Introduction to GIS

Introduction to geographic information system • • • •

What is GIS? What GIS able to do?

GIS data types Major application of GIS

What is GIS? Definition: A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. • GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, reports, and charts. • A GIS helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared.

What is GIS? • It is an integration of five basic components • The key components of GIS are a computer system, geospatial data and users.

• A computer system for GIS consists of hardware, software and methods designed to support the data capture, processing, analyzing, modeling and display of geospatial data.

ALL ABOUT DATA The most important component of a GIS What types of data Where can be collected? How it can be used?

SOFTWARE

ESSENTIAL SOFTWARE Allow user to :import, store, manage, transform, analyze and output data

THE POWER OF COMPUTER

Processor with power to run the software Sufficient memory storage Good quality-high resolution colur graphic screen Data input & output devices

DATA

GIS COMPONENTS

METHODS

HARDWARE

PEOPLE

USER

PROCESSING

Well designed implementation plans Unique operations and analysis Skill + experiences

Technical speciallist Common user YOU

Three Views of a GIS A GIS is most often associated with a map. A map, however, is only one way you can work with geographic data in a GIS, and only one type of product generated by a GIS. A GIS can provide a great deal more problem-solving capabilities than using a simple mapping program or adding data to an online mapping tool A GIS can be viewed in three ways: • The Database View • The Map View • The Model View

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The Database View: A GIS is a unique kind of database of the world - a geographic database (geodatabase). It is an "Information System for Geography."

Fundamentally, a GIS is based on a structured database that describes the world in geographic terms.

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The Map View: A GIS is a set of intelligent maps and other views that show features and feature relationships on the earth's surface. Maps of the underlying geographic information can be constructed and used as "windows into the database" to support queries, analysis, and editing of the information.

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The Model View: A GIS is a set of information transformation tools that derive new geographic datasets from existing datasets. These geoprocessing functions take information from existing datasets, apply analytic functions, and write results into new derived datasets.

What GIS can do for you?

1.

Perform geographic queries The ability of GIS to search databases and perform geographic queries has saved many companies literally millions of dollars. GISs have helped :– – – –

Decrease the time taken to answer customer requests.

Find land that suitable for development.

Search for relationships among crops, soils, and climate.

Locate the position of breaks in electrical circuits.

A Realtor could use a GIS to find the houses that have tiled roofs and five bedrooms

What GIS can do for you?

2. Improve organizational integration Many organizations that have implemented GIS have found that one of the main benefits is improved management of their own organization and resources.

- GISs have the ability to link data sets together by geography, so they facilitate interdepartmental information sharing and communication. By creating a shared database one department can benefit from the work of another. Data can be collected once and used many times.

What GIS can do for you?

3.

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Make better decision with GIS A GIS, however, is not an automated decision making system, but is a tool to query, analyze, and map data in support of the decision making process.

GIS technology has been used to assist in tasks such as presenting information at planning inquiries, helping finding best location for industrial area, and indentify hot spot for crimes occurrence. e.g. GIS can be used to help reach a decision about the location of a new housing addition that has minimal environmental impact, is located at a low risk area, and is close to a population center.

What GIS can do for you?

4. Making maps with GIS Maps have a special place in GIS. The process of making maps with GIS is much more flexible than traditional manual or automated cartography approaches. It begins with database creation. Existing paper maps can be digitized and computer-compatible information can be translated into the GIS. Map products can then be created centered on any location, at any scale, and showing selected information symbolized effectively to highlight specific characteristics.

GIS Applications GIS in:• Land use planning • Natural hazard assessment • Environmental/resources management • Crime, accident analysis • Health management • Finding suitable location • Commercialization planning.

• etc....

More Interesting Examples GIS applications • • • • • • •

The National Associations of Realtors has an interactive mapping service that can help potential homebuyers to find listing that meet their criteria and can view these listings on street map. (http://www.realtor.com) Eyebeam, a private firm has website called Fundrace shows the geocoded locations of 2004 presindential campaign contributions in major cities in US (http://www.fundrace.org).

The Mural of Winnipeg is an interactive mapping website that highlight more than 400 mural location in Winnipeg, Canada (http://www.themuralofwinnipeg.com) Some New York City cabs have screens inside that tied to the locationbased services and GPS sensors. - it can promote store or restaurants when it passed by.

The Arkansas Games and Fish Commisions use satellite transmiters and GPS to track and map the movements and distributions of mallards. (http://vestig.cast.uark.edu/website/waterfowl) US Department of Housing and Urban Development has a mapping program that combines housing development information with environmental data. (http://www.hud.gov) U.S Department of Health and Human Services warehouse provides access to information about health resources, including community health centre.