Geoscience Research, ISSN: 0976–9846 & E-ISSN: 0976–9854 Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2010, PP-01-06 Fundamentals of geoinformatics and its applications in geography Mankari M.P.1, Kodge B.G.2, Kulkarni M.J.1, Nagargoje A.U.1 1Department of Geography, M.U. College, Udgir, MS, India, [email protected] 2Department of Computer Science, S.V. College, Udgir, Latur, MS, India, [email protected] Abstract- GIS has become a popular tool in recent studies in geography, environmental science, town planning, defense studies etc. In this paper we have made an attempt to present few, yet important aspects of Geoinformatics and applications of GIS in some branches of geographical research. Keywords- Geographical Information System, Remote Sensing, Global Positioning System, Spatial Data, Vector and Raster file formats, River Morphology 1. Introduction The art, science and technology dealing with the acquisition, storage, processing, 1.2 Elements of GIS production, presentation and dissemination • Hardware: It is the physical unit (electronic of geoinformation is called geoinformatics. machine) that ultimately performs the job. According to Burrough (1987) it is a powerful Monitor, printer, plotter, scanner digitizer etc. set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving • Software: A set of programs written to at will, transforming and displaying of spatial perform a specific job with the help of data form the real world. Geoinformatics is hardware. Operating system: windows 2000, made up of Geographical Information 2007, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Unix System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and etc. Global Positioning System (GPS). It is the GIS Software: Arcinfo, AraGIS, Arcview, advancing science and technology, which Erdas, GRAM, GRAM++, Idrisi, ILWIS, can be used for research and development Autocadmap etc. in any discipline. For a geographer, it is a • Data: Two types of data powerful tool to generate and geocoded a) Spatial data and data and attribute database to help taking b) Non-spatial (attribute) data. decisions appropriately for planning. • Liveware: Users or people. Geographical Information System (GIS) is a • Data Model: computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying A set of logical definitions for characterizing geographically referenced information i.e. the geographical data in order to present data identified according to location. Parker spatial information and their attributes, the (1988) defined GIS as “an information two approaches for data model are: technology which stores, analyses, and 1. Raster representation and 2. Vector display both spatial and non-spatial data. representation Followings are few raster file formats 1.1 Objectives of GIS commonly used in geoinformatics [8]. • Optimization of efficiency of planning and •ADRG - National Geospatial-Intelligence decision making. Agency (NGA)'s ARC Digitized Raster • Capacity to integrate information from Graphics various sources. •BIL - Band Interleaved by Line (image • Provide efficient means for data format linked with satellite derived imagery) distribution and handing. •CADRG - National Geospatial-Intelligence • Elimination of redundant data base. Agency (NGA)'s Compressed ARC Digitised • Complex analysis / query involving Raster Graphics (nominal compression of geographical referenced data to generate 55:1 over ADRG) new information. •ECRG - National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)'s Enhanced Compressed Copyright © 2010, Bioinfo Publications Geoscience Research, ISSN: 0976–9846 & E-ISSN: 0976–9854, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2010 Fundamentals of geoinformatics and its applications in geography ARC Raster Graphics (Better resolution than •ISFC - Intergraph's MicroStation based CADRG and no color loss) CAD solution attaching vector elements to a •CIB - National Geospatial-Intelligence relational Microsoft Access database Agency (NGA)'s Controlled Image Base •Personal Geodatabase - ESRI's closed, (type of Raster Product Format) integrated vector data storage strategy using •Digital raster graphic (DRG) - digital scan of Microsoft's Access MDB format a paper USGS topographic map •File Geodatabase - ESRI's file-based •ECW - Enhanced Compressed Wavelet geodatabase format, stored as folders in a (from ERMapper). A compressed wavelet file system. ESRI also has an enterprise format, often lossy. Geodatabase format for use in an RDBMS. •ESRI grid - proprietary binary and •Coverage - ESRI's closed, hybrid vector metadataless ASCII raster formats used by data storage strategy. Legacy ArcGIS ESRI Workstation / ArcInfo format with reduced •GeoTIFF - TIFF variant enriched with GIS support in ArcGIS Desktop lineup relevant metadata •Spatial Data File - Autodesk's high- •IMG - ERDAS IMAGINE image file format performance geodatabase format, native to •JPEG2000 - Open-source raster format. A MapGuide compressed format, allows both lossy and •GeoJSON - a lightweight format based on lossless compression. JSON, used by many open source GIS •MrSID - Multi-Resolution Seamless Image packages Database (by Lizardtech). A compressed •SOSI Standard - a spatial data format used wavelet format, often lossy. for all public exchange of spatial data in •netCDF-CF - netCDF file format with CF Norway medata conventions for earth science data. Grid formats (for elevation) Binary storage in open format with optional •USGS DEM - The USGS' Digital Elevation compression. Allows for direct web-access Model of subsets/aggregations of maps through •DTED - National Geospatial-Intelligence OPeNDAP protocol. Agency (NGA)'s Digital Terrain Elevation Data And Followings are few raster file formats •GTOPO30 - Large complete Earth commonly used in geoinformatics. elevation model at 30 arc seconds •Geography Markup Language (GML) - XML •SDTS - The USGS' successor to DEM based open standard (by OpenGIS) for GIS Other formats data exchange •Binary Terrain - The Virtual Terrain •AutoCAD DXF - Contour elevation plots in Project's Binary Terrain format AutoCAD DXF format •Dual Independent Map Encoding (DIME) – •Shapefile (SHP)- ESRI's open, hybrid A historic GIS file format, developed in the vector data format using SHP, SHX and 1960s DBF files •Well-known text (WKT) – ASCII spatial •Simple Features - Open Geospatial projection description (ESRI uses a *.prj Consortium specification for vector data extension) •MapInfo TAB format - MapInfo's vector data •Well-known binary (WKB) - Binary spatial format using TAB, DAT, ID and MAP files projection description •National Transfer Format (NTF) - National •World file - Georeferencing a raster image Transfer Format (mostly used by the UK file (e.g. JPEG, BMP) Ordnance Survey) •TIGER - Topologically Integrated 1.3. Need of GIS Geographic Encoding and Referencing Collector, SP, Administrators, •Cartesian coordinate system (XYZ) - Academicians- University, MLA & MP, Simple point cloud Environmentalist, Agriculturist, Disaster •Vector Product Format - National management cell e.g. For agricultural Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)'s management GIS has to be considered format of vectored data for large geographic multidimensional with attribute dimension, databases. spatial dimension &temporal dimension GIS •GeoMedia - Intergraph's Microsoft Access offers capabilities of integrating multisector, based format for spatial vector storage. multilevel and multiperiod database. 2 Geoscience Research, ISSN: 0976–9846 & E-ISSN: 0976–9854, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2010 Mankari MP, Kodge BG, Kulkarni MJ, Nagargoje AU GIS satisfy the following specific needs 2. Principles of Remote Sensing 1) The ability to preprocess data from large Different objects return different amount and stores into a form suitable for analysis, kind of energy in different bands of the including operation such as reformatting, electromagnetic spectrum incident upon it. change of projection, resampling and This property of the object depends on generalizations. structural, physical and chemical 2) Direct support for analysis and modeling, composition, surface roughness, angle of so that from of analysis, calibration of incidence, intensity and wavelength of models, forecasting, and prediction are all radiant energy, hence we can identify handled through instruction to the GIS. various objects by collecting and analyzing 3) Post processing of result including such returned energy. operations as reformatting, tabulation, report generation, and mapping. 2.1 Stages in RS An information system is the chain of • Emission of energy or EMR (Sun) operations- planning, observation and • Transmission of energy from the source to collection of data- storage and analysis of the surface of the earth as well as data- Decision making process. adsorption and scattering of energy in the atmosphere. • Interaction of EMR with the earth surface Reflection. • Transmission of the energy from the surface to the remote sensor. • Sensor data output. • Data transmission, processing and analysis. Fig. 1- Decision making process 2.2. Platforms and Sensors Four key activities can be enhanced by Platform is a stage to mount the camera or using GIS sensor to acquire the information about a • Measurement target. Based on their altitude above the • Monitoring earth surface they are Ground borne. Air • Mapping borne and Space borne. • Modeling Sensor is a device that gathers energy, Contributing disciplines to GIS. converts it into a signal and presents it in a •Geography suitable form for obtaining information about •Cartography the target under investigation. Two types of •Computer software sensors : •Surveying 1. Active and 2. Passive.