GIS introduction

• ERIC WAMITI
• JUNE 2013
 What is GIS?
• A technology
– hardware & software tools

• An information handling strategy

• The objective: to improve overall decision

making
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 GIS: a formal definition
“A system for capturing, storing, checking,
integrating, manipulating, analysing and
displaying data which are spatially
referenced to the Earth. This is normally
considered to involve a spatially
referenced
computer database and appropriate
applications software”
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GIS definition

“… a special case of information system where the

database consists of observation son spatially distributed
features, activities or events, which are definable in
space as points, lines or area. A geographic information
systems manipulates data about these points, lines and
areas to retrieve data for ad hoc queries and analyses”
 Why is GIS unique?

• GIS handles SPATIAL information

– Information referenced by its location in space

• GIS makes connections between activities

based on spatial proximity

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 GIS concepts are not new!
• London cholera epidemic 1854

Soho

+ Cholera death
Water pump

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 GIS: historical background
This technology has developed from:
– Digital cartography and CAD
– Data Base Management Systems

ID X,Y ID ATTRIB
1 1 1
2 2
2 3 3
3

CAD System Data Base Management System

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 Digital
Mapping

Computer
Photo-
Aided
grammetry
Design

GIS

Databases Surveying

Remote
Sensing

Cross-disciplinary nature of GIS

 GIS components
Spatial   
data

GIS
Computer hardware /   
 ?
Specific applications /   
software tools decision making objectives
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 What makes data spatial?
Grid co-ordinate Placename

Latitude / Longitude
Postcode

Description
Distance & bearing

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 Characteristics of spatial data
• Location

• Description: Kingston University,PenrhynRoad Centre

• Post Code: KT1 2EE
• Grid Reference: 518106.72 168530.37
• Latitude/Longitude:    0° 21’ 55.38”W, 49° 36’ 17.62”N

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Characteristics of spatial data
Geometry
• The shape of a
building or county
• The course of a river,
the route of a road
• The shape of the
landscape, relief

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 Characteristics of spatial data
• Topology
 Connected to
 Within
 Adjacent to
 North of . . .

 Within the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames

 Opposite the Surrey County Council building
 North of Surbiton station
 Adjacent to Penrhyn Road

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 Spatial Data: examples
• Socio-economic data
– Regional health data
– Consumer / lifestyle profiles
– Geodemographics

• Environmental data
– Topographic data
– Thematic data, soils, geology
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Data Modelling - step 1
• Features

– Buildings
– Road centrelines
– Lamp columns
– Gas pipes
– CTV Access covers
– Road surfaces

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Data Modelling - step 2

Point

Line

Polygon

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 Data Modelling - step 3

Feature : Building
Object:      Polygon
Entity:      Tourist   
Information   
Bureau

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Attributes

Name    :    Next
Address:    5 Market Place
Town:      Kingston
Owner:    Ms J Shore
Tel. No: 0181 547 1245
Floor space 1300 sq m

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 Spatial data storage
7,10
5,9
10

• Vector model
9,8
4,7
8,6
poly gon as geometric objects:
1,6

5 2,5
6,6
            points, lines,
line 5,4
polygons
point
2,2 4,1

5 10

as image files   
      composed of grid-cells
• Raster model       (pixels)

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Spatial data storage model
• important in determining the potential applications of the system   
• model may also affect the type of analysis work that can be
achieved

• hybrid approach to storing graphical and attribute information

• Attribute information often stored within standard relational
database
• Graphical information is stored in a proprietary file system
– optimised tools for data handling     
– although non-standard proprietary system will be difficult to
integrate with other systems, it will tend to be very efficient at
handling large graphics files.   
Vector data model
• advantage of the vector data format: allows precise representation of
points, boundaries, and linear features.   
– useful for analysis tasks that require accurate positioning,   
– for defining spatial relationship (ie the connectivity and adjacency)
between coverage features (topology), important for such purposes as
network analysis (for example to find an optimal path between two nodes
in a complex transport network)
• main disadvantage of vector data is that the boundaries of the resulting
map polygons are discrete (enclosed by well-defined boundary lines),
whereas in reality the map polygons may represent continuous
gradation or gradual change, as in soil maps.
Raster data model     
• good for representing indistinct boundaries
– thematic information on soil types, soil moisture, vegetation, ground                             
temperatures
• as reconnaissance satellites and aerial surveys use raster-based
scanners, the information (ie scanned images) can be directly
incorporated into GIS   
• the higher the grid resolution, the larger the data file is going to be
Modelling the real world
y
1    1    20    50
1    2    24    45
1    3    52    55
2    1    0    45    46   
x
40
...

000000020
000001000
020010000
000020000
2 2 2 0 1 ...
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 Vector data

Land use parcels

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Raster data

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 Manipulation and analysis
• What would happen if . . .   
A chemical leaked into a river?
• Where does . . .   
The Green Belt exist in relation to the City?
• Has . . .   
Population changed over the last ten years?
• Is there a spatial pattern related to . . .   
Car ownership in our area?
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 Databases & GIS
Spatial data

• At a simple level a
GIS may just form
the graphical
interface to a
database

• The majority of GIS

applications follow MapInfo

this example Linked database table SQL Query Manager

Geo-relational Data Models

• Linked tables based on the relational model,

but storing geographical information such as:
– Geometry
– Topology
– Attributes
GIS & Analysis
In the context of GIS, analysis is...
“Deriving new information from existing data”
It is also the manipulation of data to solve a problem
    e.g. identify all areas within 500m of a lake

Increasing use is made of the analytical capabilities of GIS, BUT

many GIS projects only use the software to store and manage   
geographical data

Yet analysis often relies on many simple basic GIS techniques

Simple Query
• The identification of objects and their attributes
either by location or attribute query.

MapInfo
Buffering
• Creation of an area of interest around an object
– proximity analysis and environmental impact assessment.

MapInfo
Cookie Cutting
• Overlay of datasets using one dataset as a sieve or
cookie cutter to select a subset of the other dataset.

MapInfo
Overlays
• Layer: A thematic plane of GIS features containing
geographically and logically related data
• Overlaying involves superimposing two or more map layers to produce
a new map layer.
• Example: a new genetically engineered variety of wheat grows well in dry
environments, with long growing seasons and alkaline soils. Given the
availability of data on the length of the growing season, moisture regime and
soil alkalinity, where is the best place to plant the wheat?   
– overlaying (superimposing) several maps showing (separately) water-budget,
growing season length, soil pH, sodium content, and so on. The GIS analysis can
establish the locations where all the favorable soil conditions coincide, as the places
where the wheat will grow best.
 The benefits of GIS include:
• Better information management

• Higher quality analysis

• Ability to carry out “what if?” scenarios

• Improve project efficiency

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 GIS Applications
• Facilities management
• Marketing and retailing
• Environmental
• Transport/vehicle routing
• Health
• Insurance
    and many more . . .   
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