Refining Hernando de Soto's Route Using Electric Circuit Theory and CircuitScape |
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| Authors: | Jonathan B Thayn Kathryn Sampeck Matthew Spaccapaniccia |
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| Institution: | Illinois State University |
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| Abstract: | A least-cost path (LCP) analysis and a circuit theory analysis were used to estimate the path followed by Hernando de Soto as he crossed the Appalachian Mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina in 1540. The analyses were performed on the slope of the terrain and on a function of the slope that estimates hiking speed. The analyses were performed on data sets with 90-m and 180-m spatial resolutions. Three potential routes were found and compared. The most novel element of the work was the use of CircuitScape software, which returned the likelihood that each cell in the raster data was a part of de Soto's route. This clearly illuminated areas where the estimated routes were more constrained and areas where de Soto would have been free to take alternate paths without increasing travel time. The two analysis methods, LCP and circuit theory, corroborate one another and provide insight into de Soto's journey. |
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| Keywords: | Appalachian Mountains CircuitScape Hernando de Soto least-cost path analysis |
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