Intro to Geospatial Technologies

AP HuG & Global Studies - 2015

Thinking Spatially …

Thinking about how people, places and things are

organized and arranged on the surface of the Earth.

Where is it? Why is it there? What difference does it make?

Everyday Geospatial Technologies

Geospatial Technologies: Tools To Ask and Answer

Spatial Questions

1. Global Positioning System (GPS)

2. Geographic Information System (GIS)

3. Remote Sensing

Global Positioning System (GPS)• 31 satellites established by

U.S. military, working since 1973

• Receiver picks up radio signals from GPS system

• Location communicated in coordinate system

• GPS data can be brought into GIS

Global Positioning System (GPS)

How GPS Is Used

To pinpoint absolute locations

Geographic Information SystemSoftware that captures, stores, analyzes,

manages and displays spatial data

Virtual Globes Web Maps Desktop GIS

Types of GIS: Virtual Globe: Google Earth

Types of GIS: Web Maps

Types of GIS: Desktop GIS

ESRI’s ArcMap

How GIS Is Used

To analyze and map spatial data

Spatial data: data about locations and their characteristics

Remote Sensing

• Gathering information about something without touching it – Aerial photos– Satellite photos

How Remote Sensing Is Used

To collect visual information about our world

GPS Data and Remotely Sensed Images Can Be Brought Into GIS

GPS waypoints layered on satellite images using GIS

http://geospatialrevolution.psu.edu/trailer/