$$\ $$\ $$$$$$$$\ $$$$$$$\ $$\ $$\ $$$$$$\ $$$$$$$\ $$ | $\ $$ |$$ _____|$$ __$$\ $$$\ $$$ |$$ __$$\ $$ __$$\ $$ |$$$\ $$ |$$ | $$ | $$ |$$$$\ $$$$ |$$ / $$ |$$ | $$ | $$ $$ $$\$$ |$$$$$\ $$$$$$$\ |$$\$$\$$ $$ |$$$$$$$$ |$$$$$$$ | $$$$ _$$$$ |$$ __| $$ __$$\ $$ \$$$ $$ |$$ __$$ |$$ ____/ $$$ / \$$$ |$$ | $$ | $$ |$$ |\$ /$$ |$$ | $$ |$$ | $$ / \$$ |$$$$$$$$\ $$$$$$$ |$$ | \_/ $$ |$$ | $$ |$$ | \__/ \__|\________|\_______/ \__| \__|\__| \__|\__| Nova Scotia Abandoned Mine Openings — Interactive Web Map Version 1.0.0-beta Developed by: Alex Hordal Course Name: CRTY 1033 — Web Mapping Submission Date: January 29, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Student Disclaimer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This map is produced as a portion of the requirements of the GIS: Cartography and Geovisualization program of the Centre of Geographic Sciences, NSCC, Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia. The product is unedited, unverified, and intended for educational purposes only. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data Source -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. (2024). *Abandoned mine openings* [Dataset]. Government of Nova Scotia. https://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/download/dp010.asp -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data Layer Description & Application Purpose -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The data layer used in this web map represents abandoned mine openings across the province of Nova Scotia, sourced from the Nova Scotia Abandoned Mine Openings Database. The purpose of this map is to provide users with a spatial overview of abandoned mine openings across the province while providing relevant mine-specific attribute information, including: • Mine Name (Name) • Opening Type (Opening_ty) • County (County) • Location (Location) • Land Owner (LandOwner) • Access (Access) • Degree of Hazard (Degree_Haz) • Escape Potential (Escape_Pot) • Original Depth (m) (OrigDepth) • Original Length (m) (OrigLength) • Original Width (m) (OrigWidth) • Latitude (WGS 84) (Lat_WM84dd) • Longitude (WGS 84) (Lon_WM84dd) • Reference Link (hotlink) The map includes point data for 8,565 abandoned mine openings and implements feature reduction strategies to group thousands of individual mine shafts into easily interpretable data clusters that "break apart" depending on zoom level. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usage Instructions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are a variety of ways to interact with the mine openings web map: Search: Target Specific Sites • The search functionality is designed for users who have a specific destination or data point in mind. • Use the search bar to locate mine openings by Name, ShaftID, or primary commodity (e.g., Gold). • Selecting a search result will open the individual mine attribute window, where users can view specific attribute information (as listed above), as well as the mine's primary commodity. A "Zoom-to" button allows for discrete zooming. Spatial Exploration: Explore the Map • Gain a province-wide overview of over 8,500 historic sites. • Larger clusters represent a higher density of abandoned mine openings, while smaller clusters represent fewer openings. • Clusters are symbolized by the colour representing the most common commodity found within that cluster (e.g., gray for Tin). • Zooming occurs intuitively using the middle mouse scroll wheel or dedicated interface zoom buttons. • When zooming in, larger data clusters separate into smaller clusters until only individual mine features are visible. • Each individual mine feature is coloured according to its respective commodity type (see the legend for classification details). • Using the "Find my location" tool, users can identify mine openings relative to their current location. • For ease of exploration, the map can be rotated by clicking and dragging the right mouse button. The map can be reset to its original orientation by clicking the "Reset map orientation" button. • A card-style legend is located at the bottom right of the map interface. The first card lists commodities and their associated colours. The second card displays a dynamic scale comparing circle size to the number of mine openings represented. • A dynamic scale bar is located at the bottom left of the map interface and updates according to the user's zoom level. Attribute Modals • Once a specific mine site has been identified, the attribute modal (popup) provides the technical ledger for that opening. • Each modal includes an external link back to the official Nova Scotia provincial database for deeper archival research. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Known Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Some mines include incomplete or missing attribute information. This may apply to one or more mine attributes, including primary commodity and mine name. • Searching for mines with the string "No data available" returns mine openings with unknown commodity information, represented on the map by light gray. • If scrolling limitations are encountered when viewing large cluster summaries in Microsoft Edge, undocking the attribute modal will expand the view and allow access to the full list of features. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future Development -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Mine image integration • Visual representation of the primary commodity in both individual mine and cluster modals • Visual representations (e.g., pie charts) in cluster summaries indicating the statistical composition of each cluster • Dynamic legends that respond to map view and content -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Document Object Model (DOM) Manipulation Techniques for UI/UX Improvements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Various DOM manipulation techniques can be implemented to improve the overall mine openings web map user experience. These are outlined below, including the potential improvements, the manipulation technique, and the DOM document source. Hover-Based Interaction • To facilitate rapid data scanning across a large dataset, DOM event listeners such as `.addEventListener()` can be used to create lightweight "quick-view" information panels triggered by mouseover events. Rather than requiring users to click individual features among more than 8,500 mine openings, the application could monitor cursor interactions with map features and dynamically update a designated DOM container. When a cursor intersects a mine opening, a JavaScript function could populate the container using the `.innerHTML` property to display key attributes such as mine name, primary commodity, and operational status. This approach reduces interaction friction and improves exploratory efficiency. Dynamic Symbology in Attributes • DOM manipulation can also enhance attribute presentation through the integration of visual cues. Instead of relying solely on text-based descriptions, JavaScript logic could evaluate the "Primary Commodity" attribute when a mine opening is selected and dynamically inject a coloured ASCII or symbolic marker adjacent to the attribute text using `.innerHTML`. When used in conjunction with the map legend, this technique reinforces visual consistency between map symbology and attribute information, allowing users to more quickly associate individual mine openings with their primary commodity. Active Legend States • Active legend states can be implemented by attaching event listeners to legend DOM elements. Using the classList API, the application can toggle the visibility or opacity of mine openings relative to the selected commodity. This allows users to isolate specific datasets, reducing visual clutter and improving map clarity and usability. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esri. (2024). Styling and UI components. ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript. https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/guide/styling/ Mozilla. (2024, October 25). Element: classList property. MDN Web Docs. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Element/classList Mozilla. (2024, October 25). Introduction to the DOM. MDN Web Docs. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document_Object_Model/Introduction Mozilla. (2024, October 25). Element: innerHTML property. MDN Web Docs. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Element/innerHTML Mozilla. (2024, October 25). Introduction to events. MDN Web Docs. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Core/Scripting/Events The Odin Project. (n.d.). DOM manipulation and events. https://www.theodinproject.com/lessons/foundations-dom-manipulation-and-events