What is GIS and Geospatial Data?
A geographic information system (GIS) is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data. Rooted in the science of geography, GIS integrates many types of data. It analyzes spatial location and organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes. With this unique capability, GIS reveals deeper insights into data, such as patterns, relationships, and situations—helping users make smarter decisions.
From Esri
The word geospatial is used to indicate that data has a geographic component to it. This means that the records in a dataset have locational information tied to them such as geographic data in the form of coordinates, address, city, or ZIP code. GIS data is a form of geospatial data. Other geospatial data can originate from GPS data, satellite imagery, and geotagging.
From GIS Lounge
GIS Software & Tools
ArcGIS is the leading GIS software for working with maps and geographic information. It is currently available in the GIS Lab, but OWU has a campus license to the software. ArcGIS software (from ESRI) is available for installation and use by all faculty, staff, and students at OWU. To use the software, request an OWU ArcGIS Online account from John Krygier in the Department of Environment and Sustainability. OWU’s site license for all ESRI software is managed through an ArcGIS Online account. Please contact Information Services with any technical problems.
ArcGIS Online runs on any browser and provides a broad range of GIS functions without having to install any files on desktop computers. ArcGIS Online is particularly strong for developing GIS apps to share information on the web and collect spatial data in the field.
- Request an ArcGIS Online account (Krygier), and log into the account.
- Under your name and account information (upper right), select Training.
- Search ArcGIS Online, and review ArcGIS Online Basics.
ArcGIS Pro runs on Windows desktop and can be installed from files supplied by Krygier or Information Services. ArcGIS Pro is intended for sophisticated geospatial data analysis.
- Request an ArcGIS Online account (Krygier), and log into the account.
- Download ArcGIS Pro install files, and install them on an appropriate computer.
- Under your name and account information (upper right), select Training.
- Search ArcGIS Pro, and review ArcGIS Pro Basics.
QGIS: Free and open source GIS software
GRASS GIS: Free GIS software
Websites
- Climate Data OnlineAccess climate data maintained by the National Centers for Environmental Information.
- Data.govData.gov is the federal government’s open data site, and aims to make government more open and accountable. Data.gov implements Title II of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 Public Law 115-435. The OPEN Government Data Act makes Data.gov a requirement in statute, rather than a policy. It requires federal agencies to publish their information online as open data, using standardized, machine-readable data formats, with their metadata included in the Data.gov catalog.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Dataset GatewayEnvironmental science data catalog for the United States.
- FAOSTATData provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on food and agriculture spanning over 200 countries.
- Geological Society of America Data RepositoryGeological and environmental sciences data from the Geological Society of America.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)Biological and ecological data from many different institutions throughout the world.
- Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat FrameworkSpatial framework and database for Great Lakes ecological data.
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened SpeciesGlobal inventory of species conservation status and other spatial data.
- Map of LifeBiodiversity data for species and locations.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Open Data PortalCatalog of NASA datasets and other aerospace and earth science data.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Data Discovery PortalCatalog of NOAA datasets and other aquatic and marine science data.
- National Weather Service GIS PortalWeather datasets from the National Weather Service for the United States.
- Ohio Geographically Referenced Information ProgramGeographic data for the state of Ohio.
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth ExplorerSatellite and aerial remote sensing data from the USGS.
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) Science Data CatalogGeological and environmental sciences data catalog from the USGS.
Books
Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python: Understand GIS Processing Tasks and Remote Sensing Data Analysis Using Python 3.7 - Third EditionPublication Date: 2019Available Online
Mapping with ArcGIS Pro: Design Accurate and User-Friendly Maps to Share the Story of Your DataPublication Date: 2018Available Online
QGIS Quick Start Guide: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with QGIS 3.4Publication Date: 2019Available Online
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