September 25, 2017 1.13 Use and Interpret Geographic Data 1.14 Use quantitative and qualitative data

Geospatial Data

What is Geospatial Data? Geospatial data includes all information that can be tied to a specific place. Besides locations of things, such as mountains or roads or boundaries, it includes human activities and traits. Examples: Where do speakers of Mandarin live? How common is poverty in each US county?

Obtaining Geospatial Data Much geospatial data is gathered in the field. That means that the data was observed and recorded on location, and the act of collecting it is known as fieldwork. Important sources of this type of data can come from a census of the population, from interviews, or even from informal observations made by geographers. Land surveys, photographs, and sketches are also important ways in which this data is obtained. Technology is also making it easier to collect data.

Geospatial Technologies Copy the following chart into your notes. Make sure to label the first column either: GPS (Global Positioning System, Remote Sensing, or GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Geospatial Technologies Type Description Uses Receivers on the earth’s surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver’s exact location Precisely locating borders Navigating ships, aircraft, cars Mapping lines (trails) or points (fire hydrants) Computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets Analysis of crime data Effects of pollution Transportation/travel time analysis Urban Planning The use of cameras or other sensors mounted on aircraft or satellites to collect digital images of the earth’s surface Determining land cover and use Monitoring environmental changes Assessing spread of spatial phenomena Monitoring the weather

Quantitative and Qualitative Data

Geospatial Data Quantitative Data: information that can be measured and recorded using numbers It is often used with GIS because it lends itself to analysis using formulas and computers Example: Distribution of people by income or age group Qualitative Data: in not usually represented by numbers This data includes interviews, document archives, descriptions, and visual observations More difficult to analyze than quantitative data Example: Asking people if they feel that an intersection is dangerous

Google Classroom: Complete the Unit One GIS Activity on Toponyms by Sunday, October 1st at 11:59 pm.