Static Maps and Charts

When inspiration strikes, I often enjoy looking for data and libraries to help construct new maps and charts. Although there exists an almost incalculable number of ways to represent data, understanding how to classify tables using 'groupBy' statements, counts, and other units of measurement help us narrow down the possibilities, creating more honest information as well as deciphering patterns from it.

Below is a collection of some of my recent static maps in 2022. Much of the data was found online via OSM, NGOs, the UN, and local Kentucky statewide DEM data for example.

All maps were produced in QGIS. Click on an image to view the full size image.

Maps and Charts

11/13/2022

Glacial icesheet melting has risen in recent years due to the excess carbon in the atmosphere. As global sea temperatures rise, glacial meltoff is creating sea level change at unprecedented levels. Many areas of Charleston, SC and other coastal areas are already feeling the impacts of sea levels rising over time.

This map takes a look at glacial data from 2016 and 2020 taken by the Glacial Icesheet Mapping from Space project at NASA. Areas in red indicate places where glacial meltoff has occurred - where glacial icesheets were deteced in 2016, but not for 2020.

11/8/2022

OpenStreetMap is an excellent resource for finding crowdsourced data. The platform has proven to be effective in collaboratively mapping the built environment in and around various cities throughout the world. The cool thing is, OpenStreetMap data is 100% free and can be readily downloaded via the Turbo Overpass API or through the OSM plugin in QGIS.

Eastern religious traditions make up a sizeable portion of the religious practices by many Americans nationwide. Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs make up a large portion of centers of practice throughout the continental United States. This map showcases these eastern religious centers throughout the US by clustering them in areas of higher density as well as individual locations - especially as they're less prevalent throughout the Midwest and northern Texas.

Although a large majority of US citizens follow an Abrahamic tradition (ie Christianity, Islam, Judaism), many of the minority groups of eastern religious traditional practice make up a sizeable chunk of the population as well. This diversity of faiths is further evidence of the diversity of American cultural practice and makeup worldwide.

11/7/2022

This map compares known strip mining sites with DEM data provided by KentuckyFromAbove's LiDAR datasets. Red areas are considered very low-grade slope and red boundaries indicate known mountaintop removal sites.

Strip mining locations match relatively well with slopeless areas where the topography was flattened. It's also worth noting that the tri-county area of Breathitt, Knott, and

11/5/2022

The map below examines Ukrainian wheat flour prices by kilogram since September of 2022. Numerous agricultural ports in southern Ukraine have been siezed by the Russian military while many in the north are still active and under Ukrainian defense. No data was provided for the region outside of metropolitan Kiev as well as the Luhansk and Donetsk regions to the east.

11/3/2022

Almost all countries in the world participate in the rare earth minerals trade. Many of these compounds and resources are used in the manufacture of cell phones, microchips, circuitry, and many other facets of technology.

This map showcases the production sites of rare earth minerals in the world according to USGS.