Sample A: Cover Page of Thesis, Project, or Dissertation Proposal

128
The weighted suitability modeling process to create a risk map for the transmission of
RVF virus to humans in Virginia is shown in Figure 4.16. The risk of RVF virus
transmission to humans was determined by assigning the risk of RVF virus establishment
model and human density layer equal weights (0.50) to sum to 1.0. The weighted sum
process was again run with the risk of establishment and human density layers to create the
overall risk of RVF virus transmission to humans map (Figure 4.17). Again, for descriptive
purposes, outputs of the weighted suitability model were classified using histograms to
indicate very low and low risk in green, medium risk in yellow, and high and very high risk
in the red.
Figure 4.16. Chart from ArcGIS ModelBuilder application showing construction of a
weighted sum model for risk of RVF virus transmission to humans. The Human Density
layer was added to the RVF risk of establishment model, the layers were reclassified and
equally weighted, and the weighted sum process was run again to produce a risk map.
128