3/9/2015

GEO-511

ADVANCE GIS AND REMOTE SENSING

ASSIGNMENT#1:

Assessor:

Author:

DR.SYED HUSSAIN HAIDER | TAHMINA FATIMA SIDDIQUI

Bahria university Karachi

MS-II (Geophysics)

INTRODUCTION:Almost everything that happens, happens somewhere. Either in the atmosphere, at the surface or near
surface or deep into the Earths surface. Geographic information systems are a special class of
information systems that keep track not only of events, activities, and things, but also of where these
events, activities, and things happen or exist. Knowing where something happens is of critical
importance if we want to go there ourselves or send someone there, to find other information about
the same place, or to inform people who live nearby .A Geographic Information System is an integrated
set of hardware and software tools used for the manipulating, mapping, analyzing and managing
geographic phenomenon that exists and events that occurs on Earth. These abilities distinguish GIS from
other information systems and make it valuable to a wide range of public and private enterprises for
explaining events, predicting outcomes, and planning strategies. GIS is a tool used by individuals and
organizations, schools, governments, and businesses seeking innovative ways to solve their problems. .
GISs help us to manage what we know, by making it easy to organize and store, access and retrieve,
manipulate and synthesize, and apply knowledge to the solution of problems.
Everyone has their own favorite definition of GIS, and there are many to choose from. Many definitions
of GIS have been suggested over the years but none of them is entirely satisfactory. An interesting
definition that emphasizes the power of a GIS as an analysis engine says, A GIS is a tool for performing
operations on geographic data that are too monotonous, expensive and inaccurate if performed
manually. GIS provides facilities for data capture, data management, data manipulation and analysis,
and the presentation of results in both graphic and report form.

TYPES OF GIS DATA:A GIS traditionally maintains data separately. The two basic types of data GIS technology utilizes and
reflects are:

Spatial data:Special data describes the absolute and relative location of geographic features.

Attribute data:Attribute data describes characteristics of the spatial features. \These characteristics can be
quantitative and/or qualitative in nature. Attribute data is often referred to as tabular data.

Steps to GIS:Data collection:Data can be generated through GIS with the help of remote sensors or satellites and can be collected
through physical surveys.

Data capture:If the data to be used are not already in digital form various techniques can capture the information.
Maps can be digitized, to collect the coordinates of features. Electronic scanning devices will also
convert map lines and points to digits. This is the operation of encoding both types of data into the GIS
database formats.

Data organization and storage:A GIS stores information about the world as a collection of layers
that can be linked together by geography. The data weather it is
spatial or attribute is organized by layers with each layer
representing the common feature. The layer approach allows us to
organize the complexity of the real world into a simple
representation to help facilitate our understanding.

Data Manipulate:The maintenance and transformation of data from one form to another once it has been created is
referred to as manipulation.

Analyze:The integration of data provides the ability to ask complex questions that could not be answered
otherwise.

Reports and Results:On the basis of analysis GIS solves many real-world problems.

MODELS OF GIS DATA:Traditionally spatial data has been stored and presented in the form of a map. Two basic types of data
models are there to represent the geographic features into map. These are referred to as:

1) RASTER MODEL:Raster data models incorporate the use of regularly spaced gridcell data structure where the geographic area is divided into cells
identified by row and column. Each cell is of the same shape and
size. Raster datasets are mainly used to describe continuous
features, which don't have discrete boundaries, such as soils.
Satellite images, aerial photography and scanned images are all
stored in raster format. Image data is the special case of raster
data in which an individual cell is called Pixels.

2) VECTOR MODEL:Vector storage implies the use of vectors (directional lines) to

represent geographic features. Vector data is entered into a GIS by
digitizing these features from a base map. These features can be
represented either as;

Lines features:-

Vector lines are often referred to as arcs and have a

starting and ending point as indicated in red, and have a series of points between that forms a
line. In addition to location information a line feature has a length. These features are used to
represents streets, streams, rivers, roads, pipelines, or rail tracks etc.

Points/Dots/Nodes features:

These features are defined by

one coordinate pair, that is
they have a single location
along the x and y axis. These
use to represent trees, poles,
fireplugs, airports, wells or fire
hydrants etc.

Polygonal features:
These features are defined by
a set of closed coordinate pairs
that is they are also a series of
x, y coordinates but it has the
same beginning and ending
point which closes the feature
and use to represent areas
including cities, countries ,
political boundaries, lakes or
land parcels etc.

GEOSCIENCE AND GIS:Exploration of the Earths subsurface requires a team approach, and increasingly team members are
using collaborative, integrated workflows and methodologies that combine all. To better integrate
potential field data with the other kinds of geophysical and geological data has been key .Geophysical
activities involves huge amounts of data. They not only require suitable computing capability, but a
means to integrate disparate datasets. GIS for geophysical data can be seen as an integrator of many
kinds of spatial data acquired from a wide array of instruments and sensors. All of this information is
location oriented and useful GIS provide a means to integrate a wide range of geophysical data types.
Modern mapping software, and improved exploration workflows for GIS are helping to conduct
advanced interrogation of data from multiple perspectives, for more accurate interpretation results.
Data and maps can be easily shared and used in GIS, petroleum systems software and seismic
workstations.

CONCLUSION:A Geographic Information System is a computer system that allows you to map, model, integrate, and
analyze large quantities of both vector and raster data within a single database according to their
location. A GIS makes it possible to link and integrate information that is difficult to associate through
any other means. Thus, a GIS can use combinations of mapped variables to build and analyze new
variables. One of the greatest advantages of using GIS is its capacity to combine layers of data into a
single map GIS performs these tasks faster and with more sophistication. This makes the GIS extremely
powerful, versatile and valuable for solving many real-world problems.