Raster Based GIS Conference

Colorado Avalanche Risk Central/Western Colorado

Avalanches are a common occurrence in the state of Colorado. They pose a great deal of risk to both the natural environment as well as humans. Avalanches can often be deadly and cause a substantial amount of damage to the natural environment. Understanding what areas are most susceptible to an avalanche given certain conditions such as slope, aspect, average temperature, and land cover is critical in the preparation for, and mitigation of, damage caused by an avalanche. This project conducted a suitability analysis to assess what areas throughout the Central/Western portion of Colorado, primarily in Pitkin County, are most susceptible to an avalanche. Upon completion of the analysis, many areas throughout Central/Western Colorado, primarily in Pitkin County, were identified and ranked according to their risk for an avalanche.

About this Student
I currently hold a bachelors degree from Colorado State University, as well as a Foundations of Geographic Information Science certificate from Front Range Community College. I am currently pursuing two more GIS courses (Raster-based GIS and Remote Sensing) to obtain the appropriate knowledge and skills to potentially apply to a graduate-level certificate program. I entered this program having one GIS course in my past educational pursuits. I would like to pursue the use of GIS in a career spanning earth science, national security, and scientific exploration.