Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Data

1. Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Data Laurie Schretlen & Leah Vanderjagt Netspeed October 20, 2005

2. GIS & Spatial Data - Today • Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology: basics, applications, and directions • Spatial data: information resources for GIS research • Spatial data access – • in Canada and in Alberta • GEODE

9. GIS Components • Map data • Information about location w/graphics http://www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/stats/Eworksheets/images/RandomCoordinates.jpg

10. GIS Components: • Attribute data • Information about what can be found at a particular location http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/images/5740f02.gif

11. GIS as database http://utca.eng.ua.edu/projects/final_reports/02403fnl_files/image004.jpg

12. Spatial data examples • Road networks • Vegetation inventories • Soil inventories • Census results • Municipal boundaries • Elevation values • Climate readings • Habitat ranges • …

13. GIS Components • Software • A technology for storing and analyzing location and attribute data http://www.l.hsr.ch/skripte/gisscripts/media/softwarescreen1.jpg

14. GIS Components • Hardware • Systems to support rapid graphic analysis and processing http://www.gdf-hannover.de/pics/gisrechner.png

15. GIS Personnel • People • Project coordinators • Data analysts • Programmers • Data and knowledge managers • Librarians

16. GIS Components • Methods • The analysis to be performed on the data http://www.wwf.org.co/colombia/images/a28_c.gif

17. GIS Methods and Analysis • GIS is used to answer questions and support decisions • The quality of the answer depends on: • The METHODS chosen • The DATA (more on that later)

18. Data Layers • The ability to ‘stack’ layers in a GIS allows us to ask questions about the relationship between different objects of study Image courtesy of Charlene Nielsen, Department of Biology, University of Alberta

19. Overlay • What two things occur at the same location? http://www.orthogate.com/guide/workshops/images/image002.gif

20. Overlay – GIS • What residences lie beneath this toxic plume of ammonia?

21. Overlay GIS http://www.saultc.on.ca/GIS/images/RedPineTraill_sm.jpg

22. Buffering • What lots are located near this road? http://news.sina.com.cn/duihua/sars/LearnMoreAboutGIS/gis4.files/buffer.gif

24. Modeling • GIS is used to ask ‘what if?’ • Testing scenarios and possible outcomes

25. Modeling

27. Image created by Leah Vanderjagt, 2005: Data: NRCan CDED; City of Edmonton 2001 Digital Orthophotos

28. Modeling - Site Selection • Combining best conditions from multiple layers to come up with the best location for a proposed facility • Eg. Good slope drainage + enough distance from streams + access to roads = Best site

29. Modeling

30. GIS Applications • GIS applications combine multiple analytical processes to support decision-making • Some examples from non-profit and government sectors:

31. Habitat tracking and analysis • maps.gov.bc.ca/imf406/imf.jsp?site=libc_habwiz

32. www.shim.bc.ca/atlases/shim/shim.htm

33. Health Care: Disease outbreak monitoring and modeling Avian Flu Affected and at-risk poultry farms Dispersion of Avian Flu in Thailand http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/health/links/ma04184pf.htm

34. SARS Mapping Distribution map Outbreak model – Buffalo, NY

36. Facilities Management for Municipal Government

37. Route Optimization Modeling

38. Crime Analysis

39. Other uses • Many groups still need to create paper maps to support operations - nearly always GIS-based • GIS is also used for storage of information – there is an archiving function

41. Directions for GIS • WEB APPLICATIONS • Standards • Unlocking the GIS black box -distributed experimentation and collaboration • GIScience

42. GIS in Academic Institutions • GIS is used extensively in science/ecology disciplines: • Renewable resources management • Forestry • Biology (ecology) • Geography • Earth and atmospheric sciences • Geology

43. GIS in Academic Institutions • Also used in: • Civil engineering • Business • Economics • History • Psychology • Health • …

44. GIS and Libraries • Community demographic analysis

45. GIS - Bibliography

46. Spatial data access • ‘Map’ + ‘Attribute’ data is usually referred to as spatial data • Locating the right spatial data and obtaining the rights to use it is a major component of every GIS project

47. Spatial data quality: Inconsistencies

48. Spatial data quality: Projections http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/gif/twoproj.gif

49. Spatial data access • Spatial data is expensive to create and update • Government agencies and large corporations can afford it • Data sharing is not necessarily a part of the plan

50. Spatial data access • If it’s shared, spatial data is either sold by the producer or by a designated value-added reseller • Public consultations have resulted in open sharing of more and more spatial data sets at the federal level • Some federal data is made available through the Depository Services Program