What is GIS?

Geography and Technology

• Geography affects us in many ways:• Our natural environment• Our human environment

• Geography has become a high tech discipline:• Earth Observation• Global Positioning Systems (GPS)• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

What is a GIS?

• GIS= Geographic Information System

• A method of organizing data• Geographic Data (Maps)• Descriptive Data (Databases)• Images

• A method of distributing data

• A method of analyzing data

• A method of visualizing data

How does a GIS Work?

• In a GIS, different types of information are represented as separate map layers

• Each layer is linked to descriptive information

• Layers are combined to make a map

Describing Our World

• We can describe any element of our world in two ways:

• Attribute Information:> What is it?

• Location Information:> Where is it?

Building Type: OfficeHeight: 100 ft. Condition: Good

43°N, 79°W

Linking Datasets

• GIS software links the location data and the attribute data:

Analysis

• GIS can analyze data in many ways

• GIS software can answer our questions about the world:

• Spatial Questions> What provinces border

Saskatchewan?

• Attribute Questions> What provinces have

more than 1.5 million people?

Earth Observation

• SPOT

• LandSat ™

• RadarSAT

• NOAA

• ERS RADARSAT

NOAA

ERS

SPOT

Earth Observation

Global Positioning System

• GPS is a revolutionary navigation system

• 24 satellites orbiting the earth

• Provide location within meters or less anywhere on the globe.

• Now available in many cars as an option

GIS in Education and Administration

Classroom Applications

• Social Studies• History• Earth Science• Biology• Environmental Studies• Political Science• Mathematics• Economics• Business• Computer Science

School District Administration

• School mapping and redistricting

• Enrollment analysis

• Facilities management

• School transportation

• Staff/student location analysis

• School safety

Real World Applications Using GIS

GIS Technology is Increasingly Common in Today’s Applications

GIS in the Real WorldTsunami Relief Hurricane Tracking and Response

Agriculture and Sustainability

Health Care Municipalities and Planning

Cartography

Summary

• GIS is about using data to describe our world in two ways:

• Location Data - Where is it?• Attribute Data - What is it?

• GIS software maintains a link between layers of location and attribute data

• With the link, we can ask questions about our world…

• GIS is a multi-disciplinary tool in education

• GIS is used in real world applications across various industries