INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing,

storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface.

By relating seemingly unrelated data, GIS can help individuals and

organizations better understand spatial patterns and relationships.

GIS technology is a crucial part of spatial data infrastructure, which the White

House defines as “the technology, policies, standards, human resources, and

related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and

preserve spatial data.”

GIS can use any information that includes location. The location can be

expressed in many different ways, such as latitude and longitude, address,

or ZIP code.

Many different types of information can be compared and contrasted using

GIS. The system can include data about people, such as population, income,

or education level. It can include information about the landscape, such as

the location of streams, different kinds of vegetation, and different kinds of soil.

It can include information about the sites of factories, farms, and schools,

or storm drains, roads, and electric power lines.

With GIS technology, people can compare the locations of different things in

order to discover how they relate to each other. For example, using GIS, a

single map could include sites that produce pollution, such as factories, and

sites that are sensitive to pollution, such as wetlands and rivers. Such

a map would help people determine where water supplies are most at risk.
A geographic information system (GIS) is a particular type of information

technology that can help us understand and relate to the “what,” “when,”

“how,” and “why” of the world by answering “where.” Geographic information

systems are indeed about maps, but they are also about much, much more.

A GIS is used to organize, analyze, visualize, and share all kinds of data and

information from different historical periods and at various scales of analysis.

From climatologists trying to understand the causes and consequences of

global warming, to epidemiologists locating ground zero of a virulent disease

outbreak, to archaeologists reconstructing ancient Rome, to political

consultants developing campaign strategies for the next presidential election,

GIS is a very powerful tool.

More important, GIS is about geography and learning about the world in which

we live. As GIS technology develops, as society becomes ever more

geospatially enabled, and as more and more people rediscover geography

and the power of maps, the future uses and applications of GIS are unlimited.

To take full advantage of the benefits of GIS and related geospatial

technology both now and in the future, it is useful to take stock of how we

already think spatially concerning the world in which we live. In other words,

by recognizing and increasing our geographical awareness about how we

relate to our local environment and the world at large, we will benefit more

from our use and application of GIS.

More important, GIS is about geography and learning about the world in which

we live. As GIS technology develops, as society becomes ever more

and the power of maps, the future uses and applications of GIS are unlimited.

To take full advantage of the benefits of GIS and related geospatial

technology both now and in the future, it is useful to take stock of how we

already think spatially concerning the world in which we live. In other words,

by recognizing and increasing our geographical awareness about how we

relate to our local environment and the world at large, we will benefit more

from our use and application of GIS.

HISTORY OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

The first example of linking the 'what' with 'where' takes us all the way back to

1854 and a cholera outbreak. At the time, people believed that the disease

was being spread through the air. But an enterprising English Doctor, Dr Jon

Snow wasn’t convinced. So, he decided to map the outbreak locations, the

roads and the property boundaries and the water pumps. And, when he did,

he made a startling discovery. A pattern emerged. This pattern proved that

the disease was not in fact airborne but was being communicated via water

and even more specifically by one infected water pump. John Snow’s cholera

map was a major event connecting the what with the where.

Not only was this the beginning of spatial analysis, it also marked a whole

new field of study: Epidemiology, the study of the spread of disease. Snow’s

work demonstrated that GIS is a problem-solving tool. He put the what on a

map to show the where and a made a life-saving discovery.

During the next hundred years or so, there was limited development in GIS.

Mapping was paper based and there was no computer mapping.

By the 1950s, maps were starting to be used in vehicle routing, development

planning and locating points of interest.

1960 - 1975

In the period between 1960 to 1975 three major technological advancements in

new computer technology led to the birth of modern GIS. Those were: the ability

to output map graphics using line printers; advances in data storage and the

processing power of mainframe computers. We now had the ability to record

coordinates as data inputs and perform calculations on those coordinates.

Roger Tomlinson, widely acclaimed as the ‘Father of GIS’, during his time with

the Canadian Government in the 1960s, was responsible for the creation of the

Canadian Geographic Information System (CGIS). CGIS was unique in that it

implemented a layering approach to map handling.

The US Census Bureau was also an early adopter of the core principles of GIS.

The Bureau began to digitise Census boundaries, roads and urban areas.

The Ordnance Survey GB began to develop their topographic mapping. They

used computers to simplify the process of updating future map editions and in

1971, digital mapping was introduced to OS large-scale map production.

This era saw the creation of GIS software. Jack Dangermond, co-founder of

Esri Inc had studied environmental science, landscape architecture and urban

design.

In his own words: “I had some notion of applying computer mapping to my

profession”. So, in 1967 he headed off to Harvard where he worked in the

Laboratory for Computer Graphics. In the mid-1970s, the Laboratory developed

the first vector GIS called ODYSSEY GIS.

By the late 1970s, the progress in computer memory and improved computer

graphic capabilities led to the creation of commercial GIS Software. One of the

vendors, was Esri, which is now the largest GIS software company in the world,

recognised as a world leading expert in GIS, that has played a key role in the

history of GIS.

1990 - 2010

The adoption of GIS into the mainstream took off between 1990-2010. This was

facilitated by a number of IT advancements: computers were getting cheaper,

faster and more powerful; there were an increasing number of GIS software

options and digitised mapping data was more readily available. These

advancements, together with the launch of new earth observation satellites and

the integration of remote sensing technology with GIS, saw more and more

applications being developed. GIS found its way into classrooms, to businesses

and to governments across the world.

Due to the increased adoption of GIS over the previous twenty years, open

source GIS was born. GIS data has become more and more ubiquitous, for

instance, Landsat satellite imagery is now accessible to all. GIS is now online,

in the cloud, and on your mobile.

Today

Today, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis are being

used by everyone whether we realise or not. Have you noticed that location-

based search facility in Google? Do you use an app on your phone to get you

from A to B? Do you track your parcel delivery or the taxi you booked? All these

examples use spatial information to get you the best answer or the most up to

date information.

Other examples include:

Potential store locations - based on customer locations, customer spending

power, route-time analysis, competitor locations.

Predictive crime analysis - using GIS and spatial analysis resulted in 19 per

cent reduction in break ins.

Real time fleet tracking - reducing delivery costs by 10 per cent.

Europe’s busiest port - 370 vessels per day - helping Dutch infrastructure to

rate #1 in the world.

Air quality - better informed environmental and health policy for Europeans.

Rooted in the science of geography, modern GIS integrates many types of data.

It analyses spatial location and organises layers of information into

reveals deeper insights into data, such as patterns, relationships and situations

- helping users make smarter decisions.

Hundreds of thousands of organisations in virtually every field are using GIS to

make maps that communicate, perform analysis, share information and solve

complex problems around the world. This is changing the way the world works.

The Geographic Information System market is predicted to reach US$9billion by

2024* (*Report by Global Market Insights 2024).

OVERVIEW OF GIS
REFERENCE

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/geographic-information-

system-gis

https://open.maricopa.edu/gist/part/chapter-1-introduction/

https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/the-history-of-geographic-

information-systems-gis/
 PBSARC 053
SPECS 1
Geographic Information System (GIS)

Simplified Research Paper

Submitted by:
CRISTOBAL, RYANA ROSE B.
BSARC – 4A

Submitted to:
Ar. Jerome Mamuri
Instructor