An Introduction

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 Presentation Outline

 GIS Definition
 GIS Components
 H ow does GIS Works
 Conceptual Model
 What Can GIS Do
 GIS Application

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 What is GIS?
A GIS is a specific information system
applied to as a system of hardware,
software , personnel and procedures
designed to support data capture,
management, manipulation, analysis,
modeling and display of spatially
referenced data for solving complex
planning and management problems.

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 What makes GIS Distinctive
GIS technology integrates common database
operations such as query and statistical
analysis with the unique visualization and
geographic analysis benefits offered by maps.
GIS readily converts data between different
data models (unlike most database and statistical
software). These abilities distinguish GIS from
other information systems and make it
valuable to a wide range of public and private
enterprises for explaining events, predicting
outcomes, and planning strategies.
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 GIS Components

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 Five Key Components
1 H ardware
2 Software
3 Data
4 Methods
5 People
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 1 Hardware
is the computer in which
a GIS operates.
 Input devices
(Keyboard, Digitizer, Scanner)
 Power Computers
(Workstations, Servers, PC)
 Storage devices
(Hardisks,Tape drives,CDs)
 Output devices
(Monitor, Printer, Plotter)

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2 GIS Software

GRASS
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3 Data
Spatial data Non-Spatial data

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 4 Methods
 Well designed plan
 Business rules
 Reference Model
 Guidelines
 Specifications
 Procedures
 Operating practices unique to
each organization

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 5 People or Personnel
 GIS Manager
 GIS Specialist
 GIS Technician
 GIS Analyst
 Programmer
 Data Encoder
 Engineer
 Planning Officer

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 H ow does GIS work?

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How GIS works

Combination of

COORDINATE DATA

and

TABULAR DATA

each feature has a record

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How GIS works

Data GIS Handles

• Spatial Data
– Usually translated into simple objects: points, lines,
areas, and grids( pixels)
– Represented as maps
– Example: a parcel of land
• Attribute data ( Non- spatial or Spatial Data)
– are descriptive information about specified spatial
objects.
– Often has no direct information about the spatial
information but can be linked to spatial objects they
describe.
– Usually organized in tables
– Example the owner of the parcel land

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How GIS works

Most of the information we have about our

world contains a spatial reference, placing
that information at some point on the globe.
 Relating information from different sources
 Data Capture
 Data Integ ration
 Projection and Registration
 Data Structures
 Data Modeling

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How GIS works

Relating information from different sources

Roads (digital line graph) Rivers (digital line graph) Scanned Topomap

Digital Orthophoto Landsat 7 (satellite image) Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

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 Other Geospatial Data
 Base Maps - include streets, highways,
boundaries for census, postal, political areas,
rivers and lakes, parks and landmarks; place
names
 Environmental Maps – include data related to
the environment , weather, environmental risk,
satellite imaginary, topography, and natural
resources.
 Socio- economic data - include data related to
census/demography, health care, real state,
telecommunications, emergency preparedness,
crime, business establishment, & transportation.
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How GIS works

Data Capture

 Keyboard entry of
Technical Descriptions
 Scanning paper maps
or blueprints
 Manual digitizing by
either a tablet or a
on-screen

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How GIS works
Data Capture
GPS data collection

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How GIS works

Data Integration
A GIS makes it
possible to link, or
integrate,
information that is
difficult to
associate through
any other means.
Thus, a GIS can
use combinations
of mapped
variables to build
and analyze new
variables
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How GIS works

Projection and Registration

A projection is a mathematical
means of transferring information
from the Earth's three-dimensional,
curved surface to a two-
dimensional medium paper or a
computer screen.
Unprojected
Different projections are used for
different types of maps because
each projection is particularly
appropriate for certain uses.
Map information in a GIS must be
manipulated so that it registers, or
fits, with information gathered from
Projected
other maps.
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How GIS works

Data Structures
RASTER DATA vs. VECTOR DATA
Stores information on a lattice Objects are represented as
or grids Point, Lines, Polygons
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3
4
1 1 4 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
Windmill
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3
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How GIS works

Data Structures
Data models
a.) “VECTOR” data
a.1) Zero dimensions:
 Points
 Multipoints
a.2) One dimension:
 Line segments
 Polylines
 Splines
a.3) Two dimensions:
 Polygons

b.) “RASTER” data

 Indicator grids
 Categorical grids

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How GIS works

Data Modeling
A GIS can be used to depict two- and three-dimensional
characteristics of the Earth's surface, subsurface, and
atmosphere from points where samples have been collected.

Points with values Generated contours

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 GIS Conceptual Model

The Real World

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 GIS Conceptual Model

Capitals States
Rivers

Roads

Lakes
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 What can GIS do?

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What can GIS do

 Generically
 Find features with known properties but unknown
location
(“Where is a particular feature on the landscape?”)
(“Where are features with specific properties?”)
 Identify properties of features with known location
(“What type of features are at a specific location?”)
 Analyze the relationship between/among features
and location
(“Is there a reason these features are found at this
location?”)

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What can GIS do

 Specifically
 Estimate economic effects of land-use regulation
(Spotted owl, salmon)
 Determine the optimal locations of new
businesses
(demographics, transportation)
 Generate optimal routing and scheduling delivery
and repair services
(network & routing)
 Determine the ground area covered by a new
cellular phone network
(visibility and line-of-sight analysis)

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What can GIS do

 Specifically
 Delineate watershed boundaries for estimates of
sedimentation effects on fish-bearing streams
 Predict vegetation types based on elevation,
slope, and aspect
 Predict landslide hazard for forest harvest units

 Calculate the correlation between demographics

and HIV infection rates
 Locate natural areas that need protection

 Make communicative, colorful, and interesting

maps

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What can GIS do

Proximity Analysis
 Two or more data layers are overlaid
 GIS creates buffers around features on a particular layer
 This allows analyses such as flood zone delineation and
features near a route such as hotels along a bike route.

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What can GIS do

Query and Overlay Analyses

 Query building is a data exploration operation
 Example statement: ‘([acres] > 500 AND [age] > 55)’
 This would highlight all land parcels of greater than 500 acres
owned by people older than 55 years old in a data set loaded
into the GIS.
 Map algebra with raster data, in this type of operation
mathematical operations are done on each pixel of multiple
data layers. This results in a new data layer that is calculated
from all the input layers.

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What can GIS do

Spatial Analysis
 Raster data can also
be used to create
surfaces
 Other raster data
uses:
 Density analysis
 Proximity analysis
 Least-cost paths
 Line-of-sight
 Hydrology analysis

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 GIS Applications

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GIS Applications

Municipalities / Planning

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GIS Applications

Telecommunication

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GIS Applications

Cartography

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GIS Applications

Agriculture / Suitability Analysis

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 GIS Topic References and Websites:

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/
http://www.gis.com/whatisgis/
http://www.gis.rgs.org/whatisgis.html
http://www.gis.rgs.org/
http://www.gis.com/whatisgis/
http://www.esri.com/

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 Thank you.

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