Tag Archives: Geographic Information Systems

GIS Mapping Basics

By admin | Published August 17, 2009

Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, are systems that gather, organize and analyze data in terms of its geographical location. GIS mapping uses computer software to register data from land surveys, aerial and satellite photography, as well as a wide variety of other sources. This data is then combined and represented in map form.By layer data in geographical form, Geographic Information Systems mapping can tell us a lot about a particular location that we didn’t know before. The data input can include things like, rivers, mountains, streams, roads, gas stations, highways, bus stops, etc. Statistical data like census figures and other demographical information can also be fed into a GIS to produce different geographical analyses. The kind of data you input into a GIS depends on the type of analysis you are trying to acquire about a given location. For example, you can input a city’s crime stats onto a geographic information system and come up with a map the gives you a visual of where the areas with most crime in the city are and so forth. From this data mapping we can identify patterns and perhaps even find out their cause.The thing that GIS mapping depends on is the fact that most data sets contain some form of geographical reference. That is, a zip code, a city, country, or an address. GIS maps are dynamic, meaning they change according to what data goes into them or what data is taken out. This makes them incredibly useful in a variety of fields, and the full potential of Geographic Information Systems mapping remains yet to be seen.Until recently, GIS mapping was primarily used by governments and large corporations to analyze data pertinent to them. However, as cellphones, iPods, laptops and other mobile computer… Continue reading

Posted in Computers And Technology | Also tagged Bus Stops, Census Figures, Computer Devices, Crime In The City, Crime Stats, Data Input, Data Mapping, Exa, Geographic Information System, Geographical Location, Geographical Reference, Gps Devices, Land Surveys, Large Corporations, Location Based Services, Mobile Computer, Name Of The Game, Satellite Photography, Statistical Data Leave a comment

GIS For Successful Grant Writing

By admin | Published August 17, 2009

Ways GIS can facilitate a grant projectSuccessful grant writing requires a clear and focused description of the project, needs, budget, and resources. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping can greatly assist grant writing in the following ways:· Describing your project’s impact· Doing research and analysis· Conducting outreach, education, and advocacy· Engaging public participation· Evaluating your project’s resultsGrants may request information on how the project will have an impact on communities and natural resources. What geographic area will be served by your project? Will your project serve certain populations: low-income, those with primary languages other than English, disadvantaged minority groups? Does your project need to target a certain age group such as parents with young children or the elderly? GIS can be used to locate these populations, describe them with maps (including intersections of multiple socioeconomic and geographic variables), and illustrate how your project will be accomplished in the community. With GIS, you can demonstrate your project’s impact on targeted areas or populations.GIS applied to research and analysisIn general, GIS can be applied to many phases of a research project. Many people use GIS to perform· Data collection · Data management and storage · Data analysisGIS can be used to collect data in the field using mobile applications. Many different industries and academic disciplines can streamline field data collection efforts and ensure greater accuracy by using mobile GIS. Mobile field data collection can be easily integrated with desktop- or server-based GIS to manage, edit, and store data. Using a variety of tools in desktop- or server-based GIS and extensions, data can be analyzed to find significant patterns and illustrate results.GIS applied to outreach, education, and advocacyGIS can assist in outreach, education, and advocacy efforts by providing a visual means of communicating problems, projects, solutions, and potential impacts. By enabling… Continue reading

Posted in Fundraising | Also tagged Academic Disciplines, Advocacy Efforts, Age Group, Certain Age, Collection Efforts, Data Management, Disadvantaged Minority, Doing Research, Focused Description, Intersections, Maps, Minority Groups, Mobile Applications, Natural Resources, Outreach Education, Populations, Public Participation, Storage Data, Variables Leave a comment

The Uses of Oil and Gas GIS for the Energy Sector

By admin | Published May 10, 2009

For many years, scientists in different fields of studies used GIS or geographic information systems successfully to create different kinds of geospatial datasets. In the energy sector, the utilization of GIS contributed greatly in improving the efficiency of exploration and distribution of energy. For example, oil and gas GIS have been used to create structured and historical maps to pinpoint exact locations of gas basins and oil deposits. Gas pipeline GIS on the other hand have been used by energy companies to improve distribution services from the production facilities to the consumers. In North America alone, there are more than 150 gas pipelines for the distribution of crude oil. These pipelines run for several hundred miles underground spanning across the 48 states of the United States including the gas pipelines in Canada and Mexico. An energy distribution company therefore faces an extreme dilemma in identifying its oil and gas pipelines without the help of geospatial data. Although there are existing cartographic renditions of the structural layout of the North American oil and gas pipeline systems, some pipeline maps maybe out of date or could be unreliable. With the introduction of the GIS, your company can now utilize oil and gas GIS and gas pipeline GIS to accurately locate the exact positioning of your pipelines. Such datasets can be easily ordered online in digitized or printed formats from Rextag Strategies. Oil exploration companies on the hand face different problems compared to energy distributors. Oil and gas exploration companies specifically need to accurately map network geometries of different gas basins and oil deposits which are separated by hundreds of miles. The need to map large geographical areas that are not contiguous and separated by different terrain levels and territories are important in order to

Posted in News And Society | Also tagged Energy Sector, Gas Pipeline, Gas Pipelines, Pipeline Gis Leave a comment

Agriculture Crop Management and Production Improved by Satellite Remote Sensing Technology and Geographic Information Systems (gis)

By admin | Published August 26, 2008

Scientists for many years have been using satellite remote sensing technology, utilizing low and medium resolution sensors to improve water balance and farming yield assessment on large geographical scales around the world. With the availability of high resolution satellite sensors such as IKONOS, QuickBird and soon GeoEye-1, the current remote sensing NDVI algorithms utilized have become more accurate and reliable, providing detailed crop information for agriculture management to improve production and crop health.FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) data indicate that annually 2500 km3 of freshwater is used for agricultural production, which amounts to 70% of the water resources that the world population consumes in a year. China is now consuming more than twice as much as what its ecosystems can supply sustainably, having doubled its needs since the 1960s, as indicated in a new WWF report. With the global population continuing to grow at a high pace, it is essential to optimize the use of water resources and to increase agricultural production in view of the prospect of having to feed 8 billion humans by 2030.Agriculture resources are among the most important renewable, dynamic natural resources. Comprehensive, reliable and timely information on agricultural resources is very much necessary for countries whose main source of the economy is agriculture. Agriculture surveys are conducted through the nation in order to gather information and statistics on crops, rangeland, livestock and other related agricultural resources. This data is most important for the implementation of effective management decisions.Satellite images can show variations in organic matter and drainage patterns. Soils higher in organic matter can be differentiated from lighter sandier soil that has a lower organic matter content. “Satellite image data have the potential to provide real-time analysis for large areas of attributes of

Posted in Environment | Also tagged Agriculture Crop, Agriculture Resources, Drainage Patterns, Resolution Satellite Leave a comment