Blog – Isaac Bain

Hawke’s Bay catchment models

code

maps

3dprint

If you haven’t already seen, I’ve invited catchment groups to get in touch with me if they’re interested in getting a topographic model of their catchment, and one exciting…

LCDB symbology in R

code

maps

The goal of lcdb_symbology in my isaacr package is to colour the symbology of the Land Cover Database (LCDB) in a way that is consistent with the Manaaki Whenua Landcare…

Otama Wetland Relative Elevation Model

code

maps

water quality

In a recent post, I explored the application of a Relative Elevation Model (REM) for the Waimakariri River. REMs are typically used for analysing braided river systems, but…

City maps of the 150 largest urban areas in NZ

code

maps

population

City maps in a particular minimalist style have become quite trendy recently. You’ve probably seen them all over the internet, with sellers on platforms like Etsy charging…

Creating a Relative Elevation Model (REM) of the Waimakariri River

code

maps

water quality

Recently, I created a Relative Elevation Model (REM) for the Waimakariri River, covering the stretch from Gorge Bridge to the coast. A REM is similar to a Digital Elevation…

Draining the Cook Strait

code

maps

animation

bathymetry

With the Aratere ferry once again playing bumper boats during docking, and the dream of a bridge or tunnel across the Cook Strait sinking faster than a lead balloon, it’s…

3D catchment model for the Upper Ruamahanga

code

maps

animation

water quality

In a previous post, I offered to create an STL file for 3D printing for any catchment groups interested in visualising their catchments. Chris Hollis, a geoscience educator…

Ki uta ki tai: 3D catchment models for public outreach

code

maps

animation

water quality

Are you part of a catchment group or similar organisation and interested in creating a physical model of your catchment for public outreach? Allowing people to touch and…

Herding Data: The Udderly Fascinating Trends in New Zealand Livestock

code

maps

animation

In New Zealand, discussing livestock numbers is practically a national pastime, whether you’re interested in the agri-economy, environmental health, or the ever-popular…

Bivariate maps for water quality

code

water quality

maps

We all want rivers that are safe to swim in, clean water to drink, and healthy freshwater ecosystems. However, many areas in New Zealand are not meeting our communities’…

Updated climate change projections released

code

climate

maps

NIWA have recently updated their national climate change projections for New Zealand, by downscaling six global models and three regional climate models through a series of…

3D population density mapping

code

population

maps

3D maps can be both informative and visually stunning. I recently created some 3D population density maps for New Zealand using the R package rayshader, mainly because they…

Map of South Island remote huts

code

maps

outdoors

The Permolat Trust maintains a unique and iconic network of around 70 remote back-country huts and bivouacs in Central Westland. Before the Trust took on their care, these…

Exploring the Estimated Resident Population Grid

code

population

maps

Understanding the distribution of human populations is crucial for various applications, from urban planning to environmental management. Statistics New Zealand’s recently…

Koordinates API for R

code

climate

animation

Many government agencies¹ in New Zealand provide spatial and tabular data through data services built on the fantastic Koordinates platform. The challenge arises when trying…

Earthquakes animation

code

geophysics

maps

animation

GeoNet is a partnernship between Toka Tū Ake EQC, GNS Science, and Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) which has been around since 2001. It is a geological hazard monitoring…

Lakes small multiples

code

water quality

maps

I’ve been inspired by a new type of small multiples map I’ve seen, where multipolygons are extracted from their spatial locations and reassembled in a grid while maintaining…

Arrowtown air quality

code

air quality

animation

Most of the time, New Zealand enjoys good air quality, allowing us to step outside and breathe a breath of fresh air, knowing it’s safe. However at certain times and places…