Introduction to GIS GEO 383 08.30.

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1. Geographic Information System (GIS)

What is it?
o Take a bunch of different types of data and make them
into layers that can be put over one another
o Computer-based system that deals with geographic
information, anything that is spatial (uses integrated data)
Output might not always be a map, but also GIS data can be
put into a table or other type of visualization
Spatially Referenced Data: when the data has a locational
meaning on earth (need to know where it is to get something
out of it)
Network analysis figuring out the best way to get there
Who uses it?
o Military is fantastic at this (strategy stuff), cellphone
companies, local governments, businesses for market
research, real estate companies, academic disciplines
Remote sensing drones, flying around and using drones to
figure out where stuff is located from above
Story maps based on GIS, a way to create a visual guide to
where things are and telling a story
o GIS is now being used for the powerful storytelling aspect

Assignment for Wednesday 09.06.17 Applications Articles

- Check out the industry magazines (theyll keep you up to date in the
geospatial world)
- Find two articles in a recent issue, make a photocopy of the articles
and bring to class
- Find articles that detail how GIS was used to solve the problems or
investigate the issues
o Identify the spatial questions addressed by the use of GIS
Why is the application using GIS? Did it need to?
o List the types of data used (& what they did with it)
o List types of analysis used
o Comment on the outcome of the project
 2. Information systems hierarchy help us manage what we know
Data number, text, symbols that go into a database
Information data when serving a purpose (what you get out of
the data)
Evidence one step further, information taken to apply to some
problem multiplicity of information from different sources
regarding to specific problems
Knowledge multiple forms of information interpreted, related
to complex problems, information (pulled from data) that is then
related to people
Wisdom synthesized information for data making

Datum we need to have a model from which we can agree we will make
our evidence from
(ex. Where are our zeros? Our zeros are our datum)
Most of the time in GIS, datum are already given for you. But sometimes
its not necessary to know what the datum is
(ex. when its a standard that is always used)
Projection follow up on this

3. Uses of the term GIS

As a system thinking in terms of people software data
hardware approaches, ALL together
As a software ArcGIS
Doing as a verb a process that youre following through with

Definition of GIS as Systems: mostly being defined as a tool (Burrough 86)

Most comprehensive is Deuker and Kjerne 98 definition
Get at data, change data, analyze data, visualize data, create maps of data
Its all about the real world, earth-based geographic data
Spatial and non spatial data non spatial can be plugged in to help with
your analysis.
Nothing to stop us from plugging in regions of the brain and mapping those,
or mapping outer space/mars when we get the data to give to the system.
Geographic data
Spatial functions and analysis
Computer based
Software-side of things:
Vector-based systems
- ArcGIS (Earth Systems Research Institute)
- GeoMedia (Intergraph)
- MapInfo (MapInfo Corp)
Fair amount of GIS Freeware: Quantum GIS

Raster-based systems (Image Based, Satellite Imagery Remote Sensing)

- Idrisi (Clark Labs)
- IMAGINE (ERDAS) works well with ArcGIS
- IDL/ENVI/ER Mapper this is almost as powerful as ArcGIS, now is a
partner with ArcGIS, they have a good training program
o Inter-operability is one of the big goals of software companies

Doing GIS
Using the tools of GIS to solve a problem
- GIS
- GISc (GIScience)
- GIS + T (GI Systems + Technology)
o Geographic information technologies: GIS, Remote Sensing,
Global Positioning Systems
o TAKE HER DRONES CLASS IN THE SPRING!!!

Terms relating to phenomena:

- Spatial: size, shape, orientation, how they relate to one another
- Geospatial, Geographic

Goals of the course:

Concepts and underlying principles of GISystems
Applications of GIS
Do GIS

ESRI ArcGIS
Quantum GIS

ArcGIS Pro is really good and definitely the future, ArcGIS Online is like
lite its great if you just want to create some maps and share em.
This is ArcGIS version 10.5 but there are older versions too. Look for the
page that outlines what the software can do.
Get a student license!

Lab 1:
ArcMap
Within that is ArcCatalog
Difference is that ArcCatalog is the organization of datasets and map is
your tools and what youre actually doing and making the work in

Symbolizing categorical data (categorical = descriptive, not quantitative)

- Methods: colors, markers, sizes, widths, angles, patterns,
transparency
o Ex: Graduated color, graduated symbol, proportional symbol,
dot density (good for population)
- Features: points, lines, polygons

9/11/17

Representation:
Involves selecting
- What we want to represent
- The level of detail
- How we want to represent the object or phenomena
BOTTOM LINE: it has a purpose. Will help you do analyses
through the spatial data. Might differ depending on audience.

How people have tried to represent the world:

1. Written word: ex. Travel writings, descriptions, books
2. Photos
3. Maps
4. Drawings/art
5. Making measurements/data spreadsheets

Different types:
Representations in space and time
Image representations- satellite imagery, Aerial photos
Visualizations virtual globes, space-time cube (3D),
Maps!

ArcGIS Pro Space-time cube feat. Visualizations with imagery that

rotates. ArcScene lets you fly through a landscape!!! So fancy.

Detail in image representations = resolution

Not really scale, scale often refers to other stuff

Map coloring can add to the storytelling impression same dataset can be
diversely displayed depending on interpretation and way its colored

Types of Maps:
- Topographic map certain set of features, like elevation contours for
hills, certain coloring for buildings/roads, different shadings. Pretty
consistent throughout the years, very clear accuracy standards. If
somethings not on there, theres a chance its just cause they chose
not to represent it. Might also depend on the scale chosen
- Plane map - basic, roads, etc
- 3D rendering more of the spatial/height of building

Idiographic Geography: descriptive

- GIS can do this
Nomothetic: trying to explain why something is where it is. Analyses for
hydrologic process.
- GIS can help combine descriptive stuff and processes together.

Spatial
Descriptive
TIME.
------------- 3 main characteristics to understand data

Geographic Data
About phenomena on or near Earths surface:
1. Position
2. Attributes (think attribute field table, characteristics)
3. Time (paper maps get outdated pretty easily, think of new
subdivisions creating new roads pretty quickly - Movement over time)
At any resolution/scale: When youre talking about GIS you have to make
sure that any vague terms can get coded.
Ontology One persons definition of a mountain vs. hill could be
different, some things that we think are so obvious could be much more
difficult to represent (like where does a mountain even begin?)

1. POSITION
o Spatial objects: points, lines, areas (polygons), surfaces
(volumetric representation)
o Objects & entities = pretty much the same thing.
Points lines areas/polygons = vector
Satellite imagery = Raster
o