GEOG 1230 Lecture 3 Types and Sources of Geographical Data

Review: Geographical Data Review: Spatial Component Review: Methods of Collection Assignment Revisited Data Sources Your Examples Comments My Search Next time Lecture Structure

Review: Geographical Data Remember that data are: Facts about a phenomenon that enable us to understand, explain and make decisions about it. BUT Data are NOT information We turn data into information

Review: Geographical Data Remember we defined geographical data as facts that describe phenomena and their spatial characteristics on the Earth Geographical data has three components: Temporal Thematic Spatial

Review: Spatial Component The spatial component can be described using one of two models: location orientated – data is given a coordinate either in an image or in a table object orientated – data is linked to a spatial entity; point, line, polygon or volume.

Review: Method of Collection Data can be classified by the method it was collected: direct measurement remote sensing – photography, satellite cartographic – derived from maps administrative and statutory – by-products of other processes census and surveys

Assignment Revisited Last week you: compiled a list of 6 sources of geographical data use the library catalogue, Athens resources, the internet and other library resources. Some of you were spot on but there was still some confusion Some examples…

Data Sources Geographical data comes in many forms: some are still only in hardcopy many are available digitally many are available online Now some examples…

Your Examples Book: OS Atlas of Great Britain Typical atlas of Great Britain with regional and national maps Is this geographical data? Yes - maps by their very nature display spatial data

Your Examples Internet: Countryside Information System (CIS) spatial info about the British countryside including a range of environmental data and maps Is this geographical data? Yes – explains in the description that the data is spatial

Your Examples Book: ‘Race’ in Britain Today Section at the beginning of the book with statistics from a variety of sources and time spans. Is this geographical data? No – but the data might be linked to counties or by post code

Your Examples Book: Resource and Environmental Management, 2 nd ed. Geographical data? No – it’s just a book Book: Population Geography, 2 nd ed. Geographical Data? No – it’s also just a book

Your Examples Internet: The course material on the web for GEOG1230. Is this Geographical data? Technically yes but not as we’ve defined it. So… NO – It’s not spatial!

Comments You should always be able to identify the spatial component of geographic data Helpful hints: Always put your name and student number on every page Watch out for plagiarism Geography building locks at 5pm!

My Search Internet search for “sources of geographical data”

Specific Sources Some especially good sources: British Geological Survey, National Geoscience Data Centre for NERC digital databases and maps, paper archives and materials collections, and library collections and archives Countryside Information System (CIS) information about the British countryside environmental data per km 2 including: admin. areas; agriculture; land classification; land cover & linear features; species; vegetation

Specific Sources Scottish Environment Protection Agency Environmental Data Provides water quality data, classification schemes (river, esturine, coastal), harmonised monitoring data, discharge and bathing water data, environmental indicator series Planning Statistics Provides data such as commercial and industrial floorspace, development control, land use change and greenbelt statistics

My Search Internet search for “sources of geographic data” Library Catalogue search for “census”

More Examples Internet search for “sources of geographic data” Library Catalogue search for “census” Athens EDINA Digimap (Ordnance Survey online and downloadable map data) Map Library – in geography!! Imagery – aerial photography, satellite imagery

More Examples Some sources of imagery : Canadian centre for Remote Sensing Data Holding include CEOCat (catalogue of satellite images) National Atlas (maps) GeoGratis (free data) NASA Earth Observatory Data & Images Provides data and animations under: Atmosphere, Ocean, Land, Life on Earth and Heat and Energy

More Examples US Census Bureau provides Census 2000 data Supporting thematic maps European Environment Agency Data Service Provides water, tropospheric ozone, acidification, climate change and ozone depletion.

Next Time Sampling and Inference: the first of two lectures. Read about sampling in: Rowntree, D., (1991). Statistics Without Tears: an Introduction for Non-Mathematicians, Penguin, London: 195pp. Ebdon, D. (1985). Statistics in Geography, Blackwell, Oxford: 232pp. Matthews, J.A. (1981). Quantitative and Statistical Approaches in Geography: a Practical Manual, Pergamon, Oxford: 204pp.