GEOGRAPHICAL

INFORMATION SYSTEM
 What is a GIS?
Geographic Information System
• “There are as many definitions as there are
disciplines using a GIS”
(Huxhold, 1991)
 INTRODUCTION
*MAP
A map represents geographic features or other spatial
phenomena by graphically conveying information about
locations and attributes
*CARTOGRAPHY
-- art and science of map making
*COMPUTERISED CARTOGRAPHY
-- performing cartographic functions by means computer
hardware and software
Computer Assisted Mapping

•Map(graphic) information * only graphic data is available

and retrieval * networks are not defined.
•Map publication * spatial relationship not defined
 GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION SYSTEM

An organized collection of computer hardware,

software, Geographical data and personnel
designed to efficiently capture, store, update,
manipulate, analyze & display all forms of
Geographically referenced information
 GIS is…
• Process for creating information
relevant to decisions made by people
and organizations

• System that supports program and

resource planning, inventory,
management, and evaluation activities
 WHAT IS A GIS ?
GEOGRAPHIC implies that locations of the data items are
known, or can be calculated, in terms of Geographic
coordinates (Latitude, Longitude)

INFORMATION implies that the data in a GIS are

organized to yield useful knowledge, often as coloured
maps and images, but also as statistical graphics, tables,
and various on-screen responses to interactive queries.

SYSTEM implies that a GIS is made up from several inter-

related and linked components with different functions.
Thus, GIS have functional capabilities for data capture,
input, manipulation, transformation, visualization,
combinations, query, analysis, modelling and output.
 Another Definition for GIS
A system of integrated computer-based tools for
end-to-end processing (capture, storage,
retrieval, analysis, display) of data using
location on the earth’s surface for interrelation
in support of operations management, decision
making, and science.

• set of integrated tools for spatial analysis

• encompasses end-to-end processing of data
– capture, storage, retrieval, analysis/modification,
display
• uses explicit location on earth’s surface to relate data
• aimed at decision support, as well as on-going operations
and scientific inquiry
 GIS is used to…
• Facilitate communication
• Promote coordination
• Solve problems
• Measure resources
• Make decisions
• Understand past and present situations
• Anticipate future scenarios
 What is a GIS?
A GIS is a database management system for
spatially distributed features and the
associated attributes.
• Spatial data capture
• Management
• Analysis
• Display
• Decision making
• Research
GIS is a way to model our world!

Events
Zoning
Streets
Utilities
Ownership
Natural Resources

Real World
 Geographic Information System:
intuitive description
• A map with a database behind it.
• A virtual representation of the
real world and its infrastructure.
• A consistent “as-built” of the
real world, natural and manmade
Which is
• queried to support on-going
operations
• summarized to support strategic
decision making and policy
formulation
• analyzed to support scientific
inquiry
 Examples of Applied GIS
• Urban Planning, Management &
Policy
– Zoning, subdivision planning
– Land acquisition
– Economic development
– Code enforcement
– Housing renovation programs
– Emergency response
– Crime analysis
– Tax assessment
• Environmental Sciences
– Monitoring environmental risk
– Modeling stormwater runoff
– Management of watersheds,
floodplains, wetlands, forests, aquifers
– Environmental Impact Analysis
– Hazardous or toxic facility siting
– Groundwater modeling and
contamination tracking
• Political Science
– Redistricting
– Analysis of election results
– Predictive modeling
• Civil Engineering/Utility
– Locating underground facilities
– Designing alignment for freeways, transit
– Coordination of infrastructure maintenance
• Business
– Demographic Analysis
– Market Penetration/ Share Analysis
– Site Selection
• Education Administration
– Attendance Area Maintenance
– Enrollment Projections
– School Bus Routing
• Real Estate
– Neighborhood land prices
– Traffic Impact Analysis
– Determination of Highest and Best Use
• Health Care
– Epidemiology
– Needs Analysis
– Service Inventory
 KEY COMPONENTS OF GIS

Hardware&Software
COMPUTER Capture, Storage, processing
SYSTEM Analysis, Display etc.,

GEOSPATIAL USERS
DATA

Maps, Aerial photographs, Satellite Design of Standards, Updating,

Images, Statistic Tables etc, Analysis and Implementations
 Software for GIS: The Main Players
• ESRI, Inc., Redlands, CA
– clear market leader with about a third of the market
– originated commercial GIS with their ArcInfo product in 1981 The main two
– privately owned by Jack Dangermond, a legend in the field “pure GIS”
– Strong in gov., education, utilities and business logistics companies.
• MapInfo, Troy N.Y.
– Aggressive newcomer in early 1990s, but now well-established.
– Strong presence in business, especially site selection & marketing, and telecom
• Intergraph (Huntsville, AL)
– origins in proprietary CAD hardware/software
– Older UNIX-based MGE (Modular GIS Environment) evolved from CAD
– Current GeoMedia was the first true MS Windows-based GIS
– strong in design, public works, and FM (facilities management), but weakening
• Bentley Systems (Exton, PA)
– MicroStation GeoGraphics, originally developed with Intergraph, is now their exclusive and
main product..
– Strong in engineering; advertises itself as “geoengineering”
• Autodesk (San Rafael, CA)
– Began as PC-based CAD, but now the dominant CAD supplier
– First GIS product AutoCAD Map introduced in 1996
– Primarily small business/small city customer base
 ESRI ArcGIS System
Consistent interface
c:\ ArcGIS Workstation Clients Increasing capability

ArcInfo ArcEditor ArcView $ ArcExplorer Browser

ArcMap ArcMap ArcMap

ArcCatalog ArcCatalog ArcCatalog
ArcToolbox ArcToolbox ArcToolbox

ArcEngine/ ArcServer Services

Full GIS analysis
ArcObjects
Application ArcIMS Services
Development & ArcSDE Services Map display & query
Customization Database storage/access

ArcPad
Internet
Databases
Files Multi-user Geodatabases
(Personal Geodatabase,
Shapefiles, Coverages, (in Oracle, SQL Server, Source: ESRI with mods.
Handheld/Wireless Grids, tins, etc) IBM DBII, etc)
 BASIC FUNCTIONS OF GIS

WHAT IS IT….? AREA

(LOCATIONS)

WITHIN THE
WHERE IS IT ….?
(CONDITIONS) FOREST BLOCK
(X,Y)

HOW HAS IT IMPROVEMENT IN

CHANGED …? FOREST GROWTH
(TRENDS) IN FIVE YEARS

WHICH DATA ARE NEAREST

RELATED ….? JFM VILLAGE
(PATTERNS)

WHAT IF….? FINDING SOLUTIONS TO

(MODELS) THE FORTH QUESTIONS
 Where is ____?
• Find places and features
• Determine optimum routes
– Calculate driving time
– Efficiently plan site visits
– Define service areas
• Find patterns
• See where to take action
 Where is ____?

All of us have used a

map to figure out
where “it” is and how
to get there.
 Where is ____?

Patterns
emerge when
you look at
the
distribution
of features.

Earthquake hazard maps are essential for creating and

updating building codes.
 How many ____?
• Mapping the quantity of features by area helps
us
– find places that meet specific criteria
– see relationships between places
• More information than simply mapping the
locations of features
• Prioritize and manage actions based on the
“most” or “least”
How many ____?

Percent of vacant
housing units in
Conover, WI
 Density of ____?
• Map concentrations of features by
location
• Measure the number of features using a
uniform area measurement unit to
clearly see the distribution
– Per acre or square mile
• Prioritize and manage actions based on
density
 Density ?

Deer Population
Density
 What’s inside ____?

• What's happening inside or outside an

area
• Prioritize and manage actions within an
area
• Example
– Apply stiffer penalties to drug-
related arrests within 1,000 feet of a
school
 What’s near ____?

• Map what's located or occurring within a

set distance of a feature
• Prioritize and manage actions around a
feature
• Example
– Identify and sample livestock within a
5-mile radius of an infected animal
 What’s near ____?

Find the
closest ATM
location to
the restaurant
you’re eating
in before the
bill arrives!
 What’s near ____?
Critical facilities
exposed to flood
risk in
Sheboygan
County, WI
 How has ____ changed?
• Evaluate results of an action or policy
– Gain insight into how things behave
over time
– Anticipate future needs
– Map conditions before and after an
action or event to see the impact
• Decide on a course of action based on
future considerations
 How has ____ changed?
North Hudson North Hudson

HUDSON HUDSON

Hudson Hudson

TROY TROY

Land cover change

1992 to 2001
 How do ____ relate?
• Overlay and analyze data that can only be
combined by location or area
– Integrate information
– Develop models
– See in 3-D
• Decide on a course of action based on
spatial analyses
 How do ____ relate?

This groundwater
contamination
susceptibility model
integrates:
- Bedrock depth
- Bedrock type
- Soil characteristics
- Surface deposits
- Water table depth
 What if?
• Integrate data from different sources to
develop “what if” scenarios
 What if?
What if the
Greenland Ice
Sheet melts?

Red areas of southern Florida are

susceptible to a five-meter rise of sea
level, based on elevation. Yellow
denotes urban areas.
 PERSONNEL

VIEWERS USERS DOERS

ROLE OF LOCATION - ORGANISATION

DATA
SPATIAL DATA

ATTRIBUTE DATA
 Raster
SPATIAL DATA
Vector

DATA MODEL AND STRUCTURE

RASTER MODEL VECTOR MODEL

 ADVANTAGES OF VECTOR MODEL
• PRECISE EXPRESSION
• LESS DATA VOLUME
• FULL TOPOLOGY
• FAST RETRIEVAL
• FAST CONVERSION
DISADVANTAGES OF VECTOR MODEL
• COMPLICATED STRUCTURE
• DIFFICULTY IN OVERLAY
• DIFFICULTY IN UPDATING
• EXPENSIVE DATA CAPTURE
ADVANTAGES OF RASTER MODEL
• SIMPLE DATA STRUCTURE
• EASY FOR OVERLAY AND
MODELLING
• SUITABLE FOR 3D DISPLAY
• INTEGRATION OF IMAGE DATA
• AUTOMATED DATA CAPTURE
DISADVANTAGES OF RASTER MODEL
• LARGE DATA VOLUME
• LOW PRECISION
• DIFFICULTY IN NETWORK
ANAYLYSIS
• SLOW CONVERSION
 What Data is in Your GIS?

• What features do you map?

• What attributes do you need to collect data
on?
• What attribute values can you give the
attribute?
 Point Features
Spatially distributed entities, activities or
events
• Points have a single geographic coordinate
such as:
– Tree
– Traffic accident
– Lamp post
 Line Features
Spatially distributed entities, activities or
events
• Lines (Arcs) are a series of geographic
coordinates joined to form a line such as:
– Road
– Stream
– Railway
 Area Features
Spatially distributed entities, activities or
events
• Areas (Polygons) are a series of geographic
coordinates joined together to form a
boundary such as:
– Lake
– Soil types
 Automated Mapping/Facility Management

Graphic files Non-graphic files

2 2. Dulapally beat
3
4
Sift Dulapally
ID Number

Network defined
by preserving intersection
 Attribute data
Attributes can be numeric or alfanumeric
data that is assigned to a point, line or
area spatial features
Example Attributes…
Stand ID, Compartment no,Vegetation
type, Name of the Forest Block,Type of
Road,VSS code etc.,
 Data Capture Sources
• Digitizing from paper maps
• Scanning
• Traditional surveying techniques
• Paper records & field notes
• Photogrammetry
• Remote sensing
• GPS
 GIS Data Storage
There are two main types of data in a GIS
database
• Cartographic - observations on spatially
distributed features, activities, or events,
which are definable as:
– Points
– Lines (Arcs)
– Areas (Polygons)
 GIS Data Storage
• Non-Cartographic - descriptive information
in a database about the cartographic features
located on a map.
– Attributes
– Attribute Values
 Attributes
Description or characteristic of a feature
• Possible attributes for the feature Tree
– Height
– Diameter
– Species
– Condition
– Age
 Attribute Values
The value given to an attribute
• Possible values for the attributes of a Tree
feature
– Height = 15m
– Diameter = 0.75m
– Species = Oak
– Condition = Good
– Age = 8 years
DATA STRUCTURES - POINT, LINE, POLYGON, THEME

PERSONNEL - VIEWERS, USERS, DOERS

ROLE OF LOCATION - ORGANISATION

DATA COLLECTION - SOURCES OF DATA - CONVERSION

TO DIGITAL FORMAT, PROCESSING,STORAGE, UPDATION

ANALYSIS - OVERLAY, BUFFER, DISSOLVE, LINKING WITH

RDBMS

CODING - NEED FOR CODE - LOGISTICS IN CODING

OUTPUTS - HARD COPIES, SOFTWARES, MODELS

ADVANTAGES OF GIS
 Type of Errors

• Dangle Node
• Undershoot
• Overshoot
• Missing Labels
• Duplicate labels
• Pseudo nodes
• Unclosed polygon
• Incorrect user ID to the features
 Types of Attribute Values
There are a number of different types of
attribute values
Feature Attribute Attribute Values
Character Pole Pole ID ABC123
Numeric Pole Height 15m
Menu Pole Condition Good
Average
Poor
Date Pole Date User generated
Auto generated
Time Pole Time User generated
Auto generated
 BASIC FUNCTIONS OF GIS

• DATA AQUISITION AND

PREPROCESSING

DIGITIZING EDITING

TOPOLOGY BUILDING

PROJECTION ATTRIBUTION
 TOPOLOGY
• Topology mathematical representation of
geographic features(arcs, nodes, polygons and
points)
• When topology is built,it creates spatial
relationship among the features
• Topology can be very important for certain
types of analysis.
 TOPOLOGIC DATA ELEMENTS

Node

Line (Arc)

Area(polygon)

Nodes: defines beginning and end of the line

Line: defines roads,utilities,boundaries,etc.,
Areas: administrative boundaries, forest block,JFM areas,lakes
 CODING

NEED FOR CODE

LOGISTICS IN CODING

DDRB_CODE COMPT_CODE JFM_CODE

 GEOREFERENCING/GEOCODING SPATIAL DATA

PROJECTION
Transforming three-dimensional space onto a two-demensional
map is called ‘projection’ or
Projection is a mathematical expression which convert data from
a geographical location(lat & long) on sphere or spheroid to a
representative location on a flat surface.

This much earth surface

has to fit onto this much Projection Plane
map surface

*Conformal projections
*Equal-area projections
*Equidistant projections
 WHY GIS ?
• To inventory and monitor resources
• To test the sensitivity of our analysis
assumptions
• To simulate potential impacts of
management alternatives
• To make the map the 2nd time, the 50th
time, the 100th time...
 Uses of a GIS
• Mapping geographical characteristics for
analysis
• Modeling alternative processes
for management plans
• Managing a utility’s assets
• Monitoring changes in environmental
factors
 Integration of Data
GIS data
• A GIS allows integration of data collected:
– At different times
– At different scales
– Using various methods of capture
 GIS Data Analysis
• A GIS identifies relationships among
features in the database
• Provide answers to queries that are spatial
(geographic)
THEMATIC OVERLAY

1. TOPOGRAPHY
2. BOUNDARIES
3. VEGETATION
4. ROADS
5. RIVERS
6. SOILS
 Query and Analysis
Data Query Output
BAMBOO 3
Veg_type -
MISC
Area feature TEAK 4 5
MT
Identify areas
where density
Density map is lt 0.2 within
1 2 3
1-dense 5km from the
2-open 3 1 center of the
4 -Potential are available for
3-scrub 4 2 village
4-blanks jfm

Village 1 3 - 3 Village locations with

2
Buffer 5km 4 density-type classes
5
Report
6
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT AND
RETRIEVAL

DATABASE: COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT THINGS AND

THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER

DBMS : A SET OF PROGRAMS THAT IS DESIGNED TO MANIPULATE

MAINTAIN DATA IN A DATABSE

HIERARCHICAL MODELING

NETWORK MODELING

RELATIONAL MODELING

ATTRIBUTE QUERRY
 Hierarchical modeling MAP M
UNIVERSITY 2 b 3 e 5
I c II f
a
DEPARTMENT
4 g 6
1 d

STUDENTS PROFESSORS

REGISTRATION COURSES Network linkages

M
I II
M
a b c d e f g
I II
a b c d c e f g
1 2 2 3 3 4 4 1 3 4 3 5 5 6 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
 ADVANTAGES OF GIS IN SIMPLE TERMS

• Though collection of data is difficult once it is collected, it can be

stored safely in digital form (in computer) forever without damage,
which usually happens to our maps.
• Once if a map is prepared accurately it can be printed in any scale
without any redrawing.
• Large scale maps at smaller units (Beats) level can be joined for
creating maps at divisions or district level, very accurately within few
minutes.
• Changes can be incorporated very easily in computer and it doesn’t
require any redrawing.
• Same map can be generated even after 100s of years later.
• New things can be known after overlay of different themes and a new
types of maps can be generated.
• Work can be done faster than manually.
• The work of decision makers and end users will become easier.