What Is GIS ?

A Geographic Information System(GIS) supports several views for working with geographic information.

• Geodatabase view: A GIS is a spatial database containing data sets that represent geographic information in terms of a generic GIS data model (features, rasters, topologies, networks, and so forth).
• Geovisualization view: A GIS is a set of intelligent maps and other views that shows features and feature relationships on the earth's surface. Various map views of the underlying geographic information can be constructed and used as "windows into the database" to support queries, analysis, and editing of the information.
• Geoprocessing view: A GIS is a set of information transformation tools that derives new geographic data sets from existing data sets. These geoprocessing functions take information from existing data sets, apply analytic functions, and write results into new derived data sets.

These three GIS views are represented in ArcGIS by the catalog (a GIS is a collection of geographic data sets), the map (a GIS is an intelligent map view), and the toolbox (a GIS is a set of geoprocessing tools). All three are critical parts of an intelligent GIS and are used at varying levels in all GIS applications.

 

Three views of GIS used for working with elements of geographic knowledge

 

 

The Geodatabase View

GIS Data: A GIS Is a Spatial Database

A GIS is a unique kind of database of the world—a geographic database (geodatabase). It is an "information system for geography." Fundamentally, a GIS is based on a structured database that describes the world in geographic terms.

Geographic Representations

As part of a GIS geodatabase design, users specify how certain features will be represented. For example, parcels will typically be represented as polygons, streets will be mapped as centerlines, wells as points, and so on. These features are collected into feature classes in which each collection has a common geographic representation.

Each GIS data set provides a geographic representation of some aspect of the world including

• Ordered collections of vector-based features (sets of points, lines, and polygons)
  
  
• Raster data sets such as digital elevation models and imagery
  
  
• Networks
  
  
• Terrains and other surfaces
  
  
• Survey data sets
  
  
• Other geographic information such as addresses, place names, geoprocessing models, and cartographic information
  
  

Descriptive Attributes

In addition to geographic representations, GIS data sets include traditional tabular attributes that describe the geographic objects. Many tables can be linked to the geographic objects by a common thread of fields (often called keys). These tabular information sets and relationships play a key role in GIS data models, just as they do in traditional database applications.

Spatial Relationships: Topologies and Networks

Spatial relationships, such as topologies and networks, are also crucial parts of a GIS database. Topology is employed to manage common boundaries between features, define and enforce data integrity rules, and support topological queries and navigation (e.g., determining feature adjacency and connectivity). Topology also is used to support sophisticated editing and construct features from unstructured geometry (e.g., constructing polygons from lines).

• Geographic features share geometry. Feature geometry can be described using relationships between nodes, edges, and faces.
  
  

Networks describe a connected graph of GIS objects that can be traversed. This is important for modeling pathways and navigation for transportation, pipelines, utilities, hydrology, and many other network-based applications.

• In this example network, street features represent edges that connect at their endpoints (called junctions). Turns model the movement for traveling from one edge to another.
  
  

Thematic Layers and Data Sets

GIS organizes geographic data into a series of thematic layers and tables. Since geographic data sets in a GIS are georeferenced, they have real-world locations and overlay one another.

In a GIS, homogenous collections of geographic objects are organized into layers such as parcels, wells, buildings, orthophoto imagery, and raster-based digital elevation models. Precisely defined geographic data sets are critical for useful geographic information systems, and the layer-based concept of thematic collections of information is critical for GIS data sets.

• GIS integrates many types of spatial data.
  
  

Data sets can represent

• Raw measurements (such as satellite imagery)
• Compiled and interpreted information
• Data that is derived through geoprocessing operations for analysis and modeling

Many of the spatial relationships between layers can be easily derived through their common geographic location. GIS manages simple data layers as generic GIS object classes and utilizes a rich collection of tools to work with the data layers to derive many key relationships.

A GIS will use numerous data sets with many representations, often from many organizations.

Therefore, it is important for GIS data sets to be

• Simple to use and easy to understand
• Easily used with other geographic data sets
• Effectively compiled and validated
• Clearly documented for content, intended uses, and purposes

Any GIS database or file base will adhere to these common principles and concepts. Each GIS requires a mechanism for describing geographic data in these terms, along with a comprehensive set of tools to use and manage this information.

 

 

 

The Geovisualization View

A GIS Includes an Intelligent Map and Other Views

Geovisualization is about working with maps and other views of the geographic information including interactive maps, 3D scenes, summary charts and tables, time-based views, and schematic views of network relationships.

A GIS includes interactive maps and other views that operate on the geographic data sets. Maps provide a powerful metaphor to define and standardize how people use and interact with geographic information.

Interactive maps provide the main user interface for most GIS applications and are available at many levels, from maps on handheld mobile devices, to Web maps in browsers, to high-end GIS desktop applications.

• Maps are used to convey geographic information as well as to perform numerous tasks including advanced data compilation, cartography, analysis, query, and field data collection.

    

GIS maps are similar to static, printed maps, except that you can interact with them.

• You can pan and zoom an interactive map in which map layers turn on and off at appropriate map scales.
• You can apply symbols for a map layer based on any set of attributes. For example, you can shade parcels with colors based on their zoning types or specify the size of well point symbols based on production levels.
• You can also point to geographic objects in interactive maps to get more information about the object and perform spatial queries and analysis. For example, you can find all the stores of certain types near schools (for example, within 200 meters) or find all the wetland areas within 500 meters of selected roads.
• In addition, many GIS users edit data and feature representations through interactive maps.

In addition to maps, other interactive views, such as temporal, globe, and schematic drawings, are used as views into GIS databases. It's through an interactive map that GIS users perform most common GIS tasks from simple to advanced.

• Temporal views used to track hurricanes
  
  

It's the main "business form" in a GIS that enables access to geographic information for an organization. Developers often embed maps in custom applications, and many users publish Web maps on the Internet for focused GIS use.

• Embedded maps within custom applications
  
  

• Schematics drawing used to display gas lines
  
  

• ArcGIS 3D Analyst used to depict Everest climbing routes
  
  

 

 

 

The Geoprocessing View

Geoprocessing refers to the tools and processes used to generate derived data sets. Another view of a GIS is the collection of geographic data sets and the operators (called tools) used on those data sets. Geographic data sets can represent raw measurements (for example, satellite imagery), information interpreted and compiled by analysts (for example, roads, buildings, and soil types), or information derived from other data sources using analysis and modeling algorithms.

A GIS includes a rich set of tools to work with and process geographic information. This collection of tools is used to operate on the GIS information objects such as the data sets, attribute fields, and cartographic elements for printed maps. Together these comprehensive commands and data objects form the basis for a rich geoprocessing framework.

Data + Tools = New Data

GIS tools are the building blocks for assembling multistep operations. A tool applies an operation to existing data to derive new data. The geoprocessing framework in a GIS is used to string together a series of these operations.

Stringing a sequence of operations together forms a process model and is used to automate and record numerous geoprocessing tasks in the GIS. The building and application of such procedures is referred to as geoprocessing.

• A complete GIS contains generic information sets and a rich set of GIS operators to work with the information. ArcGIS has a rich GIS language with thousands of operators that work on the various geographic data types in a GIS.
  
  

Geoprocessing in Action

Geoprocessing is used to model how data flows from one structure to another to perform many common GIS tasks—for example, to import data from numerous formats, integrate that data into the GIS, and perform a number of standard quality validation checks against the imported data. The ability to automate and repeat such work flows is a powerful capability in a GIS. It is applied widely in numerous GIS applications and scenarios.

One mechanism that is used to build geoprocessing work flows is the execution of a number of commands in a specific sequence. Users can compose such processes graphically using the ModelBuilder application in ArcGIS, and they can compose scripts using modern scripting tools such as Python, VBScript, and JavaScript.

Geoprocessing is used in virtually all phases of a GIS for data automation, compilation, and data management; analysis; and modeling and for advanced cartography.

• The building blocks of geoprocessing are individual tools such as the Union operation.
  
  
• Tools operate on data inputs to create new information.
  
  

GIS includes a set of tools and data types that can be assembled into processes in a geoprocessing framework. Many multistep geoprocessing operations can be authored, executed, and shared in ArcGIS.