Geographic Information
System - ArcView
University at Buffalo
Summer Institute 2003
May 12, 2003
Course Overview
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You will learn
- how to make a thematic map
- how to query a map and table
- how to join a table to a map
- how to analyze spatial relationships
- how to present the result
- how to create geographic data
Introduction to GIS
ArcView_module_1
May 12, 9:00 AM
Outline
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What is GIS?
What can GIS do?
GIS applications
What’s special about GIS?
How it works (term definition)
What is GIS?
Definition
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An information system that is
designed to work with geographically
referenced data
What is GIS?
Layers
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GIS organizes the information about
place by layers
What is GIS?
Layers
Modeling the phenomenon…
Group of spatial objects with related entity type
e.g. city layer, SARS layer, Tornado layer
Abstraction
Layers
Spatial Objects
Spatial Entities
Digital Representation of Spatial Entities
e.g. point, line, polygon
Phenomenon of interest in the real world
e.g. urban growth, Tornado movement
SARS spread, crime, consumer behavior
What is GIS?
Link bet/w map and attribute
Representing in computer…
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In GIS, spatial objects are linked to
attributes
What is GIS?
Multidisciplinary Science
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Geography
Mathematics
Remote Sensing
Cartography
Surveying
Statistics
Computer Science
Geodesy
Operations Research
What can GIS do?
Functionalities
What can GIS do?
Spatial Component
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Estimates are that 80% of all data has
a spatial component.
Data from most sciences can be
analyzed “spatially”.
What can GIS do?
ArcView GIS
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ArcView GIS lets you create map
displays and maps for presentation
simply by pointing and clicking.
ArcView GIS lets you visualize and
analyze information in new ways,
revealing previously hidden
relationships, patterns, and trends.
GIS applications
“The application of GIS is only limited
by the imagination of those who use it.”
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Archaeology, agriculture, banking, defense and
intelligence, electric and gas, engineeringpipeline, engineering- surveying, federal
government, fire/EMS/disaster/homeland security,
forestry, health and human services, insurance,
education, landscape architecture, law
enforcement and criminal justice, libraries and
museums, location service, marine/cost/oceans,
media, mining/earth science, natural resources,
petroleum, real estate, retail business, state and
local government, telecommunications,
transportation, universities, and water/wasterwater
GIS applications
Network solutions
GIS applications
Ecosystem management
GIS applications
3D mine with well data
GIS applications
Environmental monitoring
toxic plume
GIS applications
Site location and client
distance
GIS applications
Modeling of future trends
What’s special about GIS?
Integration
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Most problems exist in a geographic context.
GIS puts various themes together.
What’s special about GIS?
Visualization
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Maps are worth a thousand words
How GIS works?
Term definition for
ArcView users
Map features
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The objects represented on maps
Each map feature has a location, a
representative feature type, and a
symbol that represents one or more
of its characteristics.
How GIS works?
Term definition for
ArcView users
Feature types
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Points (e.g. Schools, train stations,
fire stations, and buildings in small
scale)
Lines (e.g. Highways, railroads,
bridges, and creeks)
Polygons (e.g. Parks, lake, and
buildings in large scale)
How GIS works?
Term definition for
ArcView users
Attributes
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Information about map features
Stored as Tables
Fields (column)
ID
Records
(row)
1
2
3
4
Name
Joe
Betsy
Alan
Marie
Address
123 University ave
452 Maple Rd
1040 Millersport Hwy
1500 Main St
How GIS works?
Term definition for
ArcView users
Themes
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In ArcView, the layers are called
themes
A set of related map features that
are linked to attributes
(e.g. roads, parcels, wildlife habitat)
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How GIS works?
Term definition for
ArcView users
GIS Database
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All the themes for a geographic area
taken together
often called spatial database