GIS Exam 1 Questions with Verified
Solutions
measurements or observations that represent and
characterize some aspect(s) of the "real world" - ANS-Data
collection of data about a single theme; may be tabular (e.g., wildlife habitat
requirements), textual (e.g., bibliographic) or georeferenced (i.e., "mappable") - ANS-
Database
relates to a specific place on or in relation to the Earth's surface - ANS-Geographic
is data to which some value or interpretation has been added. (In GI, the information
relates to measurements, maps, images, sounds etc. of the Earth's surface) - ANS-
Information
a collection of technology designed to perform a wide range of functions - ANS-System
an automated collection of related databases and analysis tools designed to support
specific applications - ANS-Information System
an information system in which data are georeferenced - ANS-Geographic Information
System (GIS)
-Geographic location is an important attribute of activities, policies, strategies, and
plans.
-Geographic problems involve an aspect of location, either in the information used to
solve them, or in the solutions themselves.
-GI science and systems are integral to response and recovery (i.e. in disaster relief) -
ANS-The Importance of Location
any space (not just the space of the Earth's surface) - ANS-Spatial
application of techniques (in GI technology) to geographic and non-geographic spaces -
ANS-Spatial Analysis
(subset of spatial, applied specifically to the Earth's surface and near-surface) - ANS-
Geospatial
"digital maps" that represent features such as soils, land use, water resources,
transportation, elevation and administrative boundaries - ANS-Geospatial data
, -Entities located in space at a given point in time (features are georeferenced)
-Anything that can be mapped
-Usually represented as separate map layers or themes - ANS-Geospatial "Features"
-represent "real world" features
-models of reality ("selective approximations") - ANS-"digital maps"
- graphics and attributes
- layers are registered to one another
- data are obtained from many different sources (e.g., remote sensing, GPS, digitizing,
scanning) - ANS-GIS "layers" or "themes"
- almost all human activities and decisions involve an important geographic component
- Crucial to understanding both physical and human geography
- working with geographic information involves unique, complex and difficult choices -
ANS-Why is spatial important?
• Knowledge is information to which value has been added by interpretation (particular
context, experience, purpose)
• Knowledge about how the world works has value, because it can be used to predict
• Information becomes knowledge only when it has been read and understood - ANS-
Knowledge
- organize and store
- access and retrieve
- manipulate and synthesize
- apply to the solution of problems - ANS-Information systems help us to manage "what
we know"...
- raw geographic facts
• e.g., a temperature at a given location
- transmitted as a stream of bits
• Binary - 1,0 - ANS-Data are numbers or text (almost context-free)
- Narrow...
• essentially synonymous with data
- Broad...
• Processed: anything which can be represented in digital form - but different from data
as implies selection, organization, and preparation for purpose - ANS-Information has
multiple definitions
An information system used to manage, manipulate and analyze geospatial data...to
produce
information useful in decision-making - ANS-GIS: A Working Definition
Solutions
measurements or observations that represent and
characterize some aspect(s) of the "real world" - ANS-Data
collection of data about a single theme; may be tabular (e.g., wildlife habitat
requirements), textual (e.g., bibliographic) or georeferenced (i.e., "mappable") - ANS-
Database
relates to a specific place on or in relation to the Earth's surface - ANS-Geographic
is data to which some value or interpretation has been added. (In GI, the information
relates to measurements, maps, images, sounds etc. of the Earth's surface) - ANS-
Information
a collection of technology designed to perform a wide range of functions - ANS-System
an automated collection of related databases and analysis tools designed to support
specific applications - ANS-Information System
an information system in which data are georeferenced - ANS-Geographic Information
System (GIS)
-Geographic location is an important attribute of activities, policies, strategies, and
plans.
-Geographic problems involve an aspect of location, either in the information used to
solve them, or in the solutions themselves.
-GI science and systems are integral to response and recovery (i.e. in disaster relief) -
ANS-The Importance of Location
any space (not just the space of the Earth's surface) - ANS-Spatial
application of techniques (in GI technology) to geographic and non-geographic spaces -
ANS-Spatial Analysis
(subset of spatial, applied specifically to the Earth's surface and near-surface) - ANS-
Geospatial
"digital maps" that represent features such as soils, land use, water resources,
transportation, elevation and administrative boundaries - ANS-Geospatial data
, -Entities located in space at a given point in time (features are georeferenced)
-Anything that can be mapped
-Usually represented as separate map layers or themes - ANS-Geospatial "Features"
-represent "real world" features
-models of reality ("selective approximations") - ANS-"digital maps"
- graphics and attributes
- layers are registered to one another
- data are obtained from many different sources (e.g., remote sensing, GPS, digitizing,
scanning) - ANS-GIS "layers" or "themes"
- almost all human activities and decisions involve an important geographic component
- Crucial to understanding both physical and human geography
- working with geographic information involves unique, complex and difficult choices -
ANS-Why is spatial important?
• Knowledge is information to which value has been added by interpretation (particular
context, experience, purpose)
• Knowledge about how the world works has value, because it can be used to predict
• Information becomes knowledge only when it has been read and understood - ANS-
Knowledge
- organize and store
- access and retrieve
- manipulate and synthesize
- apply to the solution of problems - ANS-Information systems help us to manage "what
we know"...
- raw geographic facts
• e.g., a temperature at a given location
- transmitted as a stream of bits
• Binary - 1,0 - ANS-Data are numbers or text (almost context-free)
- Narrow...
• essentially synonymous with data
- Broad...
• Processed: anything which can be represented in digital form - but different from data
as implies selection, organization, and preparation for purpose - ANS-Information has
multiple definitions
An information system used to manage, manipulate and analyze geospatial data...to
produce
information useful in decision-making - ANS-GIS: A Working Definition
