Case Study: The year 2020 wildfires in Napa Valley California. Analyze plant photosynthesis and soil moisture pre-conditions from 2016-2020 with Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite imagery.

Course Description

Learn QGIS through analyzing the year 2020 Napa Valley, California droughts and wildfires with European Sentinel 3 satellite imagery.

Use Raster and Vector files in QGIS. Combine the vegetable activity GeoTiff raster satellite image (Sentinel 3) and wildfires GeoTIFF raster (NASA-MODIS) layer to research the relationship between them using data queries. The possibility of low vegetation activity increases the risk of wildfires. Vector files as database tables to store several fields of data and build statistical charts of vegetation life.


Download Digital Elevation Model raster files to calculate the slope of the wildfire-affected region.  Calculate the slope orientation (western, eastern, north, south) to analyze the risk of wildfire expansion. 

Course curriculum

  1. 01

    • Greetings from your personal virtual GEO University Instructor

    • Introduction to the course
  2. 02

    • Raster and Vector QGIS file types - Part A

    • Raster and Vector QGIS file types - Part B

    • Raster and Vector QGIS file types - Material

    • Coordinate Reference Systems
  3. 03

    • Polygons and clip/cut areas of interest in raster and vector layers

    • Field Calculator and Query Conditions in QGIS - Part A

    • Field Calculator and Query Conditions in QGIS - Part B
  4. 04

    • Vegetable Activity and Soil Moisture in Napa Valley

    • Wildfire's propagation impact: Slope, Aspect

    • Appendix: How to download the course's files
  5. 05

    • Interactive discussion

    • Questions & Answers

What will you learn?

  • Learn how to work with the two principal QGIS file types, raster and vector.

  • Review how to combine different CRS layers in QGIS.

  • How to create a Region of Interest polygon.

  • Fields’s calculations and Query conditions to display regions that comply with desired values.

  • Use of the DataPlotly plug-in to create a value Histogram chart.

  • Raster advanced analysis applied to Wildfire’s expansion and vegetation activity.

Student profile?

  • Undergraduate students

  • Master students and PhD candidates

  • Researchers and Academics

  • Professionals and Companies

Requirements

  • Some understanding of GIS

  • Students should download QGIS from the QGIS website

  • Basic understanding of Earth Observation concepts

Some more information

  • Certificates of Completion

    After you successfully finish the course, you can claim your Certificate of Completion with NO extra cost! You can add it to your CV, LinkedIn profile etc

  • Available at any time! Study at your best time

    We know hard it is to acquire new skills. All our courses are self paced.

  • Online and always accessible

    Even when you finish the course and you get your certificate, you will still have access to course contents! Every time an Instructor makes an update you will be notified and be able to watch it for FREE

About your Instructor

Sixteen years of experience using grouping statistics for Optimization of Logistic Delivery Routes and Supply chain using Geo-Location points. Developed a case of study for the European Space Agency and the Copernicus Earth Observation program about the impact of droughts in Coffee plantations in Guatemala, Central America. Invited by the United Kingdom Joint Nature Conservation Committee to give a conference about my research "Drought impact on Coffee plantations and Biodiversity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean”. Wrote a book for SAP Press (a joint initiative of SAP and Rheinwerk Publishing) about “Data Segmentation Using K-Means and SAP HANA PAL”.

Fernando Roque

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