Geographic Information Systems

Geographical Information about the places on Earth’s surface is known as Geographical information. In the olden era, geographic information was stored in an analogue setup on paper maps. That format had various limitations regarding the presentation and content of the information. But today, geographic information is addressed as a computerised system.

GIS (Geographic Information System) 

It is a computing system known as a geographical information system used for different purposes related to checking positions on earth’s surfaces, such as: displaying data, storing, checking and capturing. Geographic information systems can help to understand spatial arrangements and relationships. The modern GIS, which we know, is credited to Robert Tomlinson. He was awarded the title ‘Father of GIS’ in 1960 while working with the Canadian government to create the Canadian geographical system for Canada, which was the first computerised GIS on Earth. Jack Dangermond founded ESRI(Environmental Systems Research Institute) in 1969 to undertake land analysis.

The Geographic Information system sees the impact people have on the environment. It studies the atmosphere, biography, and geography of the Earth. GIS also studies the economic activities on the Earth. GIS allows users to view, recognise, query, clarify and visualise data in many techniques that reveal relationship patterns in maps, reports, and charts. The database information is linked to geographic data.

An example is a school. The school’s location is spatial data, whereas the school name, schooling type, and school code would make up attribute data. The partnership of spatial data and attribute data enables GIS to be an efficient problem-solving tool. A working geographic information system includes five key components to work well, which are hardware, software, data, workforce, and methods. 

GIS geographic information system can use any details that comprise location. Location can be conveyed in many distinct ways, such as latitude, longitude, address, and zip code. Many distinct types of information can be correlated using GIS. Information like population, income or education level of people can be included in the system’s data. Also, it comprises information like landscape, location of streams, different types of vegetation, types of soil, and places where it is found. Information like factories, farms, industries, roads, gardens, schools, hospitals, restaurants, electric power lines, etc., is also included. For example, e.g. It can show you where pollution is more like factories whereas it also shows some pollution-free places like wetlands. Such a map can show where forests are more or deserts, water supply crisis etc.

Data Capture 

• The geographical information system includes both hardware and software
• It may include cartographic, photographic, digital, or data in spreadsheets
• Cartographic data is in the form of a map
• It consists of information like rivers, mountains, wetlands, and deserts. It may also include survey data
• Photographic data is a major part of GIS
• It includes examining aerial photographs and accessing the function that appears. 

Digital data can also be included in GIS (geographic information system). Computer data assembled by the satellite shows land use- forests, towns, farms, etc. 

Remote sensing is one tool that can be merged into a GIS. Imagery and other data captured by drones and satellites are included in remote sensing. 

Demographics might span from age, income, and origin to recent purchases and internet browsing choices. The Geographical Information uses location as a key index. Putting any information in GIS is called data capture. Tables and images captured by satellite can be uploaded into GIS. Two main types of files are raster and vector. Rasters format is a lattice of cells or pixels. It stores data that changes, such as elevation and data imagery. Points and lines in polygons are used as a vector format. 

Spatial relationships and linear networks can be shown using GIS Geographic information system technology. Topography like agricultural fields, farms, and streams may be shown in spatial relationships. Land use patterns like houses and parks may also be shown. Linear networks/geometric networks are frequently represented by roads, rivers, and public utility grids in a geographical information system.

A line on a map indicates something like a road highway. The relationship between distance on the map and actual distance on Earth is a Scale. Frequently, GIS manipulates the data because various maps have various projections. A projection is a method to transmit information from Earth’s curved surface to paper or a computer screen. It requires stretching or squeezing some parts for transmitting curved 3-D shapes on a flat surface. A world map can display either the country’s sizes or shapes but can’t do both. 

GIS Maps 

Once all the aspiring data have come to the GIS system, they can be united to produce a wide diversity of individual maps, depending on which data layers consist. Comparing natural features with human activity is one of the most common features of Geographical information system technology. For any given time, maps can show where humans and nature are coinciding. For example, it shows where houses and businesses are prone to cyclones. Maps of one city or state can associate information like average income, sales, or living standards. Any GIS geographic information system data layer can be added or minus by using the same map. The data of GIS is also used to display the numbers and density. As an example, GIS can show how many business setups are in your neighbourhood compared to the whole area. 

Advantages of GIS 

• Better the decision making because specific and detailed data is provided of one or more locations
• Lesser the cost, more the efficiency 
• Improves the communication between any two complex organisations
• Geographic changes are easily recorded by GIS

Conclusion

To conclude, we have learnt that Geographic Information System is a computing system that is used for different purposes related to checking positions on earth’s surfaces, such as: displaying data, storing, checking and capturing. Geographic information systems can help to understand spatial arrangements and relationships.