Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference

nsf-logo[1]

  • About
    • About AAAS
    • About the NSF
    • About the Conference
    • Partners/Supporters
    • Project Team
  • Conference
  • Abstracts
    • Abstract Submission Process
    • Presentation Schedules
    • Abstract Submission Guidelines
    • Presentation Guidelines
    • Undergraduate Abstract Locator (2020)
    • Graduate Abstract Locator (2020)
    • Faculty Abstract Locator (2020)
  • Travel Awards
  • Resources
    • App
    • Award Winners
    • Code of Conduct-AAAS Meetings
    • Code of Conduct-ERN Conference
    • Conference Agenda
    • Conference Materials
    • Conference Program Books
    • ERN Photo Galleries
    • Events | Opportunities
    • Exhibitor Info
    • HBCU-UP/CREST PI/PD Meeting
    • In the News
    • NSF Harassment Policy
    • Plenary Session Videos
    • Professional Development
    • Science Careers Handbook
    • Additional Resources
    • Archives
  • Engage
    • Webinars
    • Video Contest
    • Video Contest Winners
    • ERN 10-Year Anniversary Videos
    • Plenary Session Videos
  • Contact Us

Least Cost Path Analysis: Tsunami Evacuation

Undergraduate #223
Discipline: Ecology Environmental and Earth Sciences
Subcategory: Geosciences and Earth Sciences

Priscilla Baltezar - Humboldt State University
Co-Author(s): Ana Molina and Sam Ureel, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA



Municipal safety in local communities is inextricably connected to the natural environment in which that community resides. It is essential to assess the possible hazards within any major or minor municipal zones in order to protect environmental and public interest. Northern California faces significant earthquake and tsunami risks due to the presence of major subduction plates (Pacific Northwest Seismic Network [PNSN], n.d.). Impact hazard assessment allows communities to develop a more effective safety plan and to reduce the damage that an earthquake event may pose in a coastal community. An effective safety plan would need to include the most efficient evacuation routes in the event of a tsunami event. I hypothesize that GIS analysis will be an effective tool for evaluating the viability of different tsunami evacuation routes. I used the Spatial Analyst Toolbox in ArcMap 10.1 to model an evacuation route from one location in Arcata that was susceptible to flooding in the event of a tsunami. With the software, I developed an algorithm that could take different data layers and assign weighted costs to slope, elevation, and tsunami inundation to determine the ‘least cost path’ from a given location to an area of safety. The origin point was set north east of Humboldt Bay and the program showed a final destination to safety ending south east of Humboldt Bay at a preferred elevation point. The purpose of this study was to explore the applications of the Spatial Analyst toolbox in quantifying evacuation during an earthquake tsunami event. A significant challenge included being able to quantify the extent of damage and realistically applying it to a more standardized safety plan. In order to more easily apply the model one should take into account the variability in the location of residents within an area that is at risk. This study revealed that GIS analysis has the potential to contribute greatly to evacuation planning, but that there are areas where the technique could be better developed to take into account the complexity of local communities. (Key Terms: Euclidean distance, Spatial Analyst, Raster, GIS, Hazard Planning, DEM, Spatial Analyst).

Funder Acknowledgement(s): Humboldt State University

Faculty Advisor: Laurie Richmond,

ERN Conference

The 2022 ERN Conference has been postponed.

Full Notice

What’s New

  • Congratulations to Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy on her 2021 AAAS Fellowship
  • Event Vaccination and Liability Policy
  • Webinars
  • Events|Opportunities
  • AAAS CEO Comments on Social Unrest, Racism, and Inequality
  • Maintaining Accessibility in Online Teaching During COVID-19
  • In the News
  • HBCU/CREST PI/PD Meeting

Conference Photos

ERN Conference Photo Galleries

Awards

ERN Conference Award Winners

Checking In

nsf-logo[1]

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

AAAS

1200 New York Ave, NW Washington,DC 20005
202-326-6400
Contact Us
About Us

The World's Largest General Scientific Society

Useful Links

  • Membership
  • Careers at AAAS
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Focus Areas

  • Science Education
  • Science Diplomacy
  • Public Engagement
  • Careers in STEM

 

  • Shaping Science Policy
  • Advocacy for Evidence
  • R&D Budget Analysis
  • Human Rights, Ethics & Law
© 2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science