Day 2: Lines

Day 3: Polygons

Day 4: A Bad Map

Day 5: Analog

A watercolor painting of New Mexico highlighting its rivers and mountains. Georeferenced and turned into a 3D scene for day 23. 

Day 6: Asia

Day 7: Navigation

I chose to create a heat map of North Atlantic shipping routes in 2008. It’s been a fascinating journey exploring historical maritime navigation data.

Day 8: Africa

Storybook map of Africa, made possible thanks to John Nelson’s invaluable YouTube tutorials. His expertise has been a game-changer in honing my mapping skills. Africa's diverse beauty shines through.

Day 9: Hexagons

A hexagon-themed map of Canada's honeybee colonies, crafted using 2016 Census of Agriculture data from Esri Canada. Discover the intricate pattern reflecting the meticulous design of honeycombs, shedding light on the essential role of bees in the Canadian landscape.

Day 10: North America

Map of North American rivers, each highlighted by its basin. Check out the natural flow and interconnected beauty of these waterways.

Day 11: Retro

Quick retro spin on Australia's map with limited data. 

Day 12: South America

Animation capturing the migration journey of a newly established population of Argentine Barn Swallows. Watch as these graceful birds navigate the South American landscapes, marking their path in this avian adventure. 

Day 13: Choropleth

A choropleth map of Denver's neighborhoods, showcasing crime reported in 2021 using data from data.colorado.gov. 

Day 14: Europe

Today's map explores the rivers of Italy, drawing inspiration from Milan Janosov, Ph.D.’s work. Categorized by their Strahler stream order, this map unveils the intricate network of waterways shaping Italy's landscapes.

Data sources:

Rivers of Europe (2021) AQUASTAT (FAO) on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States. URL: https://lnkd.in/gUfkP54Q [November 2023]

World Countries (2013) Esri on ArcGIS Online. URL: https://lnkd.in/gGy-k2kJ [November 2023] 

Day 15: OpenStreetMap

Today’s map draws inspiration from the lively pictorial bird’s-eye view of Denver, Colorado, published by Harvey Hutter & Co. in New York in 1989 — a piece I have hanging on my wall. Using OpenStreetMap, I’ve recreated a modern perspective, capturing the evolution of Denver’s landscape. 

Day 16: Oceania

Map featuring ocean currents around Oceania, revealing the dynamic flow shaping the maritime landscapes of this diverse region. 

Day 17: Flow

This map illustrates the flow of connectivity, highlighting Denver Airport's proximity to key airports. Using green for the closest and red for those farther away, explore the strategic connections shaping air travel in North America.

Data sources: World Airports (2018) Esri Deutschland Content on ArcGIS Online. URL: [https://lnkd.in/g_vjzYVw) [November 2023] 

Day 18: Atmosphere

A mesmerizing gif of wind animation using NOAA Physical Science Laboratory's NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis 1 (2023 data). This map, my most challenging yet, involved turning two NetCDFs into a multidirectional raster, mosaicking them together, and converting them into CRF format. The result? A captivating wind animation uploaded as a tile layer on ArcGIS Online. 

Day 19: 5 Minute Map

Presenting my quick masterpiece—a Denver poster inspired by the city posters on Etsy. In just 5 minutes, I captured the essence of the city's charm.

Data source: Street Routes (2019) [Feature layer] City and County of Denver, Technology Services / Enterprise Data Management on ArcGIS Online. URL: https://lnkd.in/gKN7-s-H [November 2023] 

Day 20: Outdoors

Embracing the simplicity of nature, here's my contour map of Denver, featuring graduated colors to depict elevation in each contour. Sometimes, the beauty lies in the uncomplicated, allowing us to appreciate the natural outdoor landscape.

Data Source:

- U.S. Geological Survey, 20230602, USGS 1 Arc Second n40w105 20230602. URL: [https://lnkd.in/gKCNY_hd) [November 2023]

- U.S. Geological Survey, 20230602, USGS 1 Arc Second n40w106 20230602. URL: [https://lnkd.in/gEH8KDUj) [November 2023] 

Day 21: Raster

A raster map born from a lidar scan transformed into a LAS, which became a LAS dataset. This data journey continued as I converted it into a raster, incorporated cross sections along the river line, added the lowest depth points, built a bounding polygon, and transformed it into a REM. The finishing touch? A splash of color to bring this multidimensional landscape to life.

Data Source:

AZ GrandCanyonNP 1 2019 (2022) [3DEP] U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). URL: https://lnkd.in/gfxq9ZSq [November 2023] 

Day 22: North is Not Always Up

Today's map delves into the fluvial geomorphology of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area along the Green River. Building upon yesterday's lessons learned, I utilized a USGS 1 Meter 12 x62y455 WY_Southwest_2020_D20 National Elevation Dataset, taking another crack at the process with a fresh perspective. Rivers, indifferent to cardinal directions, flow as gravity guides them. Explore this dynamic landscape where traditional orientations take a backseat to the natural course of the river.

Day 23: 3D

Transforming art into reality! Today's 3D scene brings to life my analog map from Day 5—a watercolor painting of New Mexico highlighting its rivers and mountains. With georeferencing and the terrain feature layer from ESRI on the Living Atlas, this landscape springs into three-dimensional beauty. 

Day 24: Black and White

A firefly map of the United States, capturing thermal hotspots and fire activity in a monochromatic palette.

Datasource:

Thermal activity detected by the VIIRS sensors on the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 satellites during the last 7 days (2020) [Feature Layer] Esri on Living Atlas. URL: https://lnkd.in/g77GRuKw [November 2023]

World Imagery (Firefly) (2018) [Tile Layer] Esri on Living Atlas. URL: https://lnkd.in/g7rgVrKG [November 2023] 

Day 25: Antartica

Standard projections distort the icy continent. Uncover the varied perspectives and distortions that bring a fresh understanding of Antarctica's unique geography. 

Day 26: Minimal

Stripping away unnecessary details, this map invites you to appreciate the beauty in simplicity. Explore the harmonious blend of art and minimalism in this map. 

Day 27: Dot

Behold the artistry in dots! Today's map features a mesmerizing pen and stipple effect, following John Nelson’s wonderful tutorials again. Set against the unique backdrop of a Peirce Quincuncial Projection, this map takes on a distinctive visual appeal. The dots, created with Moriarity Hand from Project Linework by Dylan M., converge to form a captivating masterpiece. 

Day 28: Is this a chart or map?

Day 29: Population

U.S. population depicted in a spike map, highlighting clear density patterns. The east reveals higher concentrations, contrasting with scattered population pockets in the western states. 

Day 30: My Favorite

A 3D diorama showcasing the breathtaking landscape of Colorado's Rocky Mountains. The majestic peaks come alive, popping off the map, thanks to the invaluable guidance from John Nelson’s tutorials. I've revisited his diorama videos multiple times, incorporating various techniques to capture the essence of this stunning natural wonder. These have become a favorite of mine to make.