Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Hardware
Major Questions for a GIS:
What exists at a certain location?
Where are certain conditions satisfied?
What has changed in a place over time?
What spatial patterns exist?
What if this condition occurred at this
place? (modelling, hypothesis testing)
For example...
Toxic Substance Locations:
District 24
District 16
14 George Boulevard
14 George Blvd.
x
o 124
Elm St. 16
o 35 White Rd.
24
School Locations
Information on the World
How it looks – Form or Pattern
How it works – Process
Knowledge about process more
valuable than form, because can be
used to predict
GIS combine
General scientific knowledge in software
Specific information in databases
Global Accessibility
Featured in Science, vol 323, January, 2009
Major Questions for YOU...
What ARE my questions?
How much data do I need and of what
quality?
How can I combine my data to answer
my questions?
The Process of GIS (i.e., GIScience)
Think about a place or a topic ...
Ask a question about it ...
Analyze data to make a map ...
Explore the patterns that appear ...
Enhance the data or modify the analysis ...
Ask a new question …
Repeat ...
Defining GIS
Different definitions of a GIS have evolved in
different areas and disciplines.
map coordinates,
Database of spatial and often non-spatial,
computer-based link between them.
All GIS definitions recognize that spatial data
are unique because they are linked to maps.
Spatial/Geospatial/Geographic Data?
Latitude and longitude
Street address
x and y coordinates
Range and township
Location shown on a map
Non-spatial Data?
Name
Gender
Income
SSN or student ID number
Political party
Attributes in a
Database ID Name Population
Grid
cell
Rows
Resolution
Columns
“Rasters are Faster...”
maps directly onto computer memory
structure (array).
easy to understand, read, write, draw
Rasters are Faster...
natural for scanned or remotely sensed
data.
continuous surfaces (e.g., topography)
spatial analytical operations are faster.
compression is easier
Point
Line
Area
Annotation
A
Object/Vector Feature Types
3 Distinguishing Characteristics
of a GIS vs. Other Systems
1. provides links between points, lines,
areas, grids and their ATTRIBUTES in a
database
2. provides algorithms for ANALYSIS of
spatial data
3. “spatially intelligent” - “thinks” points, lines,
areas, grids are actual spots on Earth’s surface
- e.g., switching projections, computing
distances
GIS “Layers,”“Themes,”“Overlays”
GIS is a multi-Billion dollar
business.
annual software revenues top $1 billion,
increasing ~14% yearly
ESRI and Intergraph software revenues
account for 1/2 of industry total
GIS industry now at $7 BILLION
Open Source GIS
quantum GIS - qgis.org
uDIG - uDIG.refractions.net
GRASS - grass.itc.it
GIS as an approach to science
Geographic Information Science is research
both on and with GIS.
Psychology, Sociology
More …
GIS, GIScience, GIS & T
GISystems (GIS)
Emphasis on technology and tools
GIScience (GISci)
Fundamental issues raised by the use of GIS and
related technologies (e.g.)
• Spatial analysis
• Map projections
• Accuracy
• Scientific visualization
GIScience & Technology (GIS & T)
Major Journals/Trade Mags.
International Journal of Geographical
Information Science
Cartography and Geographic Information
Science
Transactions in GIS
GEOInformatics
GEOConnexion
ArcUser
Regular GISci Scholarly Papers
Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing
Annals of the Association of American Geographers
Cartographica
Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems
Computers and Geosciences
IEEE Transactions on Computer Graphics and
Applications
International Journal of Remote Sensing
Occasional GISci Scholarly Papers
Landscape Ecology
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
Geojournal
Many more …
National Professional Organizations
AAG: The Association of American Geographers.
GITA: Geospatial Information & Technology Assoc. (formerly
AM/FM)
URISA: Urban and Regional Information Systems
Association.
ACSM: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.
ASPRS: American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote
Sensing.
UCGIS: University Consortium for Geographic Information
Science
Willamette Valley GIS
User Group
www.orurisa.org/wgisug/
ESRI Conferences
ESRI Education and User Conferences. Every
year in San Diego.
regional meetings as well
2011 Summer Internship Program
careers.esri.com/category/summer-programs.html
Applications due March 18, 2011
Conferences ( cont. )
GIS in Action - Oregon URISA
see course web site
March 29-30 at Portland State University
UCGIS Summer Meeting, Boulder, CO,
June 22-23
www.ucgis.org
Student travel awards, paper session
Attributes and their Types
Nominal, e.g., land cover class
Ordinal, e.g., a ranking
Interval, e.g., Celsius temperature
Differences make sense
Ratio, e.g., map scale
Ratios make sense
Cyclic, e.g., wind direction