GIS and GPS Exam Preparation

These flashcards cover essential concepts related to GIS and GPS as outlined in the lecture notes, preparing students for exam topics.

GIS

Geographic Information System, a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing spatial and geographic data.

GPS

Global Positioning System, a satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time information.

Vector Data

Data represented by points, lines, and polygons used to represent discrete features on a map.

Raster Data

Data represented by a grid of pixels, used for continuous data like images and terrain.

Attribute Table

A table that contains data about the properties of geographic features.

Geometric Accuracy

The degree to which the spatial location of mapped features corresponds to their true position.

Choropleth Map

A map that uses color to represent different values of a variable across predefined areas.

Map Objectives

Goals that define the purpose and intended message of a map.

Projection

A method of representing the curved surface of the earth on a flat plane.

Datum

A reference from which measurements are made for mapping the earth's surface.

Topology

The study of geometric properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size.

SQL

Structured Query Language, used for managing and manipulating databases.

Metadata

Data that provides information about other data, such as the source, quality, and format.

Overlay Tools

Techniques used to combine two spatial datasets to analyze their relationship.

Spatial Join

A join operation that combines attributes from two layers based on their spatial relationship.

Sliver

A small, often unintended polygon that occurs when two features overlap but do not perfectly match.

Buffer

A zone around a feature used in spatial analysis to determine areas of interest.

Georeferencing

The process of aligning spatial data to a known coordinate system.

Normalize

The process of adjusting values in the data to enable more accurate comparisons.

Attribute Query

A search operation that selects features based on their attribute values.

Spatial Query

A search operation that selects features based on their geographic location.