1. Intro to Geographic Information Systems 101
Ken Waters
Scientific Services Division
Southern Region HQ
National Weather Service
June 30, 1999

2. Contents What is a GIS? What is a GIS composed of?
What are the main functions of a GIS?
What has caused the recent rapid growth of GIS?
What are some primary uses of GIS?
How are does NWS use GIS?
Where do we go from here?

3. What is a GIS?
Using the US Geological Survey’s definition, A GIS is “a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information, i.e. data identified according to their locations”.

4. What is a GIS? Geographically referenced is the key
Means each data element must have some kind of reference to location in space
GIS is NOT an off-the-shelf piece of software that is ready to run
Much more must go into the implementation of a GIS

5. What is a GIS composed of?
At its most basic, a GIS is composed of data and the analysis tool
In reality, however, there is much more to a GIS:

6. What is a GIS composed of?
The analysis software (e.g., ArcView)
The hardware (PC, workstation, network--server and/or Internet)
Peripheral hardware (plotters, digitizers, GPS)
The data
stored in a RDBMS georeferenced format
includes the process of acquiring the data

7. What is a GIS composed of?
The database structure
The user interface for entering data, analyzing data, updating data, and issuing reports
Last, but not least, the user .

8. What are the main functions of a GIS?
Data Collection
Data Storage
Data Updating
Data Analysis
Output of reports, maps, and tables

9. What has caused the recent rapid growth of GIS?
Rapid increase in microprocessor speed, enabling cheaper, faster personal computers
Rapid decline in online storage costs, enabling easy storage of larger and larger databases
Growth of networking---especially the Internet

10. What has caused the recent rapid growth of GIS?
Development of the GPS allowing easy georeferencing from the field
Greater numbers of remote sensing platforms with increased data resolution and frequency
satellites
radar

11. What are some primary uses of GIS?
Display of analog mapping
Washington D.C. Metro system
USGS quadrangle map excerpts
NOS coastal charts

12. What are some primary uses of GIS?
Interactive map creation
Massachusetts Electronic Atlas
MapsOnUs
MapQuest
TIGER Map Server
National Atlas of the United States of America

13. What are some primary uses of GIS?
Shortest path analysis
MapsOnUs
AutoPilot
Locator Services
Realtor.com

14. What are some primary uses of GIS?
Traffic Information Systems (TIS)
Washington D.C.
CalTrans in Los Angeles, Calif.
Airline Flight Tracking
TheTrip.com

15. What are some primary uses of GIS?
Monitoring Earth Systems
Real-time earthquake maps
Blue Skies (Univ of Michigan)
NCEP Meteograms
Earthwatch
Texas A&M Meteorology Department

16. How does the NWS use GIS?
Some use in River Forecast Centers with stream flow analysis (e.g., AMBER)
OH static display of river flood stages
AWIPS
not really a GIS
uses GIS-created shapefiles for background maps
can be modified to use GIS
Any more?

17. Where do we go from here? Must work on inter-agency relationships
Many other national and state agencies are already using GIS to perform their mission
Little NWS interaction now with these other agencies
Lots of opportunities to share databases

18. Where do we go from here? Integrate GIS concepts into AWIPS?
Dynamic Internet Applications
NWS watches/warnings/forecasts
Develop graphical Internet displays
One-stop shopping for weather data