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Setting up QGIS

This section explains how to install Q–LavHA, a model for the probabilistic hazard assessment of lava flows working as a QGIS plugin.

Objectives

  • Install Q–LavHA.

Installing Q-LavHA

  1. From the Moodle page of the class, download the VolcanicRisk2023.zip file and extract it somewhere on your personal user drive.
  2. Make sure QGIS is closed.
  3. In Windows, navigate to the following folder, where $USER is your ISIS username:

Alternative link

Alternative dowload link 

C:\Users\$USER\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins

/Users/$USER/Library/Application Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/

Warning

  • If the plugins folder doesn't exist, please create it.
  • The Users\ folder might be named Utilisateurs in French
  1. Copy the Qlavha_v3 folder to the plugins folder.

Use your user disk!

If you are using the PC of the computer lab, make sure your files are saved on your personal drive! This is typically the H:\ drive. Otherwise, your files will be deleted every time you logout!

Starting QGIS

  • Search for QGIS 3.2x and start it. Depending on the computer, the version might vary between 3.20 and 3.23. Please take the most recent one. Avoid QGIS 3.4!

Activate Q-LavHA

To activate Q–LavHA in QGIS:

  1. Re-open QGIS as previously.
  2. From the Menu Bar, open the Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins window.
  3. Following Figure 1, search for lava and activate the plugin.
  4. There should now be a Q-LavHA icon in the Toolbar.

QGIS_plugin

Figure 1: Activate the Q–LavHA plugin

Loading data

The Lava_Flow_Exercise_2023.zip file downloaded from Moodle contains a Lava flow exercise folder that contains these files:

  • LaPalma_exercise_2023.qgz: Main QGIS file.
  • Data/
    • exercise.gpkg: Geopackage containing some vector files for the exercise.
    • lapalma.gpkg: Geopackage containing some vector files on previous eruptions at La Palma.
    • osm.gpkg: Geopackage containing openstreetmap files.
    • DEM/: Folder containing some pre-processed DEM files.
    • Hydro: Folder containing hydrological analyses.

Open the LaPalma_exercise_2023.qgz file.

Centering the map

If you don't see any data on the map, click the Background layer group in the Layer panel and click Zoom to group.

zoom

You should now see something similar to this:

data

Save regularly!

QGIS is amazing, but it can be unstable at time. Make sure you regularly save your project throughout the exercise!