How Big is that Hole? Using ArcGIS to Calculate the Volume of Sediment Needed to Mitigate Erosion of an Archaeological Site

Presenter Information

Sean Stcherbinine

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

SURC Ballroom C/D

Start Date

15-5-2014

End Date

15-5-2014

Keywords

Geographical Information System (GIS), Archaeology, Compliance

Abstract

Damaged sections of the Sunrise Ridge Borrow Pit archaeological site in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, were investigated to calculate the volume of sediment removed during the construction of a road. Damage consisted of the excavation of a borrow pit where a significant amount of sediment was extracted and archaeological materials disturbed. Central Washington University began a process that assessed the degree of disturbance and erosion, as well as recovered archaeological data during several field schools. The final step of this process is to determine the volume of sediment removed so the site can be converted to its original form. ArcGIS 10.2.1 was used to estimate current versus original topography in order to calculate the cubic meters of sediment required to fill-in damaged areas and mitigate the effects of erosion. Current and original topography were estimated using ArcGIS interpolation tools, which converted discrete total station elevations into two continuous topographic surfaces. Volume difference in these surfaces was calculated using ArcGIS’s cut and fill measurement. This study suggests a minimum of 637 cubic meters of sediment would be necessary to convert the site’s current topography to its original, unaltered gradient. These results will aid in mitigation efforts associated with this site, as well as represent how GIS can be used to calculate sediment loss in a dynamic setting.

Poster Number

30

Faculty Mentor(s)

Novak, Mathew

Additional Mentoring Department

Geography

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May 15th, 11:30 AM May 15th, 2:00 PM

How Big is that Hole? Using ArcGIS to Calculate the Volume of Sediment Needed to Mitigate Erosion of an Archaeological Site

SURC Ballroom C/D

Damaged sections of the Sunrise Ridge Borrow Pit archaeological site in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, were investigated to calculate the volume of sediment removed during the construction of a road. Damage consisted of the excavation of a borrow pit where a significant amount of sediment was extracted and archaeological materials disturbed. Central Washington University began a process that assessed the degree of disturbance and erosion, as well as recovered archaeological data during several field schools. The final step of this process is to determine the volume of sediment removed so the site can be converted to its original form. ArcGIS 10.2.1 was used to estimate current versus original topography in order to calculate the cubic meters of sediment required to fill-in damaged areas and mitigate the effects of erosion. Current and original topography were estimated using ArcGIS interpolation tools, which converted discrete total station elevations into two continuous topographic surfaces. Volume difference in these surfaces was calculated using ArcGIS’s cut and fill measurement. This study suggests a minimum of 637 cubic meters of sediment would be necessary to convert the site’s current topography to its original, unaltered gradient. These results will aid in mitigation efforts associated with this site, as well as represent how GIS can be used to calculate sediment loss in a dynamic setting.