Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

NPHS 1510: Federal and International

GIS Lesson Outline Menu
Module Description	Duration

Overview	15 minutes
Preparation	40 minutes
Google Maps	50 minutes
ArcGIS	20 minutes
ArcMap	80 minutes
GIS Applications in Emergency Decision Making	30 minutes
Spatial Data Sources	45 minutes
Mobile Applications	30 minutes

Total Module Duration	310 minutes

Overview

Definition:

geographic information system (GIS) An integrated collection of computer software and data used to view and manage information about geographic places, analyze spatial relationships, and model spatial processes. A GIS provides a framework for gathering and organizing spatial data and related information so that it can be displayed and analyzed.

Source: ESRI Online Dictionary.

A Perspective on GIS
Dr. Bob Regan, former Assistant Chief Geologist for the US Geological Survey (USGS) provides and overview of the changing domain of GIS. In addition to his many years of experience in academia, industry and government, while at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Bob trained the Apollo astronauts for the moon landing.

Click her to watch his video.

Click her for Bob's bio and some interesting astronaut training pictures.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are essential to emergency management. GIS is used for:

Emergency planning - providing visualizations of the position of assets, locations of hazards, evacuation routes and other important emergency information.
Response - providing real time information about the progress of the event.
Recovery - assessment of damage and insight on how to recover
Analysis - How to make the community more resilient.

Every Emergency Operations Center that you professor has visited has had a GIS display as part of its status wall. See for example the Johnstown, PA EOC pictured below.

GIS can provide us with maps of analytical information such as the map of Japan to the right showing major geological faults and earthquake and volcano locations. The patterns that emerge make the interrelationship between these three natural phenomena clearly evident.

Analytic capabilities provided within GIS can help us take highway and other data and plan efficient and effective primary and secondary evacuation routes. The map to the left shows potenial high capacity routes between Washington, DC and Harrisburg, PA.

Although not a true GIS, mapping systems such provide the capability to easily and quickly navigate maps on the Internet and deliver some basic GIS capabilities. Major online mapping systems are available from:

The map below shows a Google Map of Pittsburgh, PA with major roads and satellite imagery displayed.

Objectives

The aim of this lesson is not to make you an expert in GIS. Indeed, one can get a graduate degree in GIS. Specifically our objectives are:

Learn emergency applications for GIS
Develop a question-answering approach to GIS
Explore some basic GIS capabilities
Learn to apply ESRI’s ArcGIS
Learn to apply Google Maps
Identify sources for geographic data

The materials are designed for a novice student. You should be able to perform the exercises without learning other specialized skills or knowledge.

Throughout the course we will provide you with GIS ready data. This lesson will empower you to actively explore that data rather than looking at images of maps.