ES 13

Chapter I Outline
GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION A. The Science of Geography
SYSTEM B. GIS Definition
C. Features
Chapter I
D. Aims
Introduction to GIS
E. Benefits
F. Approach
G. The Purpose & Applications
H. Advantages and disadvantages
I. Components

The Science of Geography The Science of Geography

Spatial - refers to the nature and
Geography the relationships among:
character of physical space
geographic areas
natural systems measurements, locations, distribution of things.
INTERDEPENCE
society
cultural activities Spatial Analysis the examination of
spatial interactions, patterns, and variations
governed by a method specific body of over area and/or space.
~spatial analysis knowledge
(Christopherson, 2001)
(Christopherson, 2001).
 The Science of Geography The Science of Geography
Five Fundamental themes of Geography The Geographic Continuum
Location
Place
Movement
Regions
Human-earth relationships Synthesis
(holistic view)

What is GIS ? Definition of GIS

Toolbox-based definition

Database definition
data organization

Organization-based definition
role of institutes and people
 Toolbox-based definition Toolbox-based definition

a powerful set of tools for: a system for:

collecting, capturing,
storing, storing,
retrieving at will, checking,
transforming and world set of purpose manipulating, spatially referenced to
the earth.
displaying spatial analyzing, and
data displaying
(Burrough, 1986)
Querying
geographically related data
(Department of Environment, 1987)

Toolbox-based definition Databased definition

an information technology that: a database system in which most of the

stores, data are spatially indexed, and upon which
analyzes, and a set of procedures operated in order to
displays both spatial and non-spatial data answer queries about spatial entities in the
(Parker, 1988)
database

(Smith et al., 1987)

 Databased definition Organization-based definition
an automated set of functions that
a computer-based system that provides
provides professionals with advanced
the following four sets of capabilities to
capabilities for the storage, retrieval,
handle geo-referenced data:
manipulation and display of geographically
a) input,
located data.
b) data management,
c) manipulation analysis, and
(Ozemoy, Smith, and Sicherman, 1981)
d) output.
(Stan Aronoff, 1989).

Organization-based definition GIS Architecture/Subsystem

an institutional entity, reflecting an Four main subsystem of GIS (Marbie,
organizational structure that integrates 1990)
technology with a database, expertise, and
continuing financial support over time.

(Carter, 1989)
 Subsystem of GIS Subsystem of GIS
Data Input Subsystem Data storage and Retrieval Subsystem
Capture, collects, transform and/or processes
spatial and thematic data into digital form quickly retrieved by the user for:
derived from existing maps, remote sensors, subsequent analysis, and makes possible rapid
etc and accurate updates and corrections to the
spatial database.

Subsystem of GIS GIS FLOWCHART

Data-reporting Subsystem
capable of displaying all, or part of the original
database together with processes data and the output
from spatial models in tabular or map form.

Consider the ff:

Message
Audience
Medium
Aesthetic rules
techniques
 GIS Acitivites GIS Workflow

LEVEL OF GIS USE Power of GIS - integration

Prediction

Analysis

Data
Management
 Why GIS ?
Problems Benefits of GIS
1. Poor maintenance of 1. Better maintenance of geospatial data in
geospatial data a standard format
Provides powerful tools for 2. Out dated maps & 2. Faster and up-to-date information can be
statistics provided
- data process, analysis, and visualization 3. Inaccurate data & 3. Greater analysis and understanding of
- data management and retrieval information problems
4. Absence data retrieval 4. Stronger competitive ability
service 5. Improved information sharing and flows
5. Absence of data sharing 6. Enormous time savings for routine and
repetitive tasks
One of the fastest growing high-tech career 7. Time and money are saved.
fields 8. Better-informed decision making
9. Sound justification for decisions made

Objectives of GIS Approach of GIS

Data Organization Geographic Approach
Visualization a new way of thinking and problem solving that
integrates geographic information into how we
Social query understand and manage our planet
Combination Analysis
Prediction allows us to create geographic knowledge by measuring
the Earth, organizing this data, and analyzing/modelling
various processes and their relationships.
 Approach of GIS Approach of GIS
The Geographic Approach
Planning
as a methodology
consists of a five-step Step: Step 1:
Act Ask
inquiry process:
Step 4: Step 2: Maintenance DATA Design
Analyze Acquire

Step 3:
Examine
Implementation

GIScience The Purpose of GIS

The scientific field that attempts to Geological engineer Geographic space of their study
integrate different disciplines studying the Mining engineer area and the events that takes
place
methods and techniques of handling Geoinformatic engineer
Environmental manager
spatial information Urban Planner
Biologist
ENVIRONMENT
Natural hazard analyst
Geoinformatics Forest manager
SPACE POSITIONAL
DATA
Geomatics Hydrological engineer
Spatial information science
GEOGRAPHIC SPACE
 GIS Application GIS Application
Agriculture Defense agencies
Archaeology Environmental Management
Banking Fire/disaster Management
Cadastral/Land Records Forestry
Catchments Management Geology and Management
Commerce and business Law Enforcement or Criminal Justice
Community College Local government
Conservation Mining

GIS Application
Ocean
Socio-economic or government
Water and wastewater
Wildlife
 Components
Components
1. People
Technical persons (GIS managers, database
administrators, specialists, analysts and
programmers) who design and maintain the
GIS work and those who use it.
Involve in all phases of development of a GIS
system and in collecting data
Cartographers and surveyors creates the maps
and survey the land and the geographical features
System users who collect the data, upload the data
to system, manipulate the system and analyze the
results.

Components Components
1. People: Categories 1. People: Classes
Viewers the people who just use GIS for
reference; largest class of user - accept or reject
the technology
General Users who use GIS for business,
services, and making decisions (e.g. planners,
scientists, engineers, etc.)
GIS Specialists backbone of GIS and
maintain, process and analyze geographic data;
provide technical support to the users (e.g. GIS
managers, system analysts and programmers,
etc.)
 Components
Geospatial Data
2. Data
Geospatial data identifies the geographic location &
where tells you where characteristics of natural features,
it is manmade features, or boundaries on
Attribute data tells
the earth.
you what it is.
Metadata describes Examples: river, street, campus and
both geospatial and state boundaries.
attribute data.
Note: Before GIS, geospatial data is expressed
and stored in a paper map.

Geospatial Data

With GIS, geospatial data stored in digital

format. It actually include:

geospatial data - feature location, &

attribute data - features or characteristics

Note: Attribute data is stored in a table, which links

to the feature location.
 GIS Data Types GIS Data Types

Raster:

is a grid consisting of
individual cells or pixels. Each
cell holds a value (elevation,
radiance, reflectance, rainfall,

the resolution of the data is the

size on the ground by each cell.

Vector:

points, lines, and polygons

Components Components
3. Hardware 3. Hardware
Hardware is the Digitizer and scanner used for
computer system on converting data, which is available in the
which a GIS operates. form of maps and documents, into digital
GIS software runs on
a wide range of
form and send them to computer
hardware types, from Global Positioning System (GPS)
centralized computer
servers to desktop Mouse and keyboard for encoding,
computers used in manipulating, controlling, and modifying
stand-alone or projects in the software
networked
configurations. Digital tape reader
 Components Components
3. Hardware 3. Hardware
Motherboard it is a circuit board where Processor named as the Central Processing Unit
(CPU)
the major hardware parts are nstalled or performs the numeric computations or calculations for a
where all the computer components are computer system to run

attached. Random Access Memory (RAM) where all running

programs from the software are loaded temporarily
Hard Drive aka as Hard Drive Disk Monitor it is a display screen for showing output
(HDD) - where data are store information
Types:
Solid-state drive (SSD) a form of drive disk
1. cathode ray tube (CRT)
widely used where data is more porwerful and 2. liquid crystal display (LCD)
more efficient 3. light emitting diodes (LED)

Components Components
3. Hardware 4. Software
Digital Data GIS software provides the functions and tools
External hard drive portable storage space needed to store, query, analyze, and display
such as flash drives, DVD, CD, or external geographic information (spatial and non-spatial
disk data).
Tape device used to store data or program Components:
on magnetic tape a. GIS tools key tools used to support the browsing
of GIS data
Printer output device and it is used to b. Relational Database Management Systems
print images, maps or documents (RDBMSs) stores GIS data; GIS oftware retrieves
the data from RDBMS or insert data into RDBMS
Plotter display device that presents the
result of the data processing
 Components
Free/Open Source GIS Software
4. Software
c. Query tools work wit database management
system for querying, insertion, deletion, and other
Standard Query Language (SQL)
d. Graphical User Interface (GUI) - helps user and
software to interact accordingly and properly
e. Layout where mapping, overlaying takes place. It
is where data modification and manipulation mainly
take place

(Khan, A., 2016)

Commercial GIS Software

(Khan, A., 2016)

 Components
5. Methods
Data Storage & Retrieval
Procedures include how the data will be retrieved, input into the system,
stored, managed, transformed, analyzed, and finally presented in a final
output.
Query Language
The procedures are the steps taken to answer the question needs to be
resolved.
The ability of a GIS to perform spatial analysis and answer these
questions is what differentiates this type of system from any other
information systems.
Mapping
The transformation processes includes such tasks as adjusting the
coordinate system, setting a projection, correcting any digitized errors in
a data set, and converting data from vector to raster or raster to vector.