Arcview Gis Basics

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

WHY GIS
Problems of understanding phenomena
that
Geographic phenomena
Temporal dimension
Objects have different characteristics for

different locations and moment in time
Many organizations/institutions are

investing in GIS

Why GIS …..
Lowering in price of computers
Geography and data describing it form our

everyday life
Our decisions are influenced, constrained or
dictated by geography

Why GIS……
GIS provides a means of
Integrating information
Understanding phenomena that have a
geographic nature
Address some of the most pressing problems
Such understanding is the basis for more

sensitive and intelligent decision making

What is GIS
It is a computerized system that facilitates
Data entry (georeferenced)
Analysis (various ways of analysis)
Data presentation (maps)

…GIS phases….
Data preparation and entry
1st where data about the phenomena is collected and
prepared for entry
Data analysis
2nd stage of review of collected data and discovering
patterns
Data presentation
Final results in which results are presented in
appropriate way

Questions GIS can
answer…
When dealing with data and information we
are trying to represent some part of the real
world
As it is
As it was
As we think it will be

Questions GIS can answer…
Location
what exist at a particular location
Condition
identify a location where certain conditions are satisfied
Trends
identify changes/differences within an area
Patterns
whether occurrence has a pattern or not
Modeling
determines what happens to an event if a certain condition
behaves in a certain way
(Models : are simplified abstractions of reality,
representing or describing its most important
elements and their interactions )
Components of GIS…
Mostly GIS is mistakenly thought
as a single piece of software
BUT……..
It is made up of different
component
…Components of GIS
Spatial data - containing representation of
geographic phenomena
Attribute data – describe the
characteristics/qualities of features
Cartographic display
Map digitising
Database management system
Geographic analysis system
Image processing
Appropriate hardware
Trained personnel
GIS components

Geographic phenomena
Something that
 can be georeferenced (it has a position

in space)
 can be named and described
 it is / was present during a time span

Structure of spatial data
Earth feature and their attributes are stored in
two systems
Raster format
Vector format

Vector format
Spatial features are represented in form of
Points
Line features
Area features/polygons
Mostly obtained by digitising

Vector representation
Points
 eg location, given by xy coordinate pair
Line features
 Series of xy coordinates (points) that best reflect its
characteristics. eg roads, rivers etc
Area feature
 Defined by boundary line and a code

Raster format
Spatial data organised in grid cell called
pixels (picture element)
Pixels are basic units for recording

information
Have same dimensions
Each pixel have one value

Pixel size
The dimensions of the grid cells (pixels) are a
crucial aspect of raster data structuring
Pixel size is related to the dimensions of the

minimum area to be spatially represented
A pixel size of one quarter of the dimensions of

the smallest map feature is needed to detect all
areas, e.g.:
 If the smallest map unit is 1 ha (100 x 100 m),

a maximum pixel size of 25 m should be
chosen
 However, 100 cells per polygon are required to

Raster representation
0 1 2 3 4
0
(3,1)
xy
1
2
Rows
Columns

Raster vs Vector
V e c to r d a ta m o d e l
y y y code
code
code
x x x
P o in t L in e A re a
R a s te r d a ta m o d e l
R ow
R ow
R ow
C o lu m n C o lu m n C o lu m n
K e y f o r t h e v e c t o r m o d e ls : i n t e m e d i a t e p o in t
n ode

Comparison of Raster and Vector
format
Raster model Vector model
Simple data structure Complex data structure

Easy and efficient overlaying Difficult to perform overlaying
Compatible with Remote Sensing imagery Not compatible with RS imagery
High spatial variability is efficiently represented Inefficient representation of high spatial variability
Simple for programming by user
Same grid cell definition for various attributes
Inefficient use of computer storage Compact data structure

Errors in perimeter and shape Efficient encoding of topology
Difficult to perform network analysis Easy to perform network analysis
Inefficient projection transformations
Loss of information when using large pixel sizes
Less accurate and less appealing map output Highly accurate map output

Scale and Resolution
Map scale
Ratio between distance on map and distance
on the ground
Resolution
Commonly associated with raster format
Size of the pixels (cell width)

End of part one

Data capture/Sources of
data
The quality of GIS products depends on the
quality of the input data
Data input can account for up to 80% of GIS

operation time

Methods of data capture/Sources of
data
Direct acquisition
This the primary and sometimes the most ideal
way to obtain spatial data.
Not always applicable due to cost and
availability
Indirect acquisition
Problems of accuracy and aggregation of errors
Cost effective method
From other sources
In most cases at a cost
Direct spatial data
acquisition
Land surveying
determination of location by
means of distance and angle
measurements
GPS surveys (satellite
realpositioning)
observation and
world measurement spatial database
ground based approach

Direct spatial data
acquisition
Remote sensing
Aerial photography
Satellite imagery
observation and
real world sensor image data measurement spatial database
MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006 remote sensing based approach

Indirect spatial data
acquisition
Digitizing existing maps
manual digitizing
screen digitizing of scanned maps
(semi-) automatic digitizing
Existing digital data from

clearinghouses
the World Wide Web

Illustration of indirect data
acquisition
Digitising process

Other sources of data
 Available from elsewhere
 Clearing house
InterNet CDROM

Digitising
Manual digitising

Digitising
On screen
digitising

On-screen versus manual
digitising
more comfortable for the operator
more accurate ( zooming facilities )
faster (digitising & editing at the same time)
up-dating procedure (geometrically corrected
satellite imagery and scanned aerial photos
can be overlaid with the old map vector data )
source documents have to be scanned

Spatial data analysis
GIS Spatial-analytical distinguishes it from
other data processing systems
The capabilities use spatial and non-spatial

data to answer questions and solve problems
The principal objective is transform and

combine data from diverse sources into useful
information

GIS Analytical capabilities
Measurement functions
Computing function distances, area (2D) and
volume (3D)
Retrieval functions
Spatial queries retreating features selectively using
user defined logical conditions
Classification functions
Re-assigning thematic characteristics value to
features in a data layer
All these features allow exploration of data without making major
changes - mostly done on a single layer

Overlay functions
Combining data layers to derive new
information
 Easily done in raster data
 These operators are called map algebra or raster
calculus
 Commonly used overlay functions in vector are the
clip-by and overwrite and intersection functions
Neighborhood functions
Evaluates the characteristics of an area
surrounding a feature’s location
Looks at buffer zones around a feature and
Connectivity functions
Evaluates how features are connected
Useful when dealing with networks of
connected features like road networks, water
courses etc

Break
QUESTIONS…!!?

Spatial referencing…
Encompasses the physical/geometric constructs
and the tools required to describe
 the geometry and
motion of objects near and on earth’s surface
Some are itemised on the legend of a published
map
GIS user need to understand the basic concepts
and terminology of spatial referencing

…Spatial referencing…
why?
Spatial referencing is important in order to
Integrate data from different sources
Integrate national and global data sets
use of satellite positioning (e.g. GPS)
….

The shape of the earth and the
datum
Earth is a rotating body, flattened towards
the poles

datum
The earth surface is continuously changing in
shape due to irregularities in mass distribution
inside the earth
Earth as a GEOID

datum
geoid surface is an undulating surface
All measurements are taken from a

reference point with the following
properties;
surface of zero height
measurable (to be sensed with instruments)
level (i.e. flat

The geoid as reference surface
for Heights
A reference surface for heights must be
a surface of zero height
measurable (to be sensed with instruments)
level (i.e. flat)
The geoid is the most obvious choice

the geoid approximates all earth’s oceans
oceans are only affected by gravity: sea level
every point on the geoid has the same zero
height all over the world
The geoid and the vertical
datum
The ocean’s water level is registered at
coastal locations over several years. The
resulting water level is called the Mean Sea
Level (MSL)
Variation of these local vertical datum

exist due to
tidal differences,
ocean currents,
winds,
water temperature
Salinity i.e.. affect sea level at the
measurement location
Vertical datum
Starting from these MSL points, the
heights of points on the Earth can be
measured using geodetic leveling
techniques
MSL
Levelling benchmarks of known height in a levelling network

A reference surface for
locationschanges in shape
Geoid surface continuously
due to changes in mass density inside the
earth
Geoid is NOT suitable as a reference surface
for the determination of locations
a mathematical reference frame is needed

compute positions, distances, directions,
etc

A reference surface for
locations
The ELLIPSOID is the most convenient
geometric reference for measuring
locations
Pole
semi -minor
axis
Equatorial
semi-major axis plane

Horizontal datum
Countries establish a horizontal datum:
an ellipsoid with a fixed position, so that the
ellipsoid best fits the surface of the area of
interest (the country)
topographic maps are produced relative to this
horizontal (geodetic) datum
the size, shape and position (the datum) define

the horizontal datum

Horizontal datum
local and global datum

Map projections
To produce a map, the curved surface of
the Earth surface (as modeled by an
ellipsoid) is mapped onto a flat plane
using a MAP PROJECTION

Classes of Map
projections
Azimuthal Projection

Cylindrical projection
(example)

Conical projection
(example)

Geo-referencing
Image is created either by a satellite, airborne
scanner or by and office scanner
the image is stored in row and column geometry

in raster format
There is no relationship between the row/column

and the real world coordinates (UTM, Geographic
coordinates or any other reference map
projection)
Geo-referencing is the process of relating row and

column numbers and the real world coordinates.
Azimuthal projection
(example)

END
QUESTIONS…!!!??

GIS and Maps
The hard copy maps are used as
As an input for GIS
Communication results
A tool while working with GIS
Maps can be an input after scanning and
import

Maps and
Communication
Maps can be used to
communicate when
where question is
asked.
Where were the
farmers sampled in
Mzimba district for
maize yield
estimates?

Maps
Maps can provide more information other
than location
Inform about thematic attributes of

geographical object
 For example: sex, household size, date of planting,

date of first fertilizer application ect.


GIS and Maps
Maps answers
what only in
relation to location
what is the
predominant
pattern of farms in
south Mzimba?

GIS and Maps
maps can answer question when
When did The Netherlands have the

longest coast?

GIS and Maps
As such maps are:
the best means of transferring spatial
information
Offer an insight about geographical feature
On screen maps are interactive
Have a database allowing more complex
queries

What is a map?
A representation or abstraction of
geographical reality.
A tool for representing geographic

information in a way that it is visual
designed
A reduced and simplified representation of

(part of earth’s surface on plane

A map & Reality
Image Map
Image and a map

Qualities of a map
Ability to offer abstraction of reality
A map provides relationship between
effectiveness and map scale
Map Scale is the ratio between a distance on

the map and corresponding distance in reality.

Map scale
Map Scale is the ratio between a distance on
the map and corresponding distance in reality
A map that shows details on smaller area is
called larger-scale map
A map that shows details on larger area is
called smaller-scale map

GIS and Maps
GIS based maps are becoming popular today
These maps involve combination and
integration of many different data sets
An overly operation is used to combine
datasets
The combination is spatial data layer

GIS and Maps
The map shows
a) polygon
b) Roads
But displayed in a
view and printed
as one map

END
gis & map
QUESTIONS…!!!??

Arcview Gis Basics

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MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Objects have different characteristics for

Many organizations/institutions are

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Geography and data describing it form our

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Such understanding is the basis for more

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Analysis (various ways of analysis)

Data presentation (maps)

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

As we think it will be

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

 can be georeferenced (it has a position

 can be named and described

 it is / was present during a time span

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Mostly obtained by digitising

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

 Defined by boundary line and a code

Pixels are basic units for recording

Have same dimensions

Each pixel have one value

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Pixel size is related to the dimensions of the

A pixel size of one quarter of the dimensions of

 If the smallest map unit is 1 ha (100 x 100 m),

 However, 100 cells per polygon are required to

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Simple data structure Complex data structure

Inefficient use of computer storage Compact data structure

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Data input can account for up to 80% of GIS

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

ground based approach

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006 remote sensing based approach

Existing digital data from

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

The capabilities use spatial and non-spatial

The principal objective is transform and

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

Integrate data from different sources

Integrate national and global data sets

use of satellite positioning (e.g. GPS)

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006

MZUNI RS/GIS mdt2006