Welcome to Geographic

Information Systems (GIS)

What is spatial literacy?
What is spatial literacy?

• Spatial literacy is an important part of becoming a good

geographer
• It involves a lot of different ideas and skills which come
together to help you ‘read’, understand and use spatial
materials such as maps
What is spatial literacy?

• Example: the global distribution of population change map

above shows spatial information
What are the skills/knowledge I need in order to read this spatial
information?

• Recognise the outline of the map–it’s a map of the world

• Recognise the names of the continents and the countries
• Understand what the various colours mean
– Use the key
– If you know how to ‘read’ the key, you can make links
between the map and the data it is portraying
 Can I link the map and its data?

• The other aspect of spatial

literacy is understanding
how to read information
critically
• Understanding allows you
to answer questions like:
– Is the population change
across China equal in all
places?
– Is the map a simplification of
what is going on in reality?
Can I create spatial information?
• Spatial literacy is also the
ability to create spatial
information
• Create spatial information
by:
– drawing maps, diagrams
and graphs
– using more technologically
advanced ways of drawing
maps, diagrams and
graphs like the use of
Remote Sensing and
Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)
• As you begin to work
through your GCSE
course, you should try to
spend time thinking about
the maps and diagrams
you are using:
– What are they telling you?
– Are they clear and is the
information well presented?
– What are they not telling
you?
– Would you know how to
draw your own map of the
same type?
Some basic GIS skills
Develop your spatial literacy skills
• You’ve likely done work
on maps and data
presentation in Key Stage
3 and learned:
– Reading ordnance survey
maps
– Measuring distance
• For more help or to
improve these skills, visit
http://mapzone.ordnance
survey.co.uk/mapzone
• If you can read maps
well, to develop your
spatial literacy you need
to think carefully about:
– How to put information onto
maps to show your own
data or ideas
– How to show information
visually
• Find some data and try
putting it into a map or
diagram
• Experiment using
different formats
How to show information visually

• Map of global biome and climate data

– What is this map showing us?
– Why is it a good map?
– How is the information shown?
– Is it clear?
Examples of the many ways of showing information visually
• Proportional circles
– Volcanic Explosivity Index
– A simple but effective way
of showing differences in
the size or magnitude of a
data set
• Topological maps
– CO2 emissions
– A map which has country
size related to the size of
the data for that country
Examples of the many ways of showing information visually
• Sketches with information
attached
– Global hydrological cycle
– A way of combining data
with an image in a simple
but often effective way
• Photos with labels
– Waterfall features
– A simple way of adding
information to a
photograph; can often be
more effective than a long,
written description
Examples of the many ways of showing information visually
• Land-use maps
– Land use to counteract
flooding
– A map which has different
shading for different types
of land use, such as
housing and shops
• Dot maps
– Location of mangrove
swamps and population
distribution
– A map onto which dots are
placed to show the location
of data, in this case a dot
for each 100,000 people
found at a location
Examples of the many ways of showing information visually
• Remote sensed image
– Satellite image of
Antarctica
– Images taken from
satellites or aeroplanes
which show locations from
a great height
• Choropleth maps
– Map of population change
(see also slide 4)
– A map where areas are
shaded within data
groupings to show spatial
patterns
Examples of the many ways of showing information visually
• Shaded and flow line
maps
– Map showing migrational
patterns in Sub-Saharan
Africa
– A map using two different
spatial techniques, one to
shade regions with a
particular characteristic, the
other arrows to show
movement
Develop your spatial literacy skills
• Spatial literacy requires • Most importantly, spatial
you to: literacy requires you to
– Read many different ways make sense of data once
of showing data it is in a visual form
– Produce data in various – Recognise spatial patterns
ways – Understand and interpret
– Think about the best way to visual data
show your data
– Think about the best way to
present data given to you
– Turn data into a clear,
informative and accurate
visual format
How to make sense of visual data

• Spatial literacy means you can:

– Identify what the map is showing
– Think about why the data looks like it does
• This is where you start to use your geographical
knowledge to interpret the information and develop
the ideas which can explain the pattern you see.
What is GIS?
What is GIS?

GIS is a computer-based system for

showing, analysing and modelling spatial
data in a way that is much faster, easier and
flexible than plotting information on
traditional paper-based maps
Developments in technology changing the world
• With technology developments like satellites and the
Internet, information is being collected more and more
rapidly
• Equally, computers have been developing faster and
more effective ways of handling this data
• Computers have also given us advanced tools, like
digital rather than print maps
• For this new technology (e.g. digital maps) to be useful,
we need to be able to link them to data so that we can
look at spatial patterns in the information
• This is done through Geographic Information Systems
(GIS)
What is GIS?
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are systems
for
– Capturing spatial data
– Managing spatial data
– Analysing spatial data
– Displaying spatial data

– You can watch an introduction to GIS at

http://gis2.esri.com/esriclips/clip.cfm?ClipID=60
What is GIS?

• GIS works by:

– Collecting spatial data (many
possible methods)
– Entering collected data into
software
– Bringing together the data and a
map
• Simply:
– GIS can be used to view data as
part of a visual image
– For example, many student book
maps are likely produced using
GIS
• More developed use of GIS
brings different sets of data
together to analyse problems
 What is GIS?
• Example: Two sets of data put into a GIS package
1. Data shows location of road traffic accidents
2. Data shows local road network
3. Two ‘layers’ can be brought together as a simple map to show
where road network accidents are
– Could take this problem further by adding more data, e.g. time of
day of accidents, weather conditions, etc.
– Can be used to predict accident hotspots, likely impact of
particular safety features such as speed ramps and roundabouts
1

3
Why is GIS important?
Why is GIS important?
• Can be used in a huge number of ways
• Now an integral part of most economic activities and
emergency services
• Most activities which contain geographical components
use GIS
– For example: post code data, street name information, census
data, destination data
• Some of the most developed users of GIS include:
– Government
– Financial markets
– Retailers
– Environmental agencies
– Utilities companies
Users of GIS: Government
• Keep record of land use
– Planning departments who decide on whether to accept planning
applications, where new housing estates should be built
• List how much council tax should be paid by households
within local councils
Users of GIS: Financial Markets
• Used all the time
• Calculate risk for insurance policies (against flooding,
subsidence)
• Used in assessments when people apply for loans
Users of GIS: Retailers
• Help decide where to locate a new store
– How many people live within a given distance
– How rich those people are
– How easily they can get to the proposed store
• Analysing population information
– Deciding where and when to use advertising
• Track which stores require new stock, which lorries the
stock should travel on to minimise transport expenses
Users of GIS: Environmental agencies
• Flood management to pollution monitoring
• Use of models to predict which weather conditions might
cause disasters
• Monitor potential natural hazards like volcanoes
• Many more!
Users of GIS: Utilities companies
• Assure power/water is getting where it is needed
• Make sure electricity/water grid is working
• Highlight maintenance issues or emergencies
Users of GIS: Everyone
• GIS is used across the economy of countries and
beyond
• Now a central component of most advanced countries
which rely on GIS in many ways
• More examples of how GIS is used:
– www.gis.com/whatisgis.whyusegis.html
– www.gis.com/whatisgis/dothisgis.html
Getting started with GIS
Getting started with GIS

• Get started easily using

Google Earth
– http://earth.google.co.uk
– Large number of
capabilities
– Some GIS basics to allow
you to use simple GIS
ideas

© 2009 Europa Technologies, © 2009 Google

 Getting started with GIS: Google Earth

Search box to
find locations Navigation
you identify controls for
zooming in
and out
and
rotating
Places- image
locations you
have identified
with a place
mark
© 2009 Europa Technologies, © 2009 Google
Layers-layers of information which is
loaded onto Google Earth. You can
turn these on and off
Google Earth: Finding locations

• Enter post code or

longitude and latitude into
the ‘Fly to’ search box
• Click ‘Play’ button
• Google Earth will ‘fly’ you
to that location
Google Earth: Turning layers on and off

• Google Earth has a

number of layers of
information
• Turn these on and off by
checking or unchecking
the boxes in the layers
part of the screen
Google Earth: Measuring distance

• To measure distance, click Ruler icon

on the ruler icon
• A box will appear allowing
you to decide on
measuring the distance
either by kilometres or
miles
• A crosshair will also
appear; click it once where
you want to start the
measurement and again at
your end point. The © 2009 Europa Technologies; © 2009 Infoterra Ltd &
distance between the two Bluesky; © 2009 Google
points will then appear in
the box
Google Earth: Creating a ‘places’ catalogue
• Creating a ‘places’ catalogue for case studies
– Create a file of places and their important features
– Allows you to see all case studies you have completed over time
together
– Allows you to fly to them whenever you want
– Must be done on the same computer as the data is stored
because the information is held on the computer, not in Google
Earth
Google Earth: Creating a ‘places’ catalogue

Place mark icon

• Choose a location
• Click on the place mark
icon at the top of the
screen

©2009 Mapabc.com; ©2009 Google; Image ©2009 TerraMetrics

Google Earth: Creating a ‘places’ catalogue

• This will bring up a large Name of place

box and an icon mark here

• Place the icon over your

location
• In the top window of the
dialogue box, give it a
name
• Then put whatever
information you want about
the location in the main
information box, including
data, website addresses, Icon
etc.
Information box
©2009 Mapabc.com; ©2009 Google; Image ©2009 TerraMetrics
 Google Earth: Creating a ‘places’ catalogue
Completed place mark with
• Click ‘OK’. Your place mark information and website address
will now appear in ‘Places’
to the left of the screen, and
you can go back to that site
whenever you want by
double clicking on the name
• Whenever you go back to
the place, the dialogue box
you created will pop up
automatically, complete with
any website addresses.
Click on a website address
and you will be forwarded to ©2009 Mapabc.com; ©2009 Google; Image ©2009 TerraMetrics
the website (if you are
connected to the Internet)
Getting started with GIS
• By using these Google Earth tools, you are already
beginning to use some basic GIS software, bringing
together maps/images and information
• Well done!
Online GIS
Online GIS
• Ten years ago, GIS was restricted to the use of powerful
computers located in company offices and universities
• Now GIS is increasingly available through online sources
and packages
• Try using some of these to help develop your work
across your course
Online GIS: Map websites with links to geographical information
• www.multimap.com: a
website where you can
type in an address/post
code and get a map of
the local area; allows you
to zoom in and out and
toggle to a satellite image
• maps.maplecroft.com:
series of choropleth world
maps with embedded
information like case
studies and sources
maps.maplecroft.com
Data from www.globalrisks.org
Online GIS: Environmental data
• The Environmental
Agency has your area on
its website, ‘What’s in
Your Backyard?’
• Contains a series of map
topics which you select,
enter a post code; a map
for that area and topic
appears
• Useful for background
research for a controlled Map showing pollution in Leicestershire,
assessment © Environment Agency
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Online GIS: Local authority sites
• Increasing number of local authorities, e.g. Nottingham,
now have GIS software embedded in their websites for
people to use freely
• Have very useful information, especially for local studies
or fieldwork
Welcome to GIS
• Spatial literacy is the ability to ‘read’, understand and
use spatial materials such as maps
• Spatial literacy allows you to recognise spatial patterns
and understand and interpret visual data
• Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are used to
capture, manage, analyse and display spatial data
• With GIS now an integral part of most economic
activities and emergency services, most activities which
contain geographical components use GIS
• Get started with GIS using software like Google Earth or
online GIS systems like www.multimap.com and
integrate GIS into your geography studies