An Analysis of 2020 California Wildfires and Corresponding Demographics Using GIS
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Earth & Environmental Science / Geology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Haluk Cetin
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
The record-breaking forest fires of California sparked great unrest across the United States in 2020. Induced by a partnership of both weather and human influence, nearly 10,000 outbreaks burned over 4 million acres of land. The objectives of this project are to map the wildfire events in this particular season and uncover the correlations between outbreaks and demographics. Factors such as population and income are predicted to have a direct correlation with the location and severity of these fires. Assessing the community demographics in the affected areas provides a clearer understanding of devastation and potentially the causes of such outbreaks. To provide a visual of this data, a map was created using imported data and symbology in ArcGIS Pro. The figure displayed a California shapefile, separated by county, as well as the publicly available fire locations and 2020 United States Census data. I predict the outcomes to suggest a greater population of citizens in burned areas as well as increased devastation in regions of overall lower income levels. This study aims to educate individuals on the severity of recent wildfires in California and therefore the safety of selected regions within the state for those who live or visit there.
Fall Scholars Week 2023 Event
Earth and Environment Sciences Poster Session
An Analysis of 2020 California Wildfires and Corresponding Demographics Using GIS
The record-breaking forest fires of California sparked great unrest across the United States in 2020. Induced by a partnership of both weather and human influence, nearly 10,000 outbreaks burned over 4 million acres of land. The objectives of this project are to map the wildfire events in this particular season and uncover the correlations between outbreaks and demographics. Factors such as population and income are predicted to have a direct correlation with the location and severity of these fires. Assessing the community demographics in the affected areas provides a clearer understanding of devastation and potentially the causes of such outbreaks. To provide a visual of this data, a map was created using imported data and symbology in ArcGIS Pro. The figure displayed a California shapefile, separated by county, as well as the publicly available fire locations and 2020 United States Census data. I predict the outcomes to suggest a greater population of citizens in burned areas as well as increased devastation in regions of overall lower income levels. This study aims to educate individuals on the severity of recent wildfires in California and therefore the safety of selected regions within the state for those who live or visit there.