GEOG 3315 - Module 2

Geospatial Data Model: A formal means of representing spatially referenced information, simplifying physical entities and conceptualizing reality. 

Object: The part of a geospatial data model that stores the geometry of the spatial phenomenon being modeled. 

Attribute: Descriptive information related to the object part of a geospatial data model. 

Discrete Spatial Phenomenon: Individually distinguishable entities with well-defined boundaries, such as streams or roads. 

Continuous Spatial Phenomenon: Data that exists between observations and cannot be isolated as individual entities, such as temperature or elevation. 

Vector Data Model: Defines discrete objects using points, lines, and polygons, each composed of coordinates and attributes. 

Point: A single coordinate pair defining a location, considered to have no dimension in GIS. 

Line: Defined by an ordered set of coordinates, with nodes where lines begin or end and vertices where lines change direction. 

Polygon: Formed by connected lines where the start and end points have the same coordinate, creating an interior region. 

Raster Data Model: Represents continuous objects using a regular set of cells or pixels in a grid pattern, each cell containing a single value. 

Raster Resolution: The cell size of each cell in a raster, indicating how much area on the ground each cell covers. 

Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN): A network of triangles connected to create a 3-D surface, preserving input measurement points and accommodating different sampling densities. 

Attributes (in GIS): Non-spatial characteristics that describe spatial entities, typically arranged in tables with rows representing entities and columns representing attributes. 

Coordinate System: Sets of geographic grids that provide a structured way of communicating geographic location using x,y coordinates. 

Metadata: Information that describes a dataset, including its content, author, creation date, and intended use, helping to assess the quality and appropriateness of the data. 

Domains: Constraints on valid values for a particular field in a dataset, helping to prevent errors during data entry. 

Subtypes: Subsets of features sharing the same attributes, used to categorize features within a dataset. 

Topology: The spatial relationships between features, ensuring connectedness, adjacency, and proximity are maintained in GIS data. 

Archiving: Recording and accessing changes to data over time, allowing for temporal analysis of how features and attributes have changed. 

ArcGIS Online: A platform for creating, storing, and sharing GIS data and content, providing access to a library of authoritative data. 

Geocoding: The process of converting addresses into geographic coordinates, allowing for spatial analysis and mapping. 

Feature Dataset: A collection of related feature classes that share the same coordinate system, used to organize and manage GIS data.