GG1011 Module E: Geographic Information System 1

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

What is GIS?

• GIS is an integrated tool box for spatial data input, storage, management, retrieval, manipulation, analysis,
modelling, output, and display.

• GIS combines database operations with cartography modeling.

• GIS lets you (among other things) EXPLAIN events, PREDICT outcomes, and PLAN strategies by
visualization

G: (geographic) indicates that we are talking about the real, spatial world. It requires spatial data to be registered in
recognised coordinate systems, be it a latitude/longitude system, or an x- and y-coordinate, in order to be
‘geographic’.

I: (information) identifies that we have some data (measurements) within the context of a system of meaning. At
least one element of GIS information must be linked to the G, i.e. there must be some geographic information (e.g.
derived from map coordinates). Other information may be related to attributes (e.g. derived from a name or label),
or topology.

S: (system) infers that we are relating separate entities using linkages. These entities may be the computer
hardware, the software, the data, and the user.

Components of a typical GIS

• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• People
• Methods

Functional elements of GIS

• Data input: bringing data in the GIS environment.

• Data manipulation: allowing alteration of primary data.
• Data output: moving data (or analysis results) out of the GIS.
• Data management: controlling access to data and ensuring data integrity and storage efficiency.
• Data retrieval: calling data from a stored format into use.
• Data display: visualising primary or derived data.
• Data analysis and modelling: gathering insights into relationships in the data, and modelling spatial
phenomena.

Why Use GIS?

ƒ GIS is computer based, and has all the advantages (and disadvantages) of a computer tool.
ƒ GIS is established in many workplaces and has proven not to be a passing fad.
ƒ GIS can be an accurate, efficient, effective and scientific tool.
ƒ GIS can be used to improve organizational integration.
ƒ GIS helps to make better decisions.
ƒ GIS makes maps.

What can we do with GIS, or how could we apply GIS in our field?

GIS can be used to answer lots of questions. Below are just a few of the examples:

Where is/are_?
• Where is the best location for a new supermarket?
• Show me areas covered by glacial deposit.
What is at_?
• What is located at BNG coordinate NZ34600013400?
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• What species of bird would I find at the Lake District?

How many _ are there within distance _of_?
• How many geological faults are within 200km of the mine?
• How many people are within 1000m of the coast line?
What is the value of function _ at location/s _?
• Is the soil erosion risk potential higher in place A or B?
• What is the cost-benefit ratio for locating a shop here?
How large is _?
• What is the population of London?
• What is the surface area of the water body?
What is the best path from _ to _ along _?
• What is the quickest way to get from the police station to the crime site along the road network?
• What is the cheapest route for a new train track from A to B?
Model process _ over time _ for a given scenario:
• Model the effect of a forest fire and see the forest status after two years of the fire.
• Predict the effect of changing climatic conditions on the distribution of Greenland icesheet for the year
2050.

Many of these questions may be answered using traditional methods, which may take many months, a great deal of
patience, and a large amount of money. They are also ideal GIS questions, which can be handled easily and efficiently
with GIS technology.

Who Use GIS?

• Business
• Tourism;
• Communications
• Defence and Intelligence
• Educators
• Engineering
• Cellular Network
• Environmental Management
• Government
• Health and Human Services
• Natural Resources
• Transportation
• Utilities
• …

Why do we learn GIS?

¾ Advanced analytic skills…

¾ Increasing employability…

Careers in GIS

Thousands of organizations in hundreds of industries are looking for individuals with formal training and practical
experience with GIS.

GIS careers typically include positions such as project manager, computer programmer, database administrator, system
administrator, cartographic designer, business development, and related managerial and administrative roles.

GIS Software

• ArcGIS: ArvView, ArcEditor and ArcInfo

• MapInfo
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ArcView GIS
What is ArcView?

• A desktop geographic information system (GIS)

• Software with an easy-to-use, point-and-click graphical user interface (GUI)
• A set of tools for visualising, exploring, querying, editing and analysing
• Information linked to geographic locations
• A product of ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute).

ArcView is very popular GIS software. By linking information to location, ArcView is proving a very valuable tool for
business, industry, government agencies, and many other types of organizations.

With ArcView GIS, you can do things like keep track of wildlife sightings, model underground aquifers and
contaminant spills, find sites for new stores that meet specific demographic criteria, and find all the land parcels with
commercial zoning in a given city.

Geographic features

Real world objects, whether natural or man-made, are called features when they are represented on a map. Each map
feature has a location, shape, and symbol that represent one or more of its characteristics.

Feature types

• Point features
Point features represent spatial data existing at a single location, such as light poles, cities, homes, or wells.
Points represent objects that have discrete locations and are too small to be depicted as areas. Points are stored
as a single pair of x,y coordinates.

• Line features
Lines represent linear features, such as water lines, sewer lines, highways, rivers, and local streets. Lines
represent objects that have length but are too narrow to be depicted as areas. A line is a set of ordered x,y
coordinate pairs that, when connected, represent the linear shape of a line feature.

• Polygon features
Polygon features represent enclosed homogeneous areas or regions. A polygon is a series of line segments
connected to form an enclosed area. Examples of polygon features are buildings, land parcels, and sales
territories and counties, states, and countries. Polygons represent objects too large to be depicted as points or
lines.

Feature attributes

In ArcView, features are stored in a database along with information describing them. The descriptive information
stored with a feature is called the feature's attributes.

Attributes of a street might include its name, street type, length, street code, number of lanes, and pavement type. The
attributes of a park may be its name, area, hours of operation, and maintenance schedule.

Because features and their attributes are linked, you can easily access the attributes for any feature or locate any feature
from its attributes. Attributes are displayed in a spreadsheet-like ArcView document called a Table.

Tables

A table displays records as rows and fields as columns. In tables that are linked to a theme, called theme attribute tables,
each record represents a single feature and each field represents a single attribute for that feature.

An ArcView project can contain other types of tables besides theme attribute tables. INFO tables, dBASE files, and
delimited text files (.txt) can be added to and stored in a project. You can edit tables to add new records and fields,
update record values, and delete records and fields. And, like themes in a view, all fields in a table do not have to
display.
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ArcView themes

A GIS links sets of features and their attributes and manages them together in units called themes. A theme consists of a
collection of geographic features (such as roads, rivers, parcels, wildlife sightings, schools, or parks) and the attributes
for those features.

A map which visually represents a set of data in this way is called a thematic map.

ArcView project and project documents

ArcView organizes your data in a project file identified by an .apr extension. Projects store and organize information in
five kinds of documents: Views, Tables, Charts, Layouts, and Script Editors (whose icon label is simply "Scripts").
Each document type displays data differently, and each has its own menus, buttons, and tools arranged in a unique
interface.

ArcView project window

Project window is used to add new documents to a project and to manage existing documents.

Views

Views display geographic data organized by theme. A theme is a set of related features, such as nations, districts, cities,
streets, parcels, utilities, or bus routes, along with the attributes for those features. A view consists of a map display area
and a Table of Contents, or legend, that tells you what themes are contained in the view and which ones are currently
displayed. View name is displayed in its window's title bar.

Each theme in the Table of Contents has a checkbox next to its name. If the box is checked, the theme displays. If the
box is not checked, that means the theme is not being displayed. You control whether a theme displays--simply check or
uncheck the box.

Charts

Charts display tabular data graphically. In ArcView, charts are fully integrated with tables and views. This means you
can choose the table records (theme features) you want displayed on the chart by simply clicking on them. You can also
get information from charts.

Layouts

Layouts are documents on which you can arrange views, tables, charts, and images as graphic elements. Layouts can be
sent to a printer or plotter to create a hard copy product. Because ArcView layouts are linked to the data they display,
any changes you make to the data are automatically reflected in the layout.

Important cartographic map components like neatlines, north arrows, scale bars, and legends (keys) can be placed on
layouts. When creating an ArcView layout, you can also customize the layout page "layout" to control such things as
page size, page units, orientation, and margins.

Additionally, you can export layouts to popular drawing program and graphics formats.

Scripts

Avenue is ArcView's programming language. With Avenue you can customize almost every aspect of ArcView by
writing your own programs, or scripts. You can write a script to add a new button to the interface or delete tools and
popup menus that you don't need in a specific application. Avenue is fully integrated with ArcView and the work you
do will run on any of the platforms for which ArcView is available.

References
Bernhardsen, T. (1999). Geographic information systems : an introduction. Wiley. New York.
Clarke, K. C. (2001). Getting started with geographic information systems. Upper Saddle River, N.J., Prentice Hall. London.
Delaney, J. (1999). Geographical information systems: an introduction. Oxford University Press. Melbourne, Oxford.
Heywood, I. (2002). An introduction to geographical information systems. Upper Saddle River, N.J., Prentice Hall. London.