GEOGRAPHY

GRADE 11 REVISION PROGRAMME

TOPIC(S): GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SYSTEMS
PRESENTER(S) : BANGA MBENGASHE
THERESE HARDY

DATE : 18 JANUARY 2022

 PROGRESSION OF CONTENT
GRADE 10 GRADE 11 GRADE 12

Development of GIS Spatial and spectral resolution Data manipulation and analysis

Remote sensing Spatial and attribute data

GIS concepts Application of GIS

LESSON OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson:
• You will be able to define GIS
• You will be able to mention the components, functional elements and
sources of information for GIS
• You will be able to understand the different concepts (definition,
identification and application) of GIS
WHAT IS GIS
• An organised collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data
and people, designed to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyse and
display the geographical data.
COMPONENTS OF GIS

software
 COMPONENTS OF GIS
CPU, screen,
keyboard, mouse,
scanner, printer,
Application
digitizing tablet
programme
such as
ArcView

GIS design
GIS
according to
user’s needs
Maps, aerial photos,
satellite images,
administrative
records, etc.
Data capturers,
data users, GIS
analysts
FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS

Capture Store
Update

Manipulate
Analyse
 SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Secondary data:
Data collected by
Primary data: first someone else e.g.
Data Acquisition:
hand information newspaper, reports,
process of identifying
collected from the internet etc.
and collecting
specific information fieldwork,
to solve a particular observation, surveys,
problem interview,
questionnaires etc.
REMOTE SENSING
• Observing the earth from a distance without being in contact through
satellites (passive and active)/ aeroplane (Vertical aerial and oblique aerial
photograph)/ hot air balloon.
RESOLUTION

• The ability of a remote sensor to create a sharp and clear image.

• Forms of resolution
Spatial Resolution
Pixels
Temporal Resolution
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
• The clarity of an image. How clear and easy the detail to see.

Spectral Resolution
• The number of bands of the electromagnetic spectrum captured in
satellite.
N:B The spatial resolution increases if more bands are captured
PIXELS
• An area represented by each cell or grid in a raster

A C
B
Many pixels Less pixels
Small pixels Larger pixels
High Low
TEMPORAL RESOLUTION
• Refers to how often the data of the same area is collected (Revisit time).
• It may be continuous, several times a day, daily or once every few days.
• The higher the temporal resolution the shorter the distance of time
between the capturing of images.
• The ability to collect imagery of the same area of the Earth’s surface at
different periods of time is one of the most important elements.
DATABASE

• A collection of information that is organised so that it can be easily

accessed, managed and updated.
• GIS database stores two types of data
Spatial data
Attribute data
SPATIAL DATA
• Refers to the position of a geographical objects on earth.
• Spatial data is stored as a raster or vector
• E.g. the spatial data for a perennial water (A4)

25º50’54’’S ; 29º12’48’’E
RASTER
• Data used is represented and stored by grid cells (rows and columns) or
pixels.
VECTOR
Shows features as points, lines, nodes and polygons
Nodes: points that are found at the start and end line or where two or more
lines meet e.g. junction or intersections.
Points: made up of a single point e.g. spot height or church
Lines: made up of a sequence of points that have been connected
e.g. road or river
Polygons: made up of series of connected lines e.g. cultivated land
and dams
VECTOR
Point: Building
Line: Perennial
river and
bridge/other roads
Area:
Orchard/vineyard
and perennial water
PROS AND CONS OF RASTER AND VECTOR
ADVANTAGES RASTER
Easy to programme and quick to
perform
Technology is cheap
It can store image data
ADVANTAGES VECTOR
Accurate geographical location of data Cannot store image data
is maintained
No conversion is required since most
hard copy maps are in vector form
Requires less disk storage
DISADVANTAGES RASTER
The cell determines the resolution at
which the data is represented
Difficult to represent linear features
Needs more storage
DISADVANTAGES VECTOR
Overlaying multiple vector maps is
time consuming
Not compatible with remote sensing
ATTRIBUTE DATA
Describes or gives the characteristics of an object on earth surface.
ACTIVITY
• Which of the following 2 diagrams displays raster and vector data respectively? Motivate your
answer. A B
Activity
• Classify the following TWO pieces of information as spatial or
attribute data. (2 x 2 = 4)
I. The classification of different types of roads on the topographic
map.
II. The bridges over the Mbizane River
ACTIVITY
 B
A
5 MIN BREAK (ACTIVITY)
• Give a definition of GIS (2X2=4)
• State whether the following statements are true or false (6x1=6)
 Spatial data describes the shape and location of geographical features.
 Vector and Raster data are examples of spatial data.
 Attribute data is stored in related tables in a database and can be displayed as
labels, intervals or classification symbols on a map.
 Hardware is the programs you need for a GIS analysis
 Raster data consist of pixels in a grid and each pixel has a unique value.
 Satellite images and aerial photographs are examples of remote sensing.
DATA MANIPULATION AND ANALYSIS
• Data manipulation
Change data to make it more useful. The data needs to undergo
change before they can integrate, analyse and display. E.g. from
one map projection to another or converting data from raster to
vector format and from vector to raster format.
DATA MANIPULATION AND ANALYSIS

Data can be manipulated (edited and

processed) and analysed by a GIS.
• Transforming from one map projection
to another
• Converting data from raster to vector
format and from vector to raster format
• Interpolation between points (eg. spot
heights)
DATA INTEGRATION
• Data integration
The combination of different sources of data into one meaningful
data.
DATA LAYERING
• Data layering
When different kinds of information are placed one on top of the other to see
the overall picture.
BUFFERING
• Buffering
To draw an area around a geographical feature to show the zone of influence
or exclusion
 BUFFERING
It is sometimes necessary to identify zones
at different distances from certain geographic
features.

• noise buffers next to roads

• safety buffers for
dangerous areas
Application Question from Past Paper

Create a bufferzone of
250m around marsh/vlei
area

Remember that 250m in

reality will be 5mm on a
1:50 000 map
QUERYING
• Querying
Finding answers about the place/investigating
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
• Statistical analysis
The collection of data in large amounts and present it.
DATA STANDARDIZATION
• Data standardisation
Make data similar to other set of data to allow data sharing. The same
symbols must be used for the same feature.
DATA SHARING/SECURITY
• Data sharing
Make data available for other users to access.

• Data security
Protecting a database from destructive forces and the unwanted actions of
unauthorized users this may be done by encryption, firewall and password.
APPLICATION OF GIS

Private sector: Bank (ATM)

Government: Department of
and mobile networks
Education (school availability),
(Communication towers)
environmental affairs (rivers and
wetland) and housing (RDP)
ACTIVITY
5 MIN BREAK (ACTIVITY)
• Mention TWO layers of information that a developer
has to take into account before considering the site
selected for the industrial zone at Kimdustria (E on the
topographic map). (2X2=4)
• Mention how the scale of ONE of the two maps must
be manipulated in order for both maps to have the
same scale. (1X2=2)
• Explain how the Northern Cape Department of
Education can implement GIS to establish the need for
the development of a new high school at in Gladstone.
(2X2=4)