Geography 417/517: Introduction to GIS Introductory Materials

Course Topics  Motivation: Why GIS?  Data Models  Map Projections and Coordinate Systems  Data entry - Digitizing  Data entry - GPS  Data entry - Digital data  Image data  Tables  Basic Spatial Analysis  Raster Analyses  Spatial Models and Modeling  Data Quality  The Future

Why does GIS matter?  Health Care  Locate new clinics/hospitals  Delivery Companies  Routes and schedules  Transportation  New highways  Forestry  Where to cut, plant, or build  Governments  Allocate funds  Travelers  Driving directions, hotels  Farmers  Fertilizer and pesticides

Why Learn GIS? GIS is Everywhere

Why computerize manual methods?   To bring together data from multiple sources (synthesis)   Analytical power   measure distance, density, area   overlay and buffer   adjacency and proximity   vicinity (neighborhood)   networks   visibility   Flexibility   Output Quality

Why GIS?  Resource depletion/degradation  Increased problem complexity  Demands by the political body  Improved capabilities  Increased competition

Why GIS?  Expanded capabilities  Do the impossible  Improved efficiency  Reduce speed of analysis 10-fold or more

Why GIS?  Convenient storage and retrieval (paper maps)  Some issues with paper maps  Difficult to update/edit  Many types of analysis are problematic/complex  e.g. overlay, proximity analysis  Data integration is difficult  Large volumes of data

Why GIS?  GIS provides  Data integration and standardization  Methods for managing large volumes of data

Why GIS?  GIS provides  Advanced spatial analysis capabilities

Why GIS?  GIS provides  Automation of repetitive tasks  Sophisticated means of communication: distribution and output

Applications of GIS Four basic categories:  Environmental/natural resource management  Urban and regional management  Infrastructure management  Commercial

Monitoring and Mapping Sea Ice in near Real Time

Why GIS? Pavement quality inventory and monitoring

Why GIS?  Sustaining Lobster Fisheries in Penobscot Bay  Why is it important?  Fisheries stocks dwindling lobster population, an economic mainstay with sustainable harvests

From Observations and Process Knowledge to Prediction and Action

What is a GIS?  Geographic Information System

What is a GIS?  Geographic Information System

Overview of GIS Architecture Spatial data are organized into layers

Overview of GIS Architecture Spatial data layers are registered  states  counties  roads  rivers  cities

Overview of GIS Architecture Attribute data are associated with spatial feature State: New Jersey Pop: 7,730,188 Gov: C. Whitman

Overview of GIS Architecture Attribute data are stored in tables State NamePopulationGovernor New Jersey7,730,188C. Whitman Pennsylvania11,881,643 T. Ridge Etc…

Spatial data and attribute table are ‘linked’ together State Name PopulationGovernor New Jersey7,730,188 C. Whitman Pennsylvania 11,881,643T. Ridge Etc… Overview of GIS Architecture

 We usually understand GIS to be computer-facilitated system  GIS is NOT only software/hardware  Also includes:  Trained personnel  Supporting Institution  Protocols for use Overview of GIS Architecture