Geographical Information

System (GIS)
Prof. A. K. Gosain
gosain@civil.iitd.ac.in
 Definition of GIS
• GIS - Geographic Information System or a particular
information system applied to geographical data
• Information System - set of processes, executed on raw data,
to produce information useful in decision-making.
• Functions of an information system: observation,
measurement, description, explanation, forecasting &
decision making
• Uses both geographically referenced data as well as non-
spatial data
 Chain of Steps
• Data Collection & Processing
• Spatial Analysis COURSE
• Output Visualization EMPHASIS

End-objective is “Decision Making”

 CAD vs. GIS

Function CAD GI S
Geometric Design 
Dimensioning 
Spatial Operations 
Entity Data Operations 
Entity Symbolization  
Drawing/ Map Layouts  
Programming  
3-D Environment  
 Why is GIS Important?

By putting maps and other kind of spatial information into

digital form, connections between activities based on
geographic proximity can be made. Looking at data
geographically can often suggest new insights,
explanations. These connections are often unrecognized
without GIS, but can be vital to understanding and
managing activities and resources.
 Contributing Disciplines and
Technologies
 GIS is a convergence of technological fields and traditional
disciplines
 GIS has been called an "enabling technology" because of the
potential it offers for the wide variety of disciplines which must deal
with spatial data
 each related field provides some of the techniques which make up
GIS
 many of these related fields emphasize data collection - GIS
brings them together through integration, modeling and analysis
 as the integrating field, GIS often claims to be the science of
spatial information
 List of Disciplines
• Data Analysis
• Heritage – Statistics
– Geography – Operations Research
• Data Collection – Computer Science
– Remote Sensing – Mathematics
– Photogrammetry • Data Reporting
– Surveying – Cartography
– Geodesy – Computer Graphics
– GPS
 Geography (Heritage)

• broadly concerned with understanding the world and

man's place in it
• long tradition in spatial analysis
• provides techniques for conducting spatial analysis
 Remote Sensing
• images from space and the air are major source of
geographical data
• remote sensing includes techniques for data acquisition
and processing anywhere on the globe at low cost and
consistent update potential
• many image analysis systems contain sophisticated
analytical functions
• interpreted data from a remote sensing system can be
merged with other data layers in a GIS
 Photogrammetry
• photogrammetry is the source of most data on
topography (ground surface elevations) used for input to
GIS
• uses analytic techniques for making accurate
measurements from aerial/space photographs and
imageries,
 Surveying
• provides high quality data on positions of land
boundaries, buildings, etc
• data is usually based on ground surveys with theodolites
and/or global positioning systems (GPS)
 Geodesy
• source of high accuracy positional control for GIS, GPS,
remote sensing and surveying
• concentrates on placing objects accurately in a “global”
context
 Statistics
• many statistical techniques are used for analysis
• statistics is important in understanding issues of error
and uncertainty in GIS data
• many models built using GIS are also statistical in nature
 Operations Research
• many applications of GIS require use of optimizing
techniques for decision-making
 Computer Science
• computer-aided design (CAD) provides software, techniques for
data input, display and visualization, representation, particularly in 3
dimensions
• advances in computer graphics provide hardware, software for
handling and displaying graphic objects, techniques of visualization
• database management systems (DBMS) contribute methods for
representing data in digital form, procedures for handling large
volumes of data, particularly retrieval and updation
• artificial intelligence aspects of computer systems are increasingly
being used for data mining and many other functions such as
designing maps, generalizing map features
 Mathematics
• several branches of mathematics, especially geometry,
algebra, and graph theory, are used in GIS system
design and analysis of spatial data
 Cartography
• concerned with the display of spatial information
• currently the main source of input data for GIS is maps
• provides long tradition in the design of maps which is an
important form of output from GIS
• computer cartography (also called "digital cartography”
or "automated cartography") provides methods for digital
representation and manipulation of cartographic features
and methods of visualization
 Major Areas of Application
• Land (parcels) (LIS)
• Facilities Management (FIS)
• Natural Resource & Environment
• Infrastructure Networking
 Land Information Systems
LIS
• zoning, subdivision plan review
• land acquisition
• environmental impact statements
• water quality management
• maintenance of ownership
 Facilities Information Systems
FIS
FIS is aimed at integration of a Geographic Information
System (GIS), Facilities Management System(FMS), and
Maintenance Management System (MMS)
Examples:
• locating and maintaining underground pipes, cables
• balancing loads in electrical networks
• facility management and maintenance
Natural Resource & Environmental
• management of rivers, floodplains, wetlands, agricultural
lands, aquifers, forests, wildlife
• environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• geologic hazard studies
• viewshed analysis
• hazardous or toxic facility siting
• groundwater modeling and contamination tracking
• wildlife habitat analysis, migration routes planning
 Infrastructure Networks
• address matching - finding locations given street
addresses
• sewer routing
• water system routing
• electrical system routing
• vehicle routing and scheduling
• location analysis, site selection
• development of evacuation plans