September 11, 2023 - Rangers in Yosemite do more than just look around the park. Sometimes (frequently, actually) we study it very closely, with intense scientific rigor. We track rockfalls and wildfires, while hydrology and air quality stations monitor river flow and air chemistry. We even model bird population distributions and document forest health and composition. Besides the simple fun of getting to know this landscape better, all of these pieces of data help inform our management policies.
And now you, too, can get an inside look at this data.
We’re excited to announce the Yosemite Observer Dashboard, a public website that collects physical science data about the park from many sources and presents it visually in one place. Curious to know the current wind speed at Ostrander Lake? You can find that information there. How about a plot of river flow at Happy Isles? Absolutely. Want a map of rockfalls in Yosemite Valley color-coded by the season of occurrence? Sure thing. There is even a 3D model you can fly around in to see locations of past rockfalls on the Yosemite Valley walls. And all this is before mentioning the fire maps and air chemistry sensors. We weren’t kidding about the bird population models, either.
This wealth of information is now available at https://experience.arcgis.com/.../a8e39c18f17541668e635c4....
We would like to thank the generous donors of Yosemite Conservancy for making this project possible.
Source & photos: YNP