In this video, we address hot spots, cold spots and spatial outliers. All of these measures are LISAs local indicators of spatial autocorrelation, which return values for each enumeration unit. Hot spots are high values surrounded by other high values. In our classes, the term 'high' relates to anything above the average of all values. In this case, we are measuring crime rates for 100 census block groups within the city of Durham, North Carolina. Obviously 'low' refers to values surrounded by other low values that are below the mean while 'surrounded' can take on various definitions. Our tools allow for about 7 different ways to define what a neighbor is from weighted calculations such as IDW (Inverse Distance Weighting) to buffer zones around the enumeration unit in question. This video also look at spatial outliers which represent high values surrounded by low values or low values surrounded by high values with statistical significance. Outlier analysis is a great tool to see where and perhaps why spatial autocorrelation does not apply as per Tobler's First Law of Geography.

These videos have been created in support of teaching and research in the field of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Established in 1910, NCCU is located in Durham, North Carolina, and serves about 8,500 students. The mission of our department is to promote intellectual, professional, and personal excellence through the highest quality instruction, research, and service in the environmental, earth and geospatial sciences. Its vision is to be recognized as a regional, statewide, and national resource for students and society as well as professionals who work in the many fields that are encompassed by the environmental, earth, and geospatial sciences. Students in our programs currently focus their studies in the fields of seismology, natural hazards, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Remote Sensing applications, environmental health & impacts and remediation technology among others. Our courses are designed to provide students with the analytical and methodological skills necessary to understand or derive explanations for individual occurrences, for recurring processes, and for invariable as well as statistical regularities in the earth’s lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. The department prides itself in former students who fostered these skills and have gone onto successful careers in the field at places such as the North Carolina Department of Transportation, City of Durham, Environmental Protection Agency, Lowe’s Corporation, Environmental Protection Agency, National Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, real estate firms and private contractors or students who have gone onto Ph.D. programs at places such as North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.