Introduction to Spatial Computing

Dr. Doug Oetter, Associate ProfessorDept. of History, Geography, and Philosophy

Friday, November 12, 201012:30-3:30A&S 2-54

Geospatial Science

• Study of the spatial aspects of terrestrial and geographic datasets through scientific methods involving software and analysis

Why Make Maps on a Computer?

• Digital storage• Easy to update• Easy to add information• Accurate• Simple to adapt for

multiple users and multiple media

Map Making Methods

• Draw by hand• Adapt from another source• Pre-made, editable map software

– Cartesia & Adobe Illustrator• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

– Complete spatial database for mapping and geographic inquiry

Geographic Information

Systems

• Hardware– Digitizer, computer,

plotter– Global Positioning

Satellite• Software

– Grass, MapInfo, ArcView, ArcGIS

• Data– Analog data (maps,

tables, images)– Digitial data (shapefiles,

coverages, grids, raster images)

• Users– Training is available!

• Methods

Applications

Geospatial Project

Problem Definition

Outline study area

Data AcquisitionGenerating data from your field

work

Capture data online

Pre-processing

Spatial Analysis and ModelingGeoprocessing

Data analysis

Complex geographic solutions

PresentationMaps, graphics, tables

1. Problem Statement

• Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a guided-design pedogogical style based on the assumption that students are motivated to solve real-world problems and will actively work to acquire the knowledge needed to solve them. – Present the problem statement. Introduce an "ill-structured"

problem or scenario to students. They should not have enough prior knowledge to solve the problem. This simply means they will have to gather necessary information or learn new concepts, principles, or skills as they engage in the problem-solving process.

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/teacher/teacherout.html

2. Data Acquisition

• Resource List– List what is needed. Presented with a problem,

students will need to find information to fill in missing gaps. A second list is prepared under the heading: "What do we need to know?" These questions will guide searches that may take place on-line, in the library, and in other out-of-class searches.

Maps

• Use maps as source information• Paper maps can be converted to digital

U. S. Government

Public Clearinghouses

Private Sources

Online Geographic Data Sources

Data Sources- U. S. Government

• Bureau of Land Management• Dept. of Commerce Census Bureau

– Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system (TIGER)

• Federal Emergency Management Agency • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (formerly NIMA)• U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

– National Wetlands Inventory

• U. S. Forest Service• U. S. Geological Survey

– Water Resources – National Land Cover Data– The National Map

Government Imagery Sources

• AVIRIS • Eurimage • GLCF • NASA • MODIS • Radarsat • USGS

– Earth Explorer – EROS Data Center – GLOVIS

Public Clearinghouses

• National Atlas • State Depositories

– Georgia • International Data

– Center for International Earth Science Information (CIESIN)

– Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)

Private Data Sources

• EarthSat • Geography Network • GIS Data Depot• Ikonos • Quickbird• SPOT • Terraserver

Global Positioning Satellites

• GPS Satellite devices

Location on Globe

- Parallels of latitude- Meridians of longitude

Geographic Coordinate System

Grid Coordinate System

- Points are defined with X,Y coordinates- UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)

- UTM Zone 17 N, 291800 E, 3662300 N

Collecting Geographic Data

• Collect any type of data required– Be sure to capture location using a coordinate

system– Think points, lines, and polygons– Think ‘surface of the Earth’

• Coordinated capture system– Linking camera to GPS unit using time stamps– http://hercules.gcsu.edu/~doetter/geo/kmz/Lower_Oconee_River.kmz

Excel

• Spreadsheets allow data organization– Columns for field (thematic) data– Rows for records (events)

WEATHERDate Time Latitude Longitude Altitude Location Wind Speed Wind Direction Air Temperature Barometric Pressure

Questions?

3. Spatial Analysis

GIS Software Providers

• ESRI– ArcView– Arc/INFO– ArcGIS

• GeoMedia• MapInfo• GRASS

Google Earth

• http://hercules.gcsu.edu/~doetter/geo/google_earth.html• http://na.unep.net/atlas/google.php

ArcGIS• ArcGIS Desktop Software– ArcView—data

visualization, query, and analysis capabilities

– ArcEditor—a powerful data creation and editing environment

– ArcInfo—the professional GIS of choice for data automation, geoprocessing, and analysis

• Server Software– ArcSDE—the gateway for

managing spatial data in a commercial database management system (DBMS)

Getting Started with ArcMap• Toolbars• Table of

Contents• Data View• Layout View

Exploring Data

• Load in Georgia map document– ga_data.mxd

• Pan• Zoom• Legend• Attribute tables• Attribute query

Using Digital Imagery

• Digital Raster Graphs– Scanned and geo-

registered USGS topographic maps

• Digital Orthophotographs– Geo-registered aerial

photographs

Loading GPS Data• Input each location to

a new shapefileOR• Make X, Y, ID table in

Excel• Export to .dbf format• Add file to ArcView as

a table• In View, Add Event

Theme• Convert event theme

to Shapefile and saveOR• Have your GPS unit do

it automatically!!

Geoprocessing

• Reprojection• Measurement• Clip• Buffer• Union• Intersect• Attribute Query• Location Query

Questions?

4. Presentation

• Present and support the solution. As part of closure, teachers may require students to communicate, orally and/or in writing, their findings and recommendations. The product should include the problem statement, questions, data gathered, analysis of data, and support for solutions or recommendations based on the data analysis.

Map Production

• Basic map elements– Title– Scale– Legend– Orientation– Metadata

Geographic Visualization

• http://hercules.gcsu.edu/~doetter/geo/Baldwin_Cultural_Tour.kmz

ESRI ArcScene

Google Earth

Questions?