebra03Part1.WindModelsPart1.Nova
Scotia:CentreofGeographicSciences.
Hebert,M.(2013).GISD3020GridModellingandMapAlgebra03Part2.WindModelsPart2.Nova
Scotia:CentreofGeographicSciences.
Hebert,M.(2013).GISD3020GridModellingandMapAlgebra03Part3.WindModelsPart3.Nova
Scotia:CentreofGeographicSciences.
University,T.O.(n.d.).ReducingSprayDrift.RetrievedfromBulletin:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/b816/index.html
University,T.S.(2004,118).Majorvariablesondriftdistance.Retrievedfrom
http://ohioline.osu.edu/aexfact/0525.html