Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Technology Fundamentals
SU 4003 / 5003 Combined Sections
Fall 2012
Colin Brooks
colin.brooks@mtu.edu 734-913-6858
Michigan Tech Research Institute
www.mtri.org
www.mtri.org
Welcome!
Colin Brooks, Research Scientist, Environmental Science Lab
Manager, Adjunct Lecturer (BioSci) – Michigan Tech Research
Institute (MTRI), colin.brooks@mtu.edu, 734-913-6858
– Started with GIS in 1992 (TNT-MIPS, Arc/INFO)
Justin Carter, TA; IGT graduate student, jfcarter@mtu.edu
MTRI – a research center of Michigan Tech since 2006
www.mtri.org
– “a recognized leader in the research, development and practical
application of sensor and information technology to solve critical
problems in national security, protecting and evaluating critical
infrastructure, bioinformatics, earth sciences and environmental
processes.”
The course attendee will be better placed to apply GIS tools
effectively in their research and future applications.
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Class background info
Required text: Clemmer, Gina. 2010. The GIS 20 Essential
Skills. ESRI Press, 140 p. with accompanying CD-ROM.
(available via Amazon $26) – help learn GIS!
– Books is written for ArcGIS version 10.0; haven’t tested it extensively with
version 10.1 yet – some potential issues? Please tell me if you find them.
– 20 skills = 20 chapters
Wednesdays 4 pm
Canvas site – lectures posted after class
“Course provides review of Geographic Information Systems
applications and analysis. Includes core concepts such as
data acquisition and management, topology, accuracy,
metadata, output, quality control, analysis methods, new and
traditional software options, web mapping, and GIS
implementation/management for research and production. ”
The idea is to teach the fundamentals of GIS, using a practical
demonstration of ArcGIS software to help understand
concepts & gain starting GIS skills 3
7 class sessions
Week 1 (9/26/2012):
Lectures 1: Fundamental GIS concepts, benefits of using GIS technology,
example applications:
Readings: Introduction
Week 2 (10/3/2012):
Lecture 2: Using ESRI ArcGIS as a way of learning GIS concepts and
applications of the technology, in-class example of chapter 1 exercises
Readings/Labs: Chapter 1 (Creating a reference map)
Week 3 (10/10/2012): (I’ll be teaching this one in person at MTU)
Lecture 3: The importance of understanding coordinate systems and map
projections
Readings/Labs: Chapter 2 (Creating well-designed layouts)
Week 4 (10/17/2012):
Lecture 4: Getting data into a GIS: where to find data, what is “good” data, the
importance of metadata, accuracy, managing your data,
Quiz 1: Will cover Lectures 1 – 3 and Text Chapters 1-2, Introduction
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7 class sessions cont’d
Week 5 (24 October):
Lecture 5: Querying your data, editing data, topology, working with different
data formats
Readings/Labs: Chapter 3 (Projecting shapefiles)
Week 6 (31 October):
Lecture 6: Creating high-quality cartographic output; analyzing data
Readings/Lab: Chapter 4 (Preparing data for ArcGIS)
Quiz 2: Will cover Lectures 4 – 5 and Text Chapters 3-4
Week 7 (7 November):
Lecture 7: Example real-world applications of GIS from MTRI research projects,
raster data in GIS, where to go from here in making GIS part of your skill set
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Additional details
Class/Laboratory Schedule:
Lecture: 7 hours = 1 hour/week for 7 weeks
Instructional Lab (to be completed on students' own time) [book
assignments]
Course Assignments:
Labs: All students will be required to complete all lab exercises
that comprise the chapters of the course textbook.
Grading – see syllabus on Blackboard page for class (2 quizzes;
lab book assignments (homework))
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Additional details
Labs: All students will be required to complete all lab
exercises that comprise the chapters of the course
textbook.
Quizzes: Two (2) quizzes. These quizzes will cover
information from the lectures and the chapter exercises
from the textbook.
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What is GIS?
A geospatial database
– Relational database
www.gis.com – “A geographic
information system (GIS) integrates
hardware, software, and data for
capturing, managing, analyzing, and
displaying all forms of geographically
referenced information.”
A way of displaying information in a
map-based environment
The integration of geographic layers –
ability to integrate geospatial data sets
in an analysis environment
Integrating remote sensing is an
important part of GIS – aerial
photography, satellite imagery, radar…
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GIS examples from MTRI research –
Mapping mercury sampling locations along the lower Fox
River, WI
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Where has Phragmites australis been
found in the Great Lakes basin?
http://www.mtri.org/phragmites.html
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Mapping Keweenaw Stamp sands migration
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Examples: bridge condition mapping
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Mapping mineral occurrences, new rail
routes & potential revenues in Alaska –
MOREV tool
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Mapping chlorophyll & other colorproducing agents in Lake Michigan
Using MODIS, MERIS satellite imagery as input
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Analysis results: Cladophora algae mapping in
the Great Lakes using satellite imagery
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Where are algal bloom problems occuring in the
Great Lakes? – use satellite imagery
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Cladophora algae mapping in the Great Lakes
using satellite imagery
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Fundamental concepts
Types of features – vector (points, lines, and
polygons) vs. raster
Scale
Projections
Data acquisition & management
Topology
Accuracy
Metadata
Geospatial analysis
– methods, examples
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Raster vs. Vector: types of GIS
map representation
Vector vs. Raster
Two basic ways that spatial data can be represented
Raster:
– Data represented by pixels with values, creating a grid
– Allows certain types of operations not possible with vector
data
– Map algebra is possible with multiple data layers –
creating index maps
– Elevation, satellite imagery, aerial photography, much
more!
Vector:
– Data stored as points, lines, and polygons
– Uses less memory than raster format
– Streams, roads, counties, rare plants, much more!
Scale
“The ratio or relationship
between a distance or area on a
map and the corresponding
distance or area on the ground,
commonly expressed as a
fraction or ratio. A map scale of
1/100,000 or 1:100,000 means
that one unit of measure on the
map equals 100,000 of the
same unit on the earth.” (ESRI
GIS Dictionary online)
Small scale vs. large scale –
geographer’s meaning!
ex: 1:1,000 “large” (small area,
great detail) vs. 1:100,000
“small” (large area, less detail)
Resolution…
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Scale cont’d
Entire US – small scale
(1:10,000,000)
Only Michigan – larger
scale (1:250,000)
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Representing the World: Projections
3-D to 2-D (typical map)
– Projections change a round world into
a flat one.
– The world is round but our maps are
flat!
Different projections
Example: The Mercator projection
has straight meridians & parallels
that intersect at right angles, as
opposed to the Robinson projection.
– Mercator preserves area only at the
equator and at two standard parallels
equidistant from the equator.
– The Mercator projection is often used for
marine navigation as all straight lines on
the map are lines of constant azimuth.
– Any one projection cannot
simultaneously preserve all these
qualities of the world: shape, area,
direction, and distance.
Projections are fun!
Projections are fun… you should know what projection your
data are in
– All GIS data have some kind of geographic referencing: a
location on the earth & a coordinate sytem (X,Y) : a
“projection” (Cartesian coordinates)
– 519489 East, 4494254 North (UTM)
– 122°43’18.48” West, 40°36’28.56” North (Lat/Long)
– Datums: Project 3-dimensions onto a 2-D map
– Ellipsoid: Approximate model of the earth’s surface
Common ones:
– “Michigan georef NAD83”;
– UTM, Zone 16/17, NAD83;
– Geographic (Decimal Degrees), WGS84 or NAD83
– Alaska Albers NAD27/NAD83
You can figure out what projection your data are in if it’s not included
in the layer… most of the time! – compare to known layers
To do raster analysis in ArcGIS, your projections should match, no
matter what ESRI says; vector display is OK with different projections
(most of the time…)
Datum transformations can require more attention, esp. between
NAD27 and WGS84
– PEgt_namewhere.doc & geographic_transformations.pdf from
ESRI
– Currently available from
http://mappingcenter.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=arcgisResources.mo
re &
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/003r/pdf/geogr
aphic_transformations.pdf
– http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/docs/faq/epsg_codes
•
EPSG codes can be useful in translating projections
ArcGIS
Descended from ARC/INFO, first
commercial GIS (1982)
We will use this as our tool to
learn about GIS
– 10.0 currently; 10.1 being
installed at MTRI this fall
Introduction Chapter in “The GIS
20 Essential Skills” book…
“The industry leader in desktop
GIS technology”
Not cheap – except for education
& non-profits!
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But there are
alternatives!
Other commercial (proprietary) GIS software
packages… examples:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Autodesk MapGuide
Intergraph Geomedia
Mapinfo (Pitney Bowes)
Caliper Maptitude
IDRISI
Manifold GIS
Tatuk GIS (Roadsoft GIS from Michigan Tech –
based on this)
Open source GIS (free!) – examples:
– GRASS GIS
– Quantum GIS (QGIS)
– uDig
Google Earth – a 3-D globe data viewer
– KML data format (Keyhole Markup Language)
– Can use Google Maps as a GIS too
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ArcGIS
You need to have access to it – Michigan Tech
facilities with ArcGIS available
60-day version…
http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis-fordesktop/60-day-trial.html
$100/year home use version (non-commercial use):
http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis-for-home
Windows only, 2 gigs RAM, decent processor
Commercial ArcView license $1500 – but Michigan
Tech can get it for $64/license! Non-profits $195
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ArcGIS data formats
The GIS 20 book focuses on “shapefiles” – GIS data layers (vector
points/lines/polys)
– Book includes shapefile GIS layers on its DVD, and data downloading
examples (US Census data)
– Ex: C:\ESRIPress\GIS20\Exercise_Data\Ch1\tl_2009_01_county.shp
– A shapefile actually consists of 3 to 9 component files (.dbf, .prj, .shx
etc.) – you’ll need all of them if copying them
Other common formats:
– Coverages - old
– Geodatabases (Personal, File) – newer, relational (can handle raster &
vector data)
Raster formats: .tif, .img, .ecw, .sid, .jp2, ESRI grid, others!
But data can also be accessed through “web services”
– Online data streams, can save time finding data sources & prevent need to download it all…
– National Wetlands Inventory example: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/Web-MapServices.html
– If your internet connection is running!
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Attribute data
Stored in a .DBF file for shapefiles
Can store data in Excel, CSV text files, Access
databases, SQL Server, PostgreSQL with PostGIS,
other database formats
– Store the attributes that go with the points/lines/polygons…
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ArcGIS Help: make use of it!
Built-in “Desktop Help”
Also many online resources, especially
http://resources.arcgis.com/
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Essential ArcGIS tools…
(pgs. xi-xii – Book Introduction)
Zoom in/out (magnify/demagnify)
Add data
ArcCatalog
Search (tools)
Pan
Identify
Zoom to full extent
Default pointer
Toolbar is “dockable” – you can put it elsewhere (or float it)
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ArcGIS licensing levels
Changing terminology with 10.1!
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GIS 20 “Incredibly Useful Tips”
(pg. xiii)
Right-click->Properties (on a GIS layer)
Connect to folder (so ArcGIS can access different data
directories)
… many others!
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Next week
Colin Brooks, colin.brooks@mtu.edu, 734-913-6858, MTRI www.mtri.org
Lecture 2: Using ESRI ArcGIS as a way of learning
GIS concepts and applications of the technology, inclass example of chapter 1 exercises
– Readings/Labs: Chapter 1 (Creating a reference map)
Questions?
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