GIS
GIS is a computer-based tool that facilitates mapping and spatial analysis of Earth's features and events. Using GIS, otherwise disparate data can be related on the basis of common geographic location, creating new information from existing data resources. Hidden in most data is a geographical component: an address, postal code, census block, city, county, or latitude/longitude coordinate. GIS software lets you see, explore, and analyze data by location, revealing hidden patterns, relationships, and trends that are not readily apparent in spreadsheets or statistical packages. With GIS, you can display soil types, track crime patterns, analyze animal migration patterns, find the best location for an expanding business, model the path of atmospheric pollution, and much more. You don't use a GIS simply to make static maps, although you
Data Formats. Some types of data, such as the examples above, are best portrayed as points, lines, or polygons (areas), which are forms of vector data. This mimics how you would actually draw the features with a pencil on paper and requires little disk space. Other themes, such as elevation relief, satellite imagery, and vegetation classifications are best portrayed as raster data. The raster format is a grid of thousands or millions of cells such as you see in a scanned document or FAX. Most modern GIS programs can work with both forms of data. GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. GIS is sometimes referred to as computer mapping, but it is really much more powerful than that. GIS organizes information normally seen on a single map into layers or themes, such as roads, streams, buildings, contour lines, etc. These the
Some common words found in the essay are:
Data Formats, Using GIS, Systems GIS, GIS Internet, , using gis, data analysis, gis programs,
Approximate Word count = 567
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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