REN R 201 1st Midterm Review

1. State the fundamental components that collectively constitute the field of geomatics.

The fundamental components of GIS are Global Navigation Satellite Systems (eg. GPS), Photogrammetry, Geodesy and Land Surveying, GIS, Cartography, Remote Sensing, and Hydrography (7 in total)

2. Provide a comprehensive overview of the history and evolution of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

It originally evolved from paper maps and manual cartography. The 14th century brought the mechanical revolution and copies of maps were made. Then, the 20th century brought the digital revolution. In the 1950s, attempts were made to convert maps into computer-usable form (automated cartography) done mainly by the government. This faced many hurdles. In 1963 CGIS was developed by R. Tomlinson. GPS became operational in the 1980s followed by a shift from mainframes to desktop computers and governments to corporations/academic communities. The early 1990s had remote sensing, analysis, and Canada was the #1 developer. The late 1990s had AI scanning technologies.

2a. Who was John Snow?

This man began early spatial analysis in 1854 for cholera outbreaks in London to prove the disease was not airborne.

2b. Who was Roger Tomlinson?

This man lead the development of CGIS and is known as the “Father of GIS”

3. What is the Canadian Geographic Information System?

This was the first fully operational GIS in the world. It was created to analyze data from the Canada Land Inventory (CLI) to produce vital statistics to inform the development of land management plans.

4. What is a Geographic Information System?

It is a computerized system that is used to capture, store, retrieve, analyze, and display spatial data.

5. Describe the five components of GIS.

The five components are People, Software, Hardware, Data, and Methods and Procedures

6. What are some popular examples of GIS software packages?

Some examples of packages are ArcGIS pro, QGIS, MapInfo Professional, FME, Global Mapper

7. State the benefits and application of GIS in sub-disciplines of natural resources management

GIS improves decision making, communication, geographic management, better record keeping, and cost savings + increased efficiencies

8. How does Geographic Information Systems (GIS) contribute to the effective management of natural resources (agriculture, forestry, Ecology, and what are some key applications?

Some key applications are in Migration patterns, Habitat suitability, Telemetry, Species Biodiversity, and Microclimates

9. What are the functional elements of a GIS?

The functional elements of GIS are Data Acquisition, preprocessing, data management, manipulation and analysis, and project generation.

10. What is spatial data?

This type of data describes the absolute and relative location of geographic features.

11. What are the three fundamental data models used to represent geographical features in GIS and cartography?

These (for vector data) are points, lines, and polygons.

12. What are the types of abstraction in GIS?

The types are database/information abstractions and cartographic/spatial (how these data packages are simplified into map representations)

13. What is a data model?

This is either vector data or raster data in GIS

14. What are layers in GIS?

These are collections of geographic data that can be added to a map

15. What are tiles in GIS?

These are used in raster data sets to divide large datasets into smaller, manageable pieces.

16. Can you describe the fundamental spatial data models used in GIS?

These are vector (used for discrete data and well-defined features) and raster (used to represent continuous data)

17. Can you explain the characteristics and differences between the main data models utilized within GIS?

Vector uses points, lines, and polygons while raster data use a grid of cells

17a. What are the vector file formats?

.shp (Shapefiles), .gdb (Geodatabase), .gpkg (Geopackage), .kml (Keyhole Markup Language), .gpx, .csv, .geojson, .las

17b. What are some raster file formats?

.tif/tiff, .jpeg, .png, .nc

19. What is spatial resolution?

This is the size of the grid cell/pixel used in the analysis

20. What is raster tessellation, and can you give some examples?

This is the partitioning of space into mutually exclusive cells that together make up the study space. Some examples are Hexagons, Square, and Triangle

20a. What is a feature dataset?

a collection (container) of feature classes (in other words, it groups feature classes together). All feature classes in a feature dataset share a spatial reference – i.e. the same coordinate system.

20b. What is a feature class?

A homogenous collection of common vector features (lines, polygons and points). In ArcGIS Pro, annotations (a map text) and other objects are included. Examples are polygons for parcel boundaries

21. What are the different types of map scales?

Large scale and small scale

22. How are 'large-scale' and 'small-scale' defined in cartography, and what do these terms signify about a map's detail and geographic coverage?

Large-scale maps show smaller areas in more detail (the denominator is small) while Small-scale maps cover large region and objects are smaller (the denominator is larger)

23. What are the Levels of Measurement (or Data Measurement Types)?

These are the groups data are structured in for analysis (Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio)

24. Can you describe the data measurement types?

Nominal data have no order or ranking (like eye color), Ordinal data have order but no mathematical operations (like satisfaction), Interval data have numbers and no natural zero, Ratio data have numbers, can use math, and has a natural zero

25. Can you list, describe and identify spatial data storage format?

These are either in Vector or Raster format

27. what files are required for GIS layers (e.g., shapefiles)

The .shp (shape format), .shx (shape index format), .dbf (attribute format), and prj.

28. What are queries in GIS?

These are tools used to search for and select a subset of features and table record (questions posed to the database)

29. What are the three basic methods for searching and querying attribute data?

These are selection, query by attribute, and query by geography

30. What is the proper workflow for utilizing the Select By Location tool?

Go to map pane, Selection by Location, fill out the relationships (eg. completely within), input and output

31. What essential operations does Structured Query Language (SQL) standardize for relational databases?

It allows the retrieval of a subset of attribute data based on user-defined criteria.

32. How can GIS spatially delineate and quantify all features that satisfy the conditions of a given attribute 'clause'?

By implementing clauses to structure the queries

33. State the GIS SQL Operators.

The three operators are Relational, Arithmetic, and Boolean (often found in WHERE clauses)

34. What SQL text syntax and functions are most commonly applied to query and manipulate string attributes within a GIS dataset's attribute table?

Searching strings must be enclosed within single quotes and are often case sensitive

35. How do SQL relational operators contribute to the attribute-based filtering and selection of features in a GIS database?

They employ the features =,

36. What are examples of Arithmetic SQL Operators in GIS?

These are +, -, *, /

37. Can you build a Query Expression?

Go to right click on the layers, go down to layer properties, go to definition query

38. What are the types of selection possible when selecting by attributes?

These are New selection, Add to the current selection, Remove from the current selection, Select subset from the current selection, Switch subset from the current selection, Clear the current selection

39. What are SQL Null Values?

Values that haven’t been specified or entered

40. State the ways to attach non-spatial tabular data to either spatial data or another piece of tabular data.

JOIN or RELATE numbers to numbers by finding a common identifier (the link), then the fields are dynamically added to the existing table.

41. What is Cardinality?

The nature of the a relationship between records in the destination table, and the records in the origin table, facilitated by a common field

42. Describe the types of Cardinality.

1:1, 1:n (one can relate to many), n:1 (many can relate to one), n:m

43. What is a topological overlay?

This merges features sharing the same spatial extent and combines layers plus their attribute tables, and creates new boundaries while combining attribute fields

44. Can you describe the functions and appropriate applications of various tools within extract toolsets?

These functions are Clip (extracts input features so the attributes are not joined in the output), Select (extracts features using SQL and the subset contains only matching records), and Split (splits layer to create multiple feature classes).

45. Can you describe different vector overlay analysis tools and do you understand how they combine features and attributes from multiple input layers to generate new datasets with information based on their spatial relationships?

These are erase (removes features), identity( joins identity attributes), Intersect (Preserves only overlapping areas across layers), sym difference (retains areas that do not overlap), union (combines all), Update (replaces)

46. Can you state and identify some common topological overlay errors?

These are undershoots (lines don’t connect), overshoots (extend beyond feature), and sliver polygons (polygons do not align perfectly)

47. What is spatial analysis?

The process of analysing location and attribute data for relationships, etc.

48. Can you describe the spatial analysis process?

Frame the question, Prepare the data, Choose analysis tools, Analyse, Examine results, and Share results

49. Can you give examples of some spatial analysis approaches?

Some examples are Suitability models, Terrain analysis, etc.

51. Can you describe the elements used to conduct spatial analysis?

Location, attributes, etc.

52. Can you describe proximity analysis and explain its fundamental purpose in GIS?

This quantifies distance and spatial connectivity between features

53. Can you distinguish between different types of proximity analyses?

The types of proximity analyses are buffers (creates distance polygons zones around points, etc. at a variable fixed distance), Generate near table (calculates distance, angle, and location attributes between input features), and Thiessen polygons (divides space into proximal zones)

54. What does the term geoprocessing mean?

An operation that is used to manipulate data for some new output

55. What are process models in GIS?

An example is Modelbuilder in Arc GIS pro, and is used to do execute complex analysis

56. Can you describe the key components of a process model?

These are the inputs, tools, and outputs

58. What is geodesy?

This is the scientific discipline of accurately measuring/understanding the three fundamental properties of Earth: Its gravity, geometrical shape, and orientation in space

59. What are graticules?

These are the spherical network of intersecting lines of latitude and longitude used to reference locations on a globe

60. Can you differentiate between lines of latitude and longitude?

Latitude is East-West and Longitude is North-South (like your hand - which way is longer?)

61. What are geographic and projected coordinate systems?

These systems are used to measure distance and locations on the globe. They use the angular units Degrees, Minutes, Seconds, or Decimal Degrees

62. Can you describe the shape of the Earth?

This is Geoid

62a. What is an oblate spheroid?

This is the model of the Earth that takes into account the spinning (it bulges at the equator and flattens at the poles)

62b. What is an ellipsoid?

This is the model of the Earth used in mathematical calculations, an ellipse rotated about its minor axis (and does not take into account the Earth’s surface).

62c. What is the geoid?

This is the equipotential surface of Earth’s gravity field that coincides with MSL (this is bumpy) and is used to represent true zero elevation - orthometric height

62d. What is DATUM?

This represents an ellipsoid and the position of its center. This assigns its center, orientation, and point of attachment to the physical planet.

64. Can you define map projection and explain why it is necessary?

This is the mathematical transformation that converts the 3D curved coordinates on a DATUM onto a 2D flat Cartesian plane (x,y). This is used to minimize distortion on our maps

65. Can you identify and differentiate between the three main classes of map projections (conic, cylindrical, and azimuthal)?

Conic projections are like a cone placed over the globe and are mainly used for mid-latitude east-west regions. Cylindrical projections are the globe wrapped in a cylinder and often depict the whole world. Azimuthal projections are flat planes touching a single point and are ideal for polar views.

65a. What do the standard mercator and transverse mercator do?

The first preserves local shapes/angles but has area inflation while the second is ideal for north-south strips.

65b. What does the Lambert conformal conic and albers equal area conic do?

The first preserves angles/local shape and the second distorts local shape while preserving size.

66. Do you understand the principles behind secant and tangent projections?

Tangent projections touch the globe at one line/point and distortion increases as you move away. Secant projections cut through the globe at 2 lines or curves and minimise average distortion across the map.

67. Can you state and recognize common projection types used in Alberta?

Alberta and Canada use the Lambert Conformal Conic 10TM and 3TM

68. Can you compare and contrast various projection properties and their associated distortions?

Mercator is best for shape and direction, Transverse Mercator is best for shape, Albers Equal-Area Conic is best for Area, Lambert Conformal Conic is best for Shape, and Universal Transverse Mercator is best for shape