GIS Concepts Simplified
GIS Concepts Simplified
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GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on
Earth's surface.
BREAKING IT DOWN
• Geographic – place on Earth, Spatial – Where something is on earth?
• Information – data (facts) put together(layering) to make sense e.g. the number of people using a road. Data
used in GIS can be the following: Maps, Remote sensing, Spatial resolution, Spectral resolution
• System – interrelated information – Using the data to make it mean something.
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Remote sensing refers to getting information about the earth’s surface from a vertical (from above)
distance e.g. satellite images.
Done by:
Satellite
Aeroplane
Hot air balloon
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A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image or graphic that can be displayed and represented on a
digital display device.
Refers to digital/grid cells
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Spatial Resolution refers to the detail of an image determined by the size and number of pixels
E.G. the size of the smallest feature that can be detected by a satellite sensor or displayed in a satellite image.
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Spatial Data refers to information about the location and shapes of (geographic) features.
E.G. grid reference
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Attribute Data refers to further information about an area (feature) in addition to its location.
(descriptive data) E.G. The temperature of a given area
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Spatial objects
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Vector data refers to the representation of a geographic feature using point, lines and polygons
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Raster Data refers to the representation of a geographic feature using rectangular grid cells also
referred to as pixels or picture elements
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Data layering refers to different types of information/data layers are projected onto one another/placed
on top of one another
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Sources of information
The most common general sources for spatial
data are: hard copy maps; aerial photographs;
remotely-sensed imagery; point data, samples
from surveys; and existing digital data files.
Existing hard copy maps, e.g. sometimes referred
to as analogue maps, provide the most popular
source for any GIS project.
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Data manipulation occurs when data is processed and converted making it easier to use
(into more useful information).
E.G. correcting distortions and sharpening definitions
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Data integration involves the combining of data layers. (creating more useful information)
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Querying is the ability to ask and answer questions about geographic features and their attributes and the
relationship between them
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Statistical analysis Interpreting the various forms of statistics in relation to a query that might not be obvious
simply by looking at a map
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Data Standardisation is a process of transforming a variable into a more analytically useful form making
(spatial) data more interchangeable
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Data sharing refers to GIS systems that allows others to use your (spatial or non-spatial data) data.
E.G. Cloud GIS
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Data security refers to restricting the availability of data to certain people or organisations.
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. Paper GIS
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