Introduction to GIS

Dr. Rohit Goyal

Prof., Civil Engineering
Malaviya National Institute of Technology
Jaipur
Topics Covered
 Elements of GIS
 Definition of GIS
 Concepts of Layers
 Components of GIS
 Model of GIS
 Functions of GIS
 Multidisciplinary usage of GIS
 History of GIS
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 Elements of GIS
 G: Geographical, meaning spatial elements.
Entities which are related to their location
on earth.
 I: Information, meaning representing data
of spatial elements as meaningful
information.
 S: System, Use of computing and support
facilities to organize and analyze data.

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 Definition of GIS
 Geographical Information System (GIS): GIS is a
system of hardware, software and procedures to
support the capture, storage, management,
manipulation, modeling and display of spatial
referenced data for solving complex planning and
management problems.
 A GIS can generate two- or three-dimensional
images of an area, showing such natural features
as hills and rivers with artificial features such as
roads and power lines.
 Scientists use GIS images as models, making
precise measurements, gathering data, and testing
ideas with the help of the computer.

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Various Other Definitions
 Various other definitions of GIS are
 A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-
based tool for mapping and analyzing things that exist and
events that happen on Earth
 Burrough in 1986 defined GIS as, "Set of tools for
collecting, storing, retrieving at will, transforming and
displaying spatial data from the real world for a particular
set of purposes"
 Arnoff in 1989 defines GIS as, "a computer based system
that provides four sets of capabilities to handle geo-
referenced data :
• data input
• data management (data storage and retrieval)
• manipulation and analysis
• data output. "
 Hence GIS is looked upon as a tool to assist in decision-
making and management of attributes that needs to be
analyzed spatially.
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Layers of Information
 GIS databases consist of sets of information
called layers.
 Each layer represents a particular type/class of
geographic data.
 For example, one layer may include information on
the streets in an area.
 Another layer may contain information on the soil in
that area, while another records elevation.
 The GIS can combine these layers into one
image, showing how the streets, soil, and
elevation relate to one another.
 Engineers might use this image to determine
areas that contribute more to soil erosion etc.
 A GIS database can include as many as 100
layers.
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Data integration
 A GIS makes it possible to link, or integrate, information
from different sources.
 Thus, a GIS can use combinations of mapped variables
to build and analyze new variables.
 For example, using GIS technology, it is possible to
combine agricultural records with hydrography data to
determine which streams will carry certain levels of
fertilizer runoff.
 Agricultural records can indicate how much pesticide has
been applied to a parcel of land.
 By locating these parcels and intersecting them with
streams, the GIS can be used to predict the amount of
nutrient runoff in each stream.
 Then as streams converge, the total loads can be
calculated downstream where the stream enters a lake.

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Data Integration

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 Components of GIS
 Primary components of GIS in increasing order of
importance are
 Hardware: Computers, printers, scanners etc.
 Software: GIS software such as ArcGIS, MapInfo, Autodesk
Map, GeoMedia, GRASS etc. Many other software are required
for day to day operations, such as database, DIP, spreadsheet,
charting.
 Data: Data is central to GIS. Not only relevant data need to be
stored in database but it need to be continuously updated.
 Methodology: Various procedures, techniques that can be used
to carry out the desired application.
 Applications: Various applications that can be carried out with
the help of GIS developed for an area such as environmental
analysis, city planning.
 Liveware (Organization and people): People who use the GIS,
ensure its smooth running, which continuously requires data
updation, proper data management and backup, using latest
methodologies for newer applications.

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Components of GIS

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Model of GIS

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GIS Description
 GIS has numerous functions, which includes
 Collection: Remote sensing, digitization of existing
map, tables, charts, field survey, internet etc.
 Storage and Management: Keeping track of data.
Ensuring updation, backup.
 Retrieval: GIS should allow easy and efficient
selection and viewing of data in variety of ways
 Conversion: Data may be available in different
format, different map projections, different types of
files, such as “TIFF”, “JPG”, “DXF” etc.
 Analysis: Applying appropriate algorithms on data to
generate new information/maps.
 Modeling: To predict or understand physical process.
 Display: Presentation of results in variety of ways.

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Functions of GIS

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GIS is Multidisciplinary
 GIS has applications in following fields

 Geography  Geology
 Remote Sensing  Engineering
 Demography: Study  Hydrology
of human population  Ecology
 Education  Surveying
 Planning  Archaeology
 Computer Science  Forestry and Wild Life

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Typical Usage of GIS
 The applications of a GIS are vast and continue
to grow.
 Scientists can research changes in the environment;
 Engineers can design road systems;
 Electrical companies can manage their complex
networks of power lines;
 Governments can track the uses of land;
 Fire and police departments can plan emergency
routes.
 Many private businesses have begun to use a GIS to
plan and improve their services.

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History of GIS
 The Canadian government built the first GIS, the Canada
Geographic Information System, during the 1960s to analyze
data collected by the Canada Land Inventory.
 Other governments and university laboratories soon built similar
systems.
 However, GIS systems were not widely used until the late
1970s, when technological improvements and lower costs
made computers widely available.
 GIS sales boomed during the 1980s, as governments and
businesses found more uses for the systems.
 A number of companies began producing new GIS software to
program computer systems to increase their functions.
 By the early 1990s, about 100,000 GIS systems were in
operation.
 Recently many internet based GIS have developed, such as
Google Earth, which has placed the GIS technology within
reach of common man.

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