GEOSCIENTISTS-IN-THE-PARKS Internship Program
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
2020 SPRING/SUMMER NPS UNIT: GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK | PD #: 2020102 | |||||||||||
Position Title: GIS Assistant [Direct Placement] (1) Position Type: Guest Scientist Primary natural resource discipline: Air resources Project keywords: GIS, Education, Air Quality, Water Quality, Story map, soil chemistry, critical loads Location: Gatlinburg, Tennessee | ||||||||||||
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND WORK PRODUCTS | ||||||||||||
Position Description: The intern will work as a member of both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) GIS program a well as the Air Resources and Water Quality Monitoring teams. Duties will include extensive training in the use of ArcGIS Pro, development of Story-maps, air and water quality monitoring protocols as well as air/water quality processes. The candidate will assist with air and water quality field monitoring, some of which may be in partnership with state and federal partners. The candidate will learn to use Microsoft Access and SQL databases to enter a variety of air and water quality data incorporating data validation and verification techniques. There may also be opportunities to speak with youth and adult groups during education programs on current GIS, air and water quality related research in GRSM. Air and water resources at the park are critical vital signs that have been monitored for over 40 years. The park is a federal Class I area under the Clean Air Act requiring protection of air quality-related values at the park (including visibility, streams, soils, vegetation, ecosystems, and public health). Air quality has improved over the past 20 years, but problems still remain to protect public health and ecosystems. Some of the deposition issues facing the park from excess nitrogen, sulfur and mercury will take decades for ecosystem recovery. It is critical for the park to succinctly explain to the public some of the restoration efforts underway to improve and protect aquatic and terrestrial resources at the park. This position is offered through the National Park Service's Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) Internship Program in partnership with Stewards Individual Placement Program (Stewards) and The Geological Society of America (GSA). Work Products: The purpose of this project is to develop an ArcGIS on-line Story-map depicting how historic acid deposition has impacted air, soil and stream water quality as well as the mitigation's and significant deposition improvements that have been made in these areas. The Story-map will help educate visitors, the general public and local/national government leaders regarding these issues and the significant improvements that have been made using long term monitoring data, focused mitigations and sound science. | ||||||||||||
QUALIFICATIONS | ||||||||||||
• Degree in either Environmental Science, Climate, or Computer Science; • Above average computer experience; • Exceptional experience with Microsoft Excel; • Exceptional experience in recognizing data patterns; • Exceptional experience in reading technical literature;
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