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An Introduction to
Geographical
Information System
(GIS)
Presented by: Dr. SP Chaminda
SLT Campus, Padukka, Sri Lanka
What does GIS stand for?
2
• Geographic
(Geography)
• Information
• System
Defining Geographic Information System (GIS)
3
• The common ground between information processing and the many
fields using spatial analysis techniques. (Tomlinson, 1972)
• A powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving,
transforming, and displaying spatial data from the real world.
(Burroughs, 1986)
• A computerized database management system for the capture,
storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial (locationally
defined) data. (NCGIA, 1987)
• A decision support system involving the integration of spatially
referenced data in a problem solving environment. (Cowen, 1988)
Geographic Information System (GIS)
4
▸ A computer-based system for the collection,
storage, organization, maintenance, and analysis of
spatially-referenced data, and the output of
spatially-referenced information.
▹ Data – Any collection of related facts; the basic
elements of information.
▹ Information - Data that have been processed to be
useful; provides answers to "who", "what", "where", and
"when" questions
▸ Information can only come from accurate data.
Why study GIS ?
5
The world is so large, complex and there are many people and feature in it, It is
important to know what is happening where.
 80% of local government activities estimated to be geographically based
plats, zoning, public works (streets, water supply, sewers), garbage collection, land
ownership and valuation, public safety (fire and police)
 a significant portion of state government has a geographical component
natural resource management
highways and transportation
 businesses use GIS for a very wide array of applications
retail site selection & customer analysis
logistics: vehicle tracking & routing
natural resource exploration (petroleum, etc.)
precision agriculture
civil engineering and construction
 Military and defense
Battlefield management
Satellite imagery interpretation
 scientific research employs GIS
geography, geology, botany, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science
Epidemiology, criminology
6
Is GIS about software only?
Information systems help us to manage what we know, by making easy to organise and store,
access and retrieve, manipulate and synthesize, and apply knowledge to the solution of
problems.
But is GIS about computers only?
Some definitions of GIS focus on the hardware, software, data and analysis of components.
However, no GIS exist in isolation from the organizational context, and there must always be
people to plan, implement and operate the system as well as make decision based on the
output.
A Geographic Information System is not only about computers, software and electronic data.
A GIS is an organised collection of :
– Hardware
– Software
– Network
– Data
– Procedures
– And people! Source: Longley et al (2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science. 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
7
Geographical Information
Geographical Information is different from other kinds of information and therefore
requires special methods to be analysed. Here are some of the characteristics
that make geographical information special:
• Multidimensional – at least two coordinates must be specified to define a
location
• Voluminous – a geographic database can easily reach a terabyte in size
• Different Representations - and how this is done can strongly influence the
ease of analysis and the end results
• Requires projection to flat surface
• Requires unique analysis methods
• Analyses require data integration
• Data updates are expensive and time consuming
• Map displays require fast data retrieval
8
Types of GIS
There are a number of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) (or GIS software)
available today. They range from high-powered analytical software to visual web
applications, and each of those are used for a different purpose.
Due to the vast number of GIS available it is simply not possible to provide
training for each in this course. However, there are common feature in all GIS.
Understanding these basic features will give you confidence with any GIS system
that you use in the future.
Three groups of GIS:
• Web-based GIS:
• Geobrowser: Google Earth
• Desktop GIS: ArcGIS
9
Desktop GIS
A GIS, or GIS software, allows you to interactively work with spatial data. A desktop GIS is a
mapping software that needs to be installed onto and runs on a personal computer.
In this course, we will use ArcGIS, which is developed by ESRI. ArcGIS is what ESRI refer to as a
suite of products which can be tailored to your need. ArcGIS is used for a vast range of
activities, covering both commercial and educational uses.
The basic version of ArcGIS is what we will be using in this course and is all the majority of GIS
users will ever need.
10
Geobrowser
A Geobrowser is better explained
with reference to an internet
browser, i.e. Internet Explorer. In
short, a geobrowser can be
understood as an Internet Explorer
for geographic information. Like the
internet it allows the combination of
many types of geographic data
from many different sources. The
biggest difference between the
World Wide Web and the
geographic web however is that
everything within the latter is
spatially referenced.
Google Earth is the most popular
geobrowser available and will be
the one used for this course.
11
12
Web-based GIS
Web-based GIS, or WebGIS, are
online GIS applications which in
most cases are excellent data
visualisation tools. Their
functionality is limited compared
to software stored on your
computer, but they are user-
friendly and particularly useful as
they not required data download.
13
14
GIS strengths
15
▸ More efficiently visualized updates
▸ Easy and effective display
▸ Good database management system for spatial
information
▸ Able to integrate data from many different sources (but…)
GIS Weaknesses
16
▸ Cost and difficulty of database creation
▸ Higher accuracy, higher costs
▸ Integration of data from diverse sources can result in poor
overall accuracy if not well managed
Remember……
17
GIS leads to better decision making!
Defining What People Know
18
▸ Data
▹ Numbers, text, symbols which in some sense are neutral and
context-free
▹ Raw geographical facts: what is the temperature, pressure, type
of tree, building, etc.
▸ Information
▹ Implies some degree of selection, organization, or preparation
for a particular purpose.
▹ Data serving some purpose
▹ Data given some degree of interpretation
▹ Can be costly to produce but inexpensive to reproduce and
distribute
Defining What People Know
19
▸ Knowledge
▹ Information to which value has been added by
interpretation based on some context, experience,
or purpose.
▹ The information on a map, or book, or on the
internet becomes knowledge only when it has
been read and understood .
Defining What People Know
20
▸ Wisdom
▹ Used in the context of decisions made or advice given
▹ Based on all knowledge available, but given with some
understanding of likely consequences
▹ Highly individualized and difficult to create or share within a
group
▹ The top-level in the hierarchy of decision-making infrastructure.
Computer
Science/MIS
graphics
visualization
database
system administration
security
Knowledge Base for GIS
21
GIS
Application Area:
public admin.
planning
geology
mineral exploration
forestry
site selection
marketing
civil engineering
criminal justice
surveying
Geography
and related:
cartography
geodesy
photogrammetry
landforms
spatial statistics.
The convergence of technological fields and traditional
disciplines.
Application of GIS
22
Application of GIS
23
• Retail
• Government
• Law Enforcement
Strategy
• Analysis of election results
• Predictive Modeling
Political Science
• Neighborhood Land Prices
• Traffic Impact Analysis
Real Estate
• Demographic Analysis
• Site Selection
• Market penetration
Business
Application of GIS
24
• Epidemiology
• Needs Analysis
Health care
• Enrollment Projections
• School Bus Routing
Education Administration
• Zoning, Subdivision Planning
• Economic Development
• Emergency Response
• Code Enforcement
• Tax Assessment
Urban Planning And
Management
• Monitoring environmental risks
• Management of watersheds, floodplains,
wetlands, aquifers
• Groundwater modeling and contamination
tracking
• Hazardous or toxic facility siting
Environmental Science
Application of GIS - Malarial Deaths per 10,000 People
25
Application of GIS - Map of Syrian Refugees
26
Application of GIS - The Search For Patterns
27
Displaying spatial data on a map allows us to search for patterns. Mapping the Spread of
Ebola
Application of GIS – Disaster monitoring
28
Application of GIS – Disaster monitoring
29
Application
of GIS –
Disaster
damage
assessments
30
Application of GIS – Post disaster analysis
31
32
Application of GIS –
Post disaster analysis
33
^
_
Trenton
Pemberton
Buena
Batsto
Whiting
Medford
Woodbine
Tuckerton
Lakehurst
Hammonton
Manahawkin
Chatsworth
Mays Landing
Browns Mills
Port Elizabeth
Colliers Mills
Egg Harbor City
Berlin
Vineland
Toms River
Mount Holly
Pinelands National Reserve
Pinelands State Boundary
Application of GIS – Land use plan
The New
Jersey
Pinelands
Application of GIS –
Land use plan
34
Applicatio
n of GIS –
Land use
plan
35
Land use in
Southern New
Jersey and the
Pinelands
Applicatio
n of GIS –
Land use
plan
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
THANKS!
Any questions?
You can find me at @ chamindaspc@yahoo.com

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Introduction to GIS.ppt

  • 1. An Introduction to Geographical Information System (GIS) Presented by: Dr. SP Chaminda SLT Campus, Padukka, Sri Lanka
  • 2. What does GIS stand for? 2 • Geographic (Geography) • Information • System
  • 3. Defining Geographic Information System (GIS) 3 • The common ground between information processing and the many fields using spatial analysis techniques. (Tomlinson, 1972) • A powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving, transforming, and displaying spatial data from the real world. (Burroughs, 1986) • A computerized database management system for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial (locationally defined) data. (NCGIA, 1987) • A decision support system involving the integration of spatially referenced data in a problem solving environment. (Cowen, 1988)
  • 4. Geographic Information System (GIS) 4 ▸ A computer-based system for the collection, storage, organization, maintenance, and analysis of spatially-referenced data, and the output of spatially-referenced information. ▹ Data – Any collection of related facts; the basic elements of information. ▹ Information - Data that have been processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what", "where", and "when" questions ▸ Information can only come from accurate data.
  • 5. Why study GIS ? 5 The world is so large, complex and there are many people and feature in it, It is important to know what is happening where.  80% of local government activities estimated to be geographically based plats, zoning, public works (streets, water supply, sewers), garbage collection, land ownership and valuation, public safety (fire and police)  a significant portion of state government has a geographical component natural resource management highways and transportation  businesses use GIS for a very wide array of applications retail site selection & customer analysis logistics: vehicle tracking & routing natural resource exploration (petroleum, etc.) precision agriculture civil engineering and construction  Military and defense Battlefield management Satellite imagery interpretation  scientific research employs GIS geography, geology, botany, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science Epidemiology, criminology
  • 6. 6
  • 7. Is GIS about software only? Information systems help us to manage what we know, by making easy to organise and store, access and retrieve, manipulate and synthesize, and apply knowledge to the solution of problems. But is GIS about computers only? Some definitions of GIS focus on the hardware, software, data and analysis of components. However, no GIS exist in isolation from the organizational context, and there must always be people to plan, implement and operate the system as well as make decision based on the output. A Geographic Information System is not only about computers, software and electronic data. A GIS is an organised collection of : – Hardware – Software – Network – Data – Procedures – And people! Source: Longley et al (2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science. 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. 7
  • 8. Geographical Information Geographical Information is different from other kinds of information and therefore requires special methods to be analysed. Here are some of the characteristics that make geographical information special: • Multidimensional – at least two coordinates must be specified to define a location • Voluminous – a geographic database can easily reach a terabyte in size • Different Representations - and how this is done can strongly influence the ease of analysis and the end results • Requires projection to flat surface • Requires unique analysis methods • Analyses require data integration • Data updates are expensive and time consuming • Map displays require fast data retrieval 8
  • 9. Types of GIS There are a number of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) (or GIS software) available today. They range from high-powered analytical software to visual web applications, and each of those are used for a different purpose. Due to the vast number of GIS available it is simply not possible to provide training for each in this course. However, there are common feature in all GIS. Understanding these basic features will give you confidence with any GIS system that you use in the future. Three groups of GIS: • Web-based GIS: • Geobrowser: Google Earth • Desktop GIS: ArcGIS 9
  • 10. Desktop GIS A GIS, or GIS software, allows you to interactively work with spatial data. A desktop GIS is a mapping software that needs to be installed onto and runs on a personal computer. In this course, we will use ArcGIS, which is developed by ESRI. ArcGIS is what ESRI refer to as a suite of products which can be tailored to your need. ArcGIS is used for a vast range of activities, covering both commercial and educational uses. The basic version of ArcGIS is what we will be using in this course and is all the majority of GIS users will ever need. 10
  • 11. Geobrowser A Geobrowser is better explained with reference to an internet browser, i.e. Internet Explorer. In short, a geobrowser can be understood as an Internet Explorer for geographic information. Like the internet it allows the combination of many types of geographic data from many different sources. The biggest difference between the World Wide Web and the geographic web however is that everything within the latter is spatially referenced. Google Earth is the most popular geobrowser available and will be the one used for this course. 11
  • 12. 12
  • 13. Web-based GIS Web-based GIS, or WebGIS, are online GIS applications which in most cases are excellent data visualisation tools. Their functionality is limited compared to software stored on your computer, but they are user- friendly and particularly useful as they not required data download. 13
  • 14. 14
  • 15. GIS strengths 15 ▸ More efficiently visualized updates ▸ Easy and effective display ▸ Good database management system for spatial information ▸ Able to integrate data from many different sources (but…)
  • 16. GIS Weaknesses 16 ▸ Cost and difficulty of database creation ▸ Higher accuracy, higher costs ▸ Integration of data from diverse sources can result in poor overall accuracy if not well managed
  • 17. Remember…… 17 GIS leads to better decision making!
  • 18. Defining What People Know 18 ▸ Data ▹ Numbers, text, symbols which in some sense are neutral and context-free ▹ Raw geographical facts: what is the temperature, pressure, type of tree, building, etc. ▸ Information ▹ Implies some degree of selection, organization, or preparation for a particular purpose. ▹ Data serving some purpose ▹ Data given some degree of interpretation ▹ Can be costly to produce but inexpensive to reproduce and distribute
  • 19. Defining What People Know 19 ▸ Knowledge ▹ Information to which value has been added by interpretation based on some context, experience, or purpose. ▹ The information on a map, or book, or on the internet becomes knowledge only when it has been read and understood .
  • 20. Defining What People Know 20 ▸ Wisdom ▹ Used in the context of decisions made or advice given ▹ Based on all knowledge available, but given with some understanding of likely consequences ▹ Highly individualized and difficult to create or share within a group ▹ The top-level in the hierarchy of decision-making infrastructure.
  • 21. Computer Science/MIS graphics visualization database system administration security Knowledge Base for GIS 21 GIS Application Area: public admin. planning geology mineral exploration forestry site selection marketing civil engineering criminal justice surveying Geography and related: cartography geodesy photogrammetry landforms spatial statistics. The convergence of technological fields and traditional disciplines.
  • 23. Application of GIS 23 • Retail • Government • Law Enforcement Strategy • Analysis of election results • Predictive Modeling Political Science • Neighborhood Land Prices • Traffic Impact Analysis Real Estate • Demographic Analysis • Site Selection • Market penetration Business
  • 24. Application of GIS 24 • Epidemiology • Needs Analysis Health care • Enrollment Projections • School Bus Routing Education Administration • Zoning, Subdivision Planning • Economic Development • Emergency Response • Code Enforcement • Tax Assessment Urban Planning And Management • Monitoring environmental risks • Management of watersheds, floodplains, wetlands, aquifers • Groundwater modeling and contamination tracking • Hazardous or toxic facility siting Environmental Science
  • 25. Application of GIS - Malarial Deaths per 10,000 People 25
  • 26. Application of GIS - Map of Syrian Refugees 26
  • 27. Application of GIS - The Search For Patterns 27 Displaying spatial data on a map allows us to search for patterns. Mapping the Spread of Ebola
  • 28. Application of GIS – Disaster monitoring 28
  • 29. Application of GIS – Disaster monitoring 29
  • 31. Application of GIS – Post disaster analysis 31
  • 32. 32 Application of GIS – Post disaster analysis
  • 33. 33 ^ _ Trenton Pemberton Buena Batsto Whiting Medford Woodbine Tuckerton Lakehurst Hammonton Manahawkin Chatsworth Mays Landing Browns Mills Port Elizabeth Colliers Mills Egg Harbor City Berlin Vineland Toms River Mount Holly Pinelands National Reserve Pinelands State Boundary Application of GIS – Land use plan The New Jersey Pinelands
  • 34. Application of GIS – Land use plan 34
  • 35. Applicatio n of GIS – Land use plan 35
  • 36. Land use in Southern New Jersey and the Pinelands Applicatio n of GIS – Land use plan 36
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  • 49. 49 THANKS! Any questions? You can find me at @ chamindaspc@yahoo.com