Introduction to GIS

What is GIS?
⚫G stands for geographic, so GIS has something to do
with geography.

⚫I stands for information, so GIS has something to do

with information, namely geographic information.

⚫S stands for system, so GIS is an integrated system of

geography and information tied together.
What is GIS?
⚫ •A computer system for
-collecting,
-storing,
-manipulating,
-analyzing,
-displaying, and
-querying
geographically related
information.
Definitions of GIS
⚫ GIS is a particular form of Information System applied to
geographical data.
⚫ GIS is a computer based tool that analyzes, stores,
manipulates and visualizes geographic information on a
map.
⚫ A Geographic Information System is a system of
computer software, hardware and data, and the personnel
that make it possible to enter, manipulate, analyze, and
present information that is tied to a location on the earth’s
surface.
⚫ A GIS is a computer-based system that provides the
following four sets of capabilities to handle georeferenced
data:
1. Data capture and preparation
2.Data management, including storage and maintenance
3. Data manipulation and analysis
4. Data presentation
Data capture and preparation
⚫ Data capture and input is done using existing data or by
creating new data.
⚫ New data can be created from sensed images, GPS
devices, field survey, user input and text files etc.
Data Management
⚫ Data management refers to the storage and
maintenance of the data.
⚫ Data is usually stored in tables in row and column format.
⚫ Data manipulation includes data verification, attribute data
management, insertion, updation, deletion and retrieval in
different forms.
Data Manipulation and analysis
⚫ Once the data has been collected and organized, analysis can
be done using different analysis tools.
⚫ Data Presentation
⚫ After the data is gathered and stored, it is prepared for
producing output.
⚫ The data presentation phase deals with putting it all together
into a format that communicates the result of data analysis in
the best possible way.
⚫ For effective presentation, following point should be kept in
mind. What is message we want to portray, who the audience
is, what kind of presentation medium is used and what
techniques are available for representation.
History of GIS
⚫ The first GIS was created by Dr. Roger Tomlinson and
then introduced in the early 1960’s in Canada.
⚫ It was meant for collecting, storing and then analyzing the
capability and potential which the land in the rural areas
had.
⚫ But it had many limitations.
⚫ By the end of the 80’s, GIS became popular in other
related fields too and led to the growth of GIS too.
⚫ The advent of GUI, powerful hardware and software,
public digital data enhanced the range of GIS applications
and bought GIS to mainstream in 1990’s.
GIS APPLICATIONS
GIS Applications
⚫ Natural resource-based
⚫ wildlife habitat analysis, migration routes planning
⚫ Natural Resource Management
⚫ Land Use Planning
⚫ Natural Hazard assessment
⚫ Environmental impact analysis (EIA)
⚫ Groundwater modeling and contamination tracking
⚫ Street network-based
⚫ address matching - finding locations given street addresses
⚫ vehicle routing and scheduling
⚫ location analysis, site selection
⚫ development of evacuation plans
⚫ Land parcel-based
⚫ Zoning, subdivision plan review
⚫ Land record management
⚫ environmental impact statements
⚫ water quality management
⚫ maintenance of ownership
⚫ Facilities management
⚫ locating underground pipes, cables
⚫ balancing loads in electrical networks
⚫ planning facility maintenance
⚫ Others
⚫ Crime analysis
⚫ Market analysis
⚫ Location based services
⚫ In car navigation system
GIS APPLICATIONS
Who Uses GIS?
⚫ Planning Strategies
⚫ Police and Law Enforcement Agencies
⚫ Foresters
⚫ Industry
⚫ Environmental Engineers
⚫ Real Estate Professionals
⚫ Telecommunications Professionals
⚫ Emergency Response Organizations
⚫ Local and Federal Government
⚫ Health
⚫ Transportation
⚫ Geographers
⚫ Market Developers
GIS components
⚫ Computer system
⚫ Hardware
⚫ Software
⚫ Geographic data
⚫ People to carry out various management and analysis tasks
⚫ Hardware – it is the computer on which a GIS operates
⚫ Software – it provides functions and tools needed to input and
store, query, performs analysis, and displays geographic
information in the form of maps or reports. All GIS software
packages rely on an underlying database management system
(DBMS) for storage and management of the geographic and
attribute data.
⚫ Data - Data is one of the most important, and often most
expensive, components of a GIS.
⚫ It is entered into a GIS using a technique called digitizing.
⚫ Digitizing is done by tracing the location, path or boundary
of geographic features either on a computer screen using a
scanned map in the background, or a paper map that is
attached to a digitizing tablet.
⚫ Even data is available for free or for purchase from the data
provider or from a spatial data clearinghouse.
GIS & GPS
⚫ GPS stands for Global Positioning System, which is a
system of satellites, ground stations, and receivers that
allow you to find your exact location on Earth.
⚫ A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a tool used to
collect data for a GIS.
GIS Data Types
⚫ Raster Data - In a GIS, raster data is a cell-based or grid
based representation of map features. Satellite images,
aerial photography and scanned images are all stored in
raster format.
⚫ Vector Data - Vectors can be classified into three
primary feature types: points, lines and polygons. Vector
data is entered into a GIS by digitizing these features from
a base map. All vector data is stored as an x,y coordinate,
or a series of x,y coordinates.
Geographic Data or Geospatial Data
⚫ It is used to indicate that data, that has geographic
component to it (have locational information tied to them)
⚫ GIS data is a form of geospatial data.
⚫ Geospatial data has two components
⚫ Spatial data
⚫ Attribute data
Geographic Data or Geospatial Data
⚫ Geospatial data are data that describe both the location and
characteristics of spatial features such as roads, land
parcels and vegetable stands on the earth’s surface.
⚫ The location, also called geometry or shape also represents
spatial data.
⚫ The characteristics are attribute data.
⚫ Thus any geospatial data has the two components of
spatial data and attribute data.
Spatial data
⚫ Spatial data describes the location of spatial features.
⚫ It may be discrete or continuous.
⚫ Discrete features are individually distinguishable features that
do not exist between observations. E.g. Points (e.g. Wells),
lines (roads) etc. areas (state boundaries).
⚫ Continuous features are features that exist spatially between
observations. E.g. Elevations and precipitations.
⚫ Vector data model uses points and their coordinates to
construct spatial features. Ideal for discrete features.
⚫ Raster data model uses grid and grid cells to represent spatial
features. Ideal for continuous features.
⚫ A GIS represents these spatial features on the earth’s
surface as map features on plane surface
Attribute data
⚫ Attribute data describes the characteristics of spatial
features.
⚫ For raster data each cell has a value that correspond to the
attribute at that location.
⚫ For vector data, the amount of attribute data can vary.