Geography 3056

1
Introduction to GIS

• Geography 3056
• Department of Geography Geology
• Nipissing University
• Autumn 2008

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Introduction to GIS

• Introduction
• Development of GIS
• GIS Software
• Data Models
• GIS Operations

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INTRODUCTION

• What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?
• A collection of computer programmes which
  perform specialised functions on digital spatial
  data, including data entry, management,
  manipulation, analysis, presentation.

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INTRODUCTION

• What is spatial data?
• Geographically referenced data describes both
  the location and attributes of spatial features.
• -- it is the ability to work w/ spatial data
  that sets GIS apart from other information systems

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INTRODUCTION

• GIS Applications
• a) Natural Resources
• (e.g. Assessment, Management, Planning)
• b) Environmental Applications
• c) Municipal Applications
• d) Business Applications

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INTRODUCTION

• Components of GIS
• a) Computers Peripheries
• b) GIS Software
• c) Human Resources
• d) Infrastructure

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DEVELOPMENT OF GIS

• a) Canada Land Inventory
• (Tomlinson 1984)
• b) Computer mapping
• (e.g. University of Edinburgh and the Harvard
  Laboratory of Computer Graphics)
• c) U.S. Census Bureaus DIME system

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DEVELOPMENT OF GIS

• d) Computer Technology
• (e.g. GUI, powerful PCs )
• e) Access to Digital Data
• f) Mainstreaming

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GIS SOFTWARE

• a) ESRI (www.esri.com)
• i) Arc/Info and Arc View
• ii) ArcGIS (Arc View, ArcEditor,
  ArcInfo)
• b) Intergraph (www.intergraph.com)
• i) GeoMedia
• ii) MGE

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GIS SOFTWARE

• c) Others
• i) IDRISI (www.clarklabs.org)
• ii) GRASS (http//grass.baylor.edu)
• iii) SPANS (www.pcigeomatics.com)
• d) Up Coming
• (e.g. Oracle Spatial, IBM Spatial DataBlade,
  Microsoft MapPoint)

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DATA MODELS

• a) Raster vs. Vector Models
• (see Fig. 1.2)

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DATA MODELS

• b) Vector Data Models
• i) Georelational Data Models
• ii) Object-oriented Data Models

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GIS OPERATIONS

• a) Classification of Operations
• i) Data Entry
• ii) Data Management
• iii) Data Exploration
• iv) Data Analysis
• v) Modelling
• vi) Information Output Display