Introduction to Fundamentals of GIS

1. GEOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION
SYSTEMS Course
Prepared by: Eng. Heba Al-Hiary
CIS Department
Next

2. Chapter 1:
Fundamentals of
GIS
Every day you ask questions with
a spatial component.
Next
Previous

3. Introduction
01
Defining GIS
02
Questions GIS Can Answer
03
GIS Capabilities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Next
Previous
04
05 History of GIS
06 Components of a GIS

4. INTRODUCTION
Geography has always been important to humans.
Stone-age hunters anticipated the location of
their quarry, early explorers lived or died by their
knowledge of geography, and current societies work
and play based on their understanding of who
belongs where.
Next
Previous

5. Introduction
Every day you ask questions with a spatial component.
Whether you are at work, studying, or at leisure, you
probably ask spatial questions. Many of these
questions you answer for yourself without reference to
a map or a Geographical Information System (GIS),
but both of these tools could help.
Next
Previous

6. Defining GIS
A geographic information system is; “an organized
collection of computer hardware and software, people,
money, and organizational infrastructure that makes
possible the acquisition and storage of geographic and
related attribute data, for purposes of retrieval,
analysis, synthesis, and display to promote
understanding and assist decision making”.
Next
Previous

7. Defining GIS
Some of the shorter definitions give an idea of what a
GIS is, albeit in a superficial way that GIS is “a
computer system that can hold and use data
describing places on the Earth’s surface”.
Next
Previous

8. Defining GIS
Fuller definitions give more idea of what GIS can do,
as well as what they are. “a set of tools for collecting,
storing, retrieving at will, transforming, and displaying
spatial data from the real world for a particular set of
purposes”.
Next
Previous

9. Questions GIS Can Answer
GIS has particular value when you need to answer
questions about location, conditions, trends, patterns,
and, implications such as those below:
Questions GIS can answer:
Next
Previous

10. Location
01 Where is it? Locating geographic
places or objects using place
names, post codes, or geographic
references. Ex: Where is the
nearest bookshop?
Conditions
What has changed?
Involves the previous two
questions and looks at
changes over time through
temporal analysis. Ex:
What have changes to the
population of polar bears
occurred?
Trends
03
What is at? Wish to find a
location where certain
conditions are satisfied. Ex:
Where is there flat land within
500 m of a major highway?
Questions GIS Can Answer
02
Next
Previous
04
05
Patterns
What spatial pattern
exists? GIS can measure
and quantify relationships
between variables in a
geographic context. Ex:
Where do high
concentrations of students
live in this city?
Implications
What if? Questions are posed to determine what happens.
Ex: If we build a new theme park here, what will be the
effect on traffic flows?

11. Condition
“Where are houses that have 4
bedrooms & made up of local bricks?”
Next
Previous

12. Condition
Next
Previous

13. Trend
“How much land has changed to
residential since 1970?”
Next
Previous

14. Trend
Next
Previous

15. Pattern
“At which traffic points accidents
are occurring most frequently?”
Next
Previous

16. Pattern
Next
Previous

17. Implication
“What are the effects on urban
areas, if the road is expanded by one
hundred meters?”
Next
Previous

18. Implication
Next
Previous

19. Location
“Where is the nearest petrol station?”
Next
Previous

20. Location
Next
Previous

21. GIS Capabilities
A GIS has the ability to display and manipulate
geospatial data.
Geospatial data are data that describe both the
locations and the characteristics of spatial features
such as roads, land parcels, and vegetation lands on
the earth’s surface.
Next
Previous

22. GIS Capabilities
The ability of a GIS to handle and process geospatial
data distinguishes GIS from other information
systems.
Next
Previous

23. GIS Capabilities
The capabilities that a ‘well-designed GIS’ should be
able to provide:
1) Quick and easy access to large volumes of data.
2) The ability to:
• select detail by area or theme;
• Link or merge one data set with another;
• analyze spatial characteristics of data;
Next
Previous

24. GIS Capabilities
• search for particular characteristics or
features in an area;
• update data quickly and cheaply; and
• model data and assess alternatives.
3) Output capabilities (maps, graphs, address lists,
and summary statistics) tailored to meet particular
needs.
Next
Previous

25. History of GIS
Within the last five decades, GIS has evolved from a
concept to a science.
Next
Previous

26. History of GIS
The birth of GIS
The first example of linking the 'what' with 'where'
takes us all the way back to 1854 and a cholera
outbreak. At the time, people believed that the disease
was being spread through the air. But an enterprising
English Doctor, Dr. John Snow wasn’t convinced.
Next
Previous

27. History of GIS
DR. JOHN SNOW
Next
Previous

28. History of GIS
So, he decided to map the outbreak locations, the
roads and the property boundaries, and the water
pumps. And, when he did, he made a startling
discovery. A pattern emerged. This pattern proved that
the disease was not in fact airborne but was being
communicated via water and even more specifically by
one infected water pump.
Next
Previous

29. History of GIS
John Snow’s cholera map was a major event
connecting the what with the where.
Next
Previous

30. History of GIS
Not only was this the beginning of the spatial
analysis, but it also marked a whole new field of study:
Epidemiology, the study of the spread of disease.
Snow’s work demonstrated that GIS is a problem-
solving tool. He put the what on a map to show the
where and made a life-saving discovery.
Next
Previous

31. Dr. John Snow’s original map showing the outbreak of cholera against the location of the water pumps.
Next
Previous

32. History of GIS
1854 – 1960
During the next hundred years or so, there was limited
development in GIS. Mapping was paper-based and
there was no computer mapping.
By the 1950s, maps were starting to be used in vehicle
routing, development planning, and locating points of
interest.
Next
Previous

33. History of GIS
1960 – 1975
In the period between 1960 to 1975 three major
technological advancements in new computer
technology led to the birth of modern GIS. Those were:
Next
Previous

34. History of GIS
• the ability to output map graphics using line
printers;
• advances in data storage and
• the processing power of mainframe computers.
We now had the ability to record coordinates as data
inputs and perform calculations on those coordinates.
Next
Previous

35. History of GIS
Roger Tomlinson, widely acclaimed as the ‘Father of
GIS’, during his time with the Canadian Government
in the 1960s, was responsible for the creation of the
Canadian Geographic Information System (CGIS)
resulted in the first computerized GIS in the world in
1963.
Next
Previous

36. History of GIS
ROGER TOMLINSON
Next
Previous

37. History of GIS
1975 – 1990
This era saw the creation of GIS software. Jack
Dangermond, co-founder of Environmental Systems
Research Institute (Esri) Inc. had studied
environmental science, landscape architecture, and
urban design.
Next
Previous

38. History of GIS
1990 – 2010
The adoption of GIS into the mainstream took off
between 1990-2010- due to the launch of new earth
observation satellites and the integration of remote
sensing technology with GIS, which saw more and
more applications being developed.
Next
Previous

39. History of GIS
2010 – 2018
Open-source GIS was born. GIS is now online, in the
cloud, and on your mobile.
Next
Previous

40. History of GIS
Today
Today, GIS and spatial analysis are being used by
everyone whether we realize it or not. Do you use an
app on your phone to get you from A to B? Do you
track your parcel delivery or the taxi you booked? All
these examples use spatial information to get you the
best answer or the most up-to-date information.
Next
Previous

41. Components of a GIS
The components of a GIS include:
The computer system (hardware and operating
system), The software, spatial data, data management
and analysis procedures and the people to operate the
GIS.
Next
Previous

42. Components of a GIS
1) Computer systems and software:
GIS run on the whole spectrum of computer systems
ranging from portable personal computers (PCs) to
multi-user supercomputers, and are programmed in a
wide variety of software languages.
Next
Previous

43. Components of a GIS
Systems are available that use dedicated and expensive
workstations, with monitors and digitizing tables built
in; that run on bottom-of-the-range PCs or
notebooks; and that run on portable Personal Data
Assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs or handheld GIS/GPS
devices (Global Positioning System).
Next
Previous

44. Components of a GIS
Difference between GIS and GPS
GIS is a computer-based system used for capturing,
storing, analyzing, and visualizing geospatial data,
whereas GPS is a satellite-based navigation system
that uses satellites that orbit the Earth to send
information to GPS receivers that are on the ground.
Next
Previous

45. Components of a GIS
GPS information helps determine the location of
objects or people. GPS is used to collect data, which is
later processed by GIS software.
Next
Previous

46. Handheld GPS
Next
Previous
Understanding the GPS

47. GIS workstations: (a) dedicated GIS workstation; (b) desktop GIS; (c–e) GIS on hand-held devices
Next
Previous

48. Components of a GIS
In all cases, there are a number of elements that are
essential for effective GIS operation. These include:
• the presence of a processor with sufficient power to
run the software;
• sufficient memory for the storage of large volumes
of data;
Next
Previous

49. Components of a GIS
• a good quality, high-resolution color graphics
screen; and
• data input and output devices (for example,
digitizers, scanners, keyboards, printers, and
plotters).
Next
Previous

50. Components of a GIS
Likewise, there are a number of essential software
elements that must allow the user to input, store,
manage, transform, analyze, and output data.
Discussion of these issues follows in later Chapters.
Next
Previous

51. Components of a GIS
However, although GIS generally fit all these
requirements, their on-screen appearance (user
interface) may be very different.
Next
Previous

52. Components of a GIS
Some systems
1) still require instructions to be typed at a command
line Interface (CLI), while others
2) have ‘point and click’ menus operated using a mouse.
Next
Previous

53. CLI and GUI
Next
Previous

54. Components of a GIS
2) Spatial data:
All GIS software has been designed to handle spatial
data (also referred to as geographical data). Spatial
data are characterized by information about position,
connections with other features and details of non-
spatial characteristics.
Next
Previous

55. Components of a GIS
The traditional method of representing the geographic
space occupied by spatial data is as a series of
thematic layers. Consider, for example, traditional
cartographic maps that may be available for an
individual area.
Next
Previous

56. Components of a GIS
There may be a map for geology, one for soils, and a
topographic map showing cultural and environmental
features on the surface. Computer models of space
frequently use a similar approach.
Next
Previous

57. Components of a GIS
Spatial data is represented as layers of data such as;
insurance, transport, schools, and urban–rural land
use. This was the first method of modeling space to be
developed. This method, known as the layer-based
approach, is still used by most GIS. An alternative
method of representing reality in a computer is to
consider that space is populated by discrete ‘objects’.
Next
Previous

58. Layer approach
Next
Previous

59. Components of a GIS
An example of a utility company that needs to map and
manage a vast array of telegraph poles, connection
boxes, and cables. Each of these may be regarded as a
discrete object, and there is empty space between the
objects. This method is known as the object-oriented
approach.
Next
Previous

60. Object-oriented approach
Next
Previous

61. Components of a GIS
Spatial data, represented as either layers or objects,
must be simplified before they can be stored in the
computer. A common way of doing this is to break
down all geographic features into three basic entity
types (an entity is a component or building block used
to help data organization). These are points, lines and
areas (polygons).
Next
Previous

62. Components of a GIS
If we take the example in the figure below that
represents “Happy Valley” which is our sample in this
course.
• points may be used to represent the location of
features such as restaurants, lift pylons, or rescue
stations.
Next
Previous

63. Components of a GIS
• Lines can be used to represent features such as
roads, rivers, and ski lifts.
• Area features are used to represent geographical
zones such as lakes, which may be observable in
the real world.
Next
Previous

64. Points, lines and areas
Next
Previous

65. Points, lines and areas
Next
Previous

66. Components of a GIS
These representations of real-world phenomena are
normally held in a GIS according to one of two models:
• 1) raster (sometimes referred to as grid or
tesseral)model.
• 2) or vector model.
Next
Previous

67. Points, lines and areas
Next
Previous

68. Examples of raster (a–d) and vector GIS data layers (e–h)
Next
Previous

69. Components of a GIS
The raster model is particularly applicable where
remotely sensed images are used (since the data are
collected in this format) and is considered the most
appropriate choice for modeling continuous geographic
phenomena such as snow depth.
Next
Previous

70. Components of a GIS
The vector model is more appropriate for mapping
discrete geographic entities such as road and river
networks and administrative boundaries.
Next
Previous

71. Components of a GIS
3) Data management and analysis procedures:
The functions that a GIS should be able to perform
include data input, storage, management,
transformation, analysis, and output.
Data input is the process of converting data from its
existing form to one that can be used by the GIS.
Next
Previous

72. Components of a GIS
• The graphical data describe the spatial
characteristics of the real-world feature being
modeled.
• The graphical data may include information about
the linkages between these features.
Next
Previous

73. Components of a GIS
• The data management functions necessary in any
GIS facilitate the storage, organization and
retrieval of data using a database management
system (DBMS).
Next
Previous

74. Components of a GIS
• GIS has the ability to transform spatial data, for
example from one entity type (points, lines, and
areas) to another, and to perform spatial analysis,
which distinguishes GIS from other types of
information systems.
Next
Previous

75. Components of a GIS
• GIS analysis procedures can be classified into
three types:
 Those are used for storage and retrieval. For
example, presentation capabilities may allow the
display of a soil map of the area of interest.
Next
Previous

76. Components of a GIS
 Constrained queries that allow the user to look
at patterns in their data. Using queries, only
erodible soils could be selected for viewing or
further analysis.
Next
Previous

77. Components of a GIS
 Modeling procedures, or functions, for the
prediction of what data might be at a different
time and place. Predictions could be made
about which soils would be highly vulnerable to
erosion in high winds or during flooding or the
type of soil present in an unmapped area.
Next
Previous

78. Mapping, querying and modelling soil information (
Next
Previous

79. Components of a GIS
The form of data output used will depend on cost
constraints, the audience to whom the results are
directed and the output facilities available.
Next
Previous

80. Components of a GIS
4) People and GIS:
Most definitions of GIS focus on the hardware,
software, data and analysis components. However, no
GIS exists in isolation from the organizational
context, and there must always be people to plan,
implement and operate the system as well as make
decisions based on the output.
Next
Previous

81. Review Questions
Chapter 1
Try!!!!!!
Next
Previous

82. Here’s an assortment of alternative resources whose style fits that of this template
Next
Previous
ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES
● Vintage scrapbook paper collection

83. GIS stands for _________.
● Geographic Information system
● Geographic Internal System
● Global Information System
● None of the above
GIS captures and analyses _________
data.
● Spatial
● Geographic
● Both a and b
● None of the above
Review Questions
Next
Previous
GIS was coined by _________.
● Roger Tomlinson
● Roger James
● Richard
● None of the above
The scientist Roger Tomlinson was given
_________ title.
● Father of GIS
● Father of Globe
● Doctorate
● None of the above

84. Among the following, which do not come
under the components of GIS?
● Hardware
● Software
● Compiler
● Data
Which type of data set is not used in GIS
related software’s?
● vertex
● point
● poly line
● polygon
Review Questions
Next
Previous
Among the following _________ can be
expressed as an example of hardware
component.
● keyboard
● arc gis
● auto cad
● digitalization

85. All geographic features are broken down
into three basic entity types; points, lines
and areas.
Observe the figure beside, then
a) Determine the entity that represented
with each number and
b) Give one example for each entity from
the real world.
Review Questions
Next
Previous
● Answer:
● Number 1: points, Number 2: lines, Number 3: areas
● Examples:
● Number 1: restaurant, Number 2: river, Number 3:
geographical zone.

86. Name the components of GIS.
● Hardware and
● The software and the operating system,
● Spatial data,
● Data management and analysis procedures
● People to operate the GIS.
Match each term of the following with its
GIS component:
a) Color graphics screen
b) Geographical data
c) Rivers
d) DBMS
Review Questions
Next
Previous
● a) Hardware
● b) Spatial data.
● c) Spatial data
● d) Data management and analysis procedures

87. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo,
including icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik
THANKS
DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS?
Next
Previous