The modern maps have more information and are more accurate than their older versions. While cartography talents around the globe must have improved significantly, this is due to the direct increase in the influx of geographic data. A geographic information system (GIS) collects, manages, analyzes and supports the manipulation of all kinds of geographical data for various uses. It means you will find the use of GIS in some fields including public construction, architecture, mining, climate studies and environmental research. GIS collects data and gives them relevance with the help of spatial-temporal coordinates. A fixed (physical) point on earth with distinct latitude and longitude acts as the point of reference to the location. GIS has made it possible to map the earth’s surface while preserving the elevations, depressions, and other features.
Attribute data usually accompanies the spatial data which is a tabular data form that adds auxiliary information to each spatial feature. For example – the information on a hospital will be a combination of spatial data and an attribute data. The location would be the spatial data, whereas the name, specialties, name of the medical practitioners, accomplishment of residential medical practitioners and facilities would be the attribute data. The perfect combination of spatial and attribute data makes GIS the ideal spatial analysis tool for all fields. Therefore, GIS acts as a database cum a tool with smart problem-solving abilities.
What can you do with a GIS?
Several enterprises couple GIS with enterprise level software to transform it into a robust decision making aid. It offers a unique vantage point that assists the visualization of collected data inside a pre-defined environment. You can use the information from this geographic database for the following purposes –
- To find the locations of specific features and to determine its relationship to other features.
- The highest incidence points of the given feature.
- The frequency of occurrence of the particular feature.
- Define an area of interest and note the changing parameters within its bounds.
- The changing parameters in the vicinity of the particular defined feature.
- Denote the nature of change and extent of change in the area over a particular period.
What kind of maps does a geographic information system power?
GIS has helped in the digitization of maps and has contributed to their increasing accuracy over the last two decades. Here are a few ways GIS can help you to update your map systems and create new maps from your collected data –
Mapping the exact location
GIS supports the creation of an accurate representation of real-world features. It also enhances the visualization of data and the spatial, temporal relationships between them. For example – GIS can overlay information from two distinct databases and create a new map. Diamond mines and coal mines may occur adjacently, but not necessarily together always. The use of advanced satellite imaging, electromagnetic imaging, and the surrounding geography can feed these databases. It can help a mineralogist or a geologist create a new map that correlates the occurrence of the two natural resources in the region. The result comes from more than geological studies. It is a combinatorial outcome of data collection, data processing, management of computational techniques and engineering brilliance. You will often notice density maps of banks, hospitals, schools and police stations on the map of a city. Each symbol represents the exact location, and the legends table gives more information on each area.
Mapping the densities of the target feature
Frequently cities, states, and counties run population density analyses of their urban areas and rural areas. Sometimes, it helps in understanding the flow of population from the rural to urban areas, while at other times it has some other economic bearing. The data comes from public surveys, transportation companies, energy utilization spikes, government polls and SAR images. GIS tools can create point density analyses, kernel density measures or line density maps. All three types of density mapping are common for mapping the density of any feature including population, farmland, pastures, roads, traffic density or crime rates.
Representing the number of resources
Mapping quantity becomes very important for locations of potential mines. Mining activities generate a lot of waste. A company mines more waste than minerals at any given moment and to make the process profitable; the location has to hold enough ores. Mapping the density will help the engineers understand where they should start drilling for maximum access and it will help the company understand precisely how much they should invest in the property. A density map can represent a myriad of factors. For example – you can come across a density map of the number of churches in the east European countries or the number of cases of scarlet fever after 2000 in the USA. There is color coding in 2D representation in which the deep shades represent the quantities.
Determine what’s in the vicinity
There have been several cases where the district attorneys have pleaded for stricter punishments or higher penalties for drug peddling cases near a school. The authorities can find out what is near a given location with the help of GIS. Therefore, this information database is highly relevant to crime control units, legal units and even traffic control from time to time. In events of dense traffic, drivers can find less crowded routes with the help of specific software applications. It can be a classic example of a geographic information system allied tool that utilizes data from low altitude or geostationary satellites to determine a real-time network of road and traffic densities. Mapping of nearby features can help geologists identify how safe riverbanks and mining towns are for construction. The adjacent geology and topology, along with geophysical data can determine the safety of a new construction spot. This aspect of GIS is beneficial for mining companies, construction companies and environmental conservation groups alike.
Finding out what is inside a region
GIS can help you understand what is inside a given area. You need to define an area of interest (AOI) to understand the features within the boundaries. It can help you know what is going on currently in the area with the help of real-time satellite imaging and calculations. For example – in case of a wildfire event, the authorities can determine which regions of the urban area are under immediate threat from the spreading fire, which areas of the forest need immediate fire control and which way the people can flee to keep themselves safe.
Changes in mapping
There is nothing more annoying than having to sit and correct an old map system. Traditionally, a professional would have to go through all the old data and compare them with the new database to make the changes. However, the presence of GIS-powered mapping tools has made introducing new numbers, readings, densities, and frequencies a lot easier for each professional. For example – the forest cover around the world is changing every year, and this needs a constantly evolving map that is amiable towards changes. The case of changing sea levels and Arctic ice distribution are similar as well. GIS tools enable the creators to edit the maps according to real-life changes. It can be a change of the colors or the symbols that determine specific frequencies of events or attributes. Community planning committees, environment protection groups, and conservationists can benefit from a flexible system such as this in the long run.
What are main data types for GIS?
One of the most significant advantages of using GIS is the access to a world of new data. Additionally, it also uses several data formats. The two most common ones are vector and raster. When you see polygons, lines or points, it is a set of vector data. Raster data is the form of continuous data that does not possess any hard boundaries. Temperature, soil acidity, humidity, and elevation are raster data. The data come from observation of specific parameters over a period, at specified intervals. It creates a continuous surface on the map devoid of sharp edges, lines, and points. Raster data also includes all kinds of remote sensing data, satellite photos, and aerial imagery. The location of schools in a district, a network of railways or roadways in the country can be dedicated vector data. Both data formats have several sub-formats.
The presence of multiple data formats also poses a grave threat to the new GIS users. The presence of a robust software program can also act as a guidance system for the newbie user. Ideally, a GIS tool should be able to access all GIS supported data and information in formats which are valid. It should also be able to manipulate the data, compare and create new maps accurately. The type of tool you select for the process depends upon your knowledge and training, but it should also depend on the purpose. Not all GIS tools are same, and they do not handle the same kind of data for map rendering. The type (subject) of the map will determine the format of data.You should understand your data, the relationships between your datasets and then find out about the map you will be creating, to choose the type of tool.