Transcript Get Started with GIS Mapping

Get Started with GIS Mapping
Part 1of 3
Madhu Lakshmanan
Agenda for this section
Introduction to GIS and some mapping
jargon
 Brief exploration of Google Earth
 Thematic maps on GE
 The Census KML online application
 Homework!
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What is GIS
Mapping
 Wide spectrum of complexity
 Combination of hardware, software &
data
 Can be one single large system or a suite
of tools or one small tool depending on
your requirement
 Data is key
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Terms that we will come across
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Layer – A slice of the geography of a particular area.
On a paper map, one layer could be the roads, another
could be parks, another could be places of interest.
Geocoding – Converting street addresses into spatial
data that can be displayed on a map (usually a latitude
and longitude pair)
Shapefiles – A data format that stores a particular
geographic feature of a certain area. (it is usually a set of
files) and is almost the de-facto standard. It is an ESRIcreated format.
KML/KMZ – an XML based language schema for
expressing geographic visualization. It is an official open
standard for all geobrowsers.
Projection – transformation of a map from a spherical
object (Earth) to a flat sheet of paper.
Google Earth
Toggle
Sidebar
Search
Panel
Places
Panel
Transparency
Control
Layers
Panel
3D Viewer
Navigation
Controls
Exploring Google Earth
Copy Image/ Print Scr
 View Menu
 Tools – Options
 Navigation
 Fly to
 Layers
 Adding your own placemarks to a folder
and saving a KML file
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Thematic Maps
Map made to reflect a particular theme
(social, physical, political etc.) about a
geographical area. It shows distributions
rather than actual locations where people
live.
 Ideal to display census data on a map for
general understanding
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Example of a simple thematic map
from the US Census
Percent Population below poverty by county in North Carolina.
The KMZ Census Mapper
http://ctasgis02.psur.utk.edu/tokml/Default.aspx
The Census KMZ Mapper
Downloaded KML visualized in
Google Earth
Percent Population Without Access to Private Auto in Whole State
Resources and Interesting Mapping
Applications - 1
Census website
http://census.gov
 American Factfinder
http://factfinder.census.gov
 Google Earth User Guide
http://earth.google.com/userguide/v5/
 Rural Assistance Center Maps
http://raconline/org/maps
 Show@/USA
http://show.mappingworlds.com/usa
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Homework
1.
2.
3.
Use CensusKML application to create 3
thematic maps with census data for
your state on Google Earth.You can
send me the KML files via email with
appropriate annotation.
Play with Google Earth to be familiar
with its interface.
Get familiar with the American
FactFinder website.