Ice Thickness Mapping
Team Member
CS Students:
Jianchen Li, Zicheng Liu, Spencer Dean, Mitch Cramer
HU Students:
Rebecca Driver, Leah Humphries
Ice thickness plays a critical role in determining the hydrological, ecological, and economical function of inland lakes. Yet despite its importance, very little data exists on the thickness of ice on inland lakes across time and space. This app idea will use the geo-location abilities of smart phones along with their near-ubiquity to harness the crowd to collect inland lake ice thickness data. It will be aimed at recreational ice fishers, who regularly sample the thickness of inland lake ice when creating holes for fishing, and who are likely to carry phones to help pass time while waiting for the next bite on their lines. The data collected through the app will also be shared with other ice fishers, creating an incentive for data sharing: the more that people contribute, the better data will be available for fishers looking to select locations. The first level product should collect the GPS coordinates from the smartphone, along with an estimate of lake ice thickness. These measurements will then be displayed on a map, with some means of indicating the time the measurement was taken. To enhance functionality, the server could provide a name-lookup for their current lake. Additionally, some instructional materials showing how to collect data properly will be useful. These materials would be best created with the cooperation of local fishers around campus. These data will be made freely available to scientists to help calibrate models of lake ice thickness, to validate remotely-sensed satellite ice extent data, and to provide a background for future studies looking at changes in lake ice thickness through time.
Documents
A Few Accomplishments
2/26 Rivised Protoypes
2/10 Rivised Protoypes
Initial Protoypes
