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Purpose of GIS

This document discusses the purpose and key components of geographic information systems (GIS). It explains that GIS are used across various fields to analyze spatial and temporal data related to phenomena in geographic space. The three main stages of GIS are data preparation and entry, data analysis, and data presentation. GIS integrate maps and databases to allow users to enter, analyze, and present georeferenced spatial data. Models in GIS, such as maps and databases, represent parts of the real world. Spatial databases specifically store representations of geographic phenomena for use in GIS.

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47 views17 pages

Purpose of GIS

This document discusses the purpose and key components of geographic information systems (GIS). It explains that GIS are used across various fields to analyze spatial and temporal data related to phenomena in geographic space. The three main stages of GIS are data preparation and entry, data analysis, and data presentation. GIS integrate maps and databases to allow users to enter, analyze, and present georeferenced spatial data. Models in GIS, such as maps and databases, represent parts of the real world. Spatial databases specifically store representations of geographic phenomena for use in GIS.

Uploaded by

Lorna
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PURPOSE OF GIS

SALVADOR T. MIRANDA, JR., MSc.


CFAS-FACULTY
FOR INSTANCE:
• Urban Planner-urban fringe growth and
quantify population growth
• Biologist- populations of amphibian species
• Natural hazard analyst-high risk areas
• Geological engineer-best localities for
constructing buildings
• Mining engineer-prospect copper mines for
future exploration
• Geoinformatics engineer-best sites for the
company’s relay station
• Forest engineers-optimize timber production
• Hydrological engineer-number of water
quality parameters of different sites
–They all work with data that relates to space,
typically involving positional data
–Positional data determines where things are,
–They deal with geographic space
-The problem in using GIS is that of
understanding phenomena that have
•a geographic dimension as well as
•a temporal dimension (spatio-temporal
problems)
•This means that our object of study has
different characteristics for different
locations (geographic dimension) and that it
has different characteristics for different
moments in time (temporal dimension)
3 Important stages in geographic data

• Data preparation and entry-early stage in


which data about the study phenomenon is
collected and prepared to be entered into
the system
• Data analysis-middle stage in which
collected data is carefully reviewed, for
instance, attempts are made to discover
patterns
• Data presentation-final stage in which
results of earlier analysis are presented in
an appropriate way
GIS Defined
• As a computerized system that facilitates the
phases of data entry, data analysis and data
presentation in cases when we are dealing with
georeferenced data.
• GIS user will expect support from the system to
enter (georeferenced) data, to analyze it in
various ways, and to produce presentations
(maps and other) from the data
Spatial data and geoinformation
• Data-representations that can be operated
upon by a computer
– spatial data-data that contains positional values
– geospatial data-spatial data that is georeferenced
• Information-mean data that has been
interpreted by human being
• Geoinformation is a specific type of information
that involves the interpretation of spatial data.
Modelling

• Modelling-a representation of some part of


the real world that can be considered a
model of that part
• the most familiar model is that of a map
• Map is a miniature representation of some
part of the real world
• Database stores a usually considerable
amount of data, and provides various
functions to operate on the stored data

• Data modelling is the common name for the


design effort of structuring a database
• Maps and databases are can be considered
static models

• Dynamic models and process models


emphasize changes that have taken place,
are taking place or may take place
MAPS

• Best known models of the real world


(conventional)
• Restricted to two-dimensional static
representations, and that they are displayed
in a given scale
• Cartography-science and art of making
maps (analogue) but now into digital
cartography
DATABASES
• is a repository capable of storing large
amounts of data and comes with a number of
useful functions
– database can be used by multiple users at the
same time-i.e, it allows concurrent use,
DATABASES
– offers a number of techniques for storing data and
allow to use the most efficient one-i.e, it support
storage optimization,
– allows to impose rules on the stored data, which
will be automatically checked after each update to
the data-i.e, it supports data integrity,
– offers an easy to use data manipulation
language, which allows to perform all sorts of
data extraction and data updates- i.e, it has a
query facility
– it will try to execute each query in the data
manipulation language in the most efficient way-
i.e, it offers query optimization
• Databases can store all sort of data
Spatial Databases

• these are specific type of database


• they store representation of geographic
phenomena in the real world to be used in a
GIS
• they use other techniques than tables to
store these representations
-=END=-

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