Introduction To Geospatial Technologies

Book Description :

Written for both majors and non-majors alike, Introduction to Geospatial Technologies demonstrates the wide range of geographic technologies available to and used by geographers today. Each chapter contains an introduction to the key concepts and a lab activity, so that in addition to gaining a basic foundation of knowledge students also obtain hands-on experience with the relevant software. This new edition stays current with its rapidly moving field, with coverage and lab activities revised to reflect is the most up-to-date ideas and innovations in GST.

Book Description :

Written for both majors and non-majors alike, Introduction to Geospatial Technologies demonstrates the wide range of geographic technologies available to and used by geographers today. Each chapter contains an introduction to the key concepts and a lab activity, so that in addition to gaining a basic foundation of knowledge students also obtain hands-on experience with the relevant software. This new edition stays current with its rapidly moving field, with coverage and lab activities revised to reflect is the most up-to-date ideas and innovations in GST

Book Description :

Written for majors and non-majors alike, Introduction to Geospatial Technologies demonstrates the wide range of geographic technologies available to and used by geographers today. Each chapter contains an introduction to the key concepts and a lab activity, so that in addition to gaining a basic foundation of knowledge, students also obtain hands-on experience with the relevant software.

Book Description :

This book is designed to help students and researchers understand the latest research and development trends in the domain of geospatial information and communication (GeoICT) technologies. Accordingly, it covers the fundamentals of geospatial information systems, spatial positioning technologies, and networking and mobile communications, with a focus on OGC and OGC standards, Internet GIS, and location-based services. Particular emphasis is placed on introducing GeoICT as an integrated technology that effectively bridges various information-technology domains.

Book Description :

The constant growth of the world’s population and the decline of the availability of land and soil resources are global concerns for food security. Other concerns are the decrease in productivity and delivery of essential ecosystems services because of the decline of soil quality and health by a range of degradation processes. Key soil properties like soil bulk density, organic carbon concentration, plant available water capacity, infiltration rate, air porosity at field moisture capacity, and nutrient reserves, are crucial properties for soil functionality which refers to the capacity of soil to perform numerous functions. These functions are difficult to measure directly and are estimated through indices of soil quality and soil health. Soil degradation, its extent and severity, can also be estimated by assessing indices of soil quality and health. "Geospatial Technology for Land Degradation Assessment and Management" uses satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies to measure landscape parameters and terrain attributes. Remote sensing and geospatial technologies are important tools in assessing the extent and the severity of land and soil degradation, their temporal changes, and geospatial distribution in a timely and cost-effective manner. The knowledge presented in the book by Dr. R.S. Dwivedi shows how remote sensing data can be utilized for inventorying, assessing, and monitoring affected ecosystems and how this information can be integrated in the models of different local settings. Through many land degradations studies, land managers, researchers, and policymakers will find practical applications of geospatial technologies and future challenges. The information presented is also relevant to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations towards global food security.

Book Description :

Over the past few decades the world has been organized through the growth and integration of geographic information systems (GIS) across public and private sector industries, agencies, and organizations. This has happened in a technological context that includes the widespread deployment of multiple digital mobile technologies, digital wireless communication networks, positioning, navigation and mapping services, and cloud-based computing, spawning new ways of imagining, creating, and consuming geospatial information and analytics. GIS: An Introduction to Mapping Technologies is written with the detached voices of practitioner scholars who draw on a diverse set of experiences and education, with a shared view of GIS that is grounded in the analysis of scale-diverse contexts emphasizing cities and their social and environmental geographies. GIS is presented as a critical toolset that allows analysts to focus on urban social and environmental sustainability. The book opens with chapters that explore foundational techniques of mapping, data acquisition and field data collection using GNSS, georeferencing, spatial analysis, thematic mapping, and data models. It explores web GIS and open source GIS making geospatial technology available to many who would not be able to access it otherwise. Also, the book covers in depth the integration of remote sensing into GIS, Health GIS, Digital Humanities GIS, and the increased use of GIS in diverse types of organizations. Active learning is emphasized with ArcGIS Desktop lab activities integrated into most of the chapters. Written by experienced authors from the Department of Geography at DePaul University in Chicago, this textbook is a great introduction to GIS for a diverse range of undergraduates and graduate students, and professionals who are concerned with urbanization, economic justice, and environmental sustainability.

Book Description :

"Geospatial Information" is spatial data concerning a place or, in space, collected in real time. Geospatial techniques together with remote sensing, geographic information science, Global Positioning System (GPS), cartography, geovisualization, and spatial statistics are being used to capture, store, manipulate and analyze to understand complex situations to solve mysteries of the universe. These techniques have been applied in various fields such as meteorology, forestry, environmental management, agriculture, health, homeland security etc. around the globe. This volume presents case studies and examples from various parts of the world and provides a broad overview of various approaches; data sets; data acquiring, monitoring and dissemination methods; satellites and sensors; tools and techniques used; integrating tools, techniques and application to various fields for the sustainable management of environmental resources in the context of global environmental change and natural hazards. The objective of this book is to provide state-of-the-art information to academics, researchers and industry practitioners who are involved or interested in the study, use, design and development of advanced and emerging geospatial technologies around the world with ultimate aim to empower individuals and organizations in building competencies for exploiting the opportunities of the knowledge society. All the chapters are peer-reviewes and evaluated and are an inter- and multi-disciplinary source of information, making an effort to link various geospatial techniques to make the earth an habitable place. The contributors have tried to focus their respective views on the current problems that need urgent attention. Consequently, we see this book as a comprehensive information base, which includes work of expertise in their specific fields of research.

Book Description :

This book is an initiative presented by the Commission on Geographical Education of the International Geographical Union. It focuses particularly on what has been learned from geospatial projects and research from the past decades of implementing geospatial technologies (GST) in formal and informal education. The objective of this publication is to inform an international audience of teachers, professionals, scholars, and policymakers about the state of the art and prospects of geospatial practices (GPs) as organized activities that use GST and lessons learned in relation to geographical education. GST make up an advanced body of knowledge developed by practitioners of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), global positioning systems, (GPS), and digital cartography (DC). GST have long been applied in many different sectors; however, their first use in higher education began in the early 1980s and then diffused to secondary schools during the 1990s. Starting with GIS and RS, it evolved into a much broader context, as GST expanded to include GPS and DC with new communication technologies and Internet applications. GST have been used around the world as a combination of tools and special techniques to make research, teaching, and learning more effective.

Book Description :

Professionals in local and national government and in the private sector frequently need to draw on Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), often in an integrated manner. This manual shows a hands-on operator how to work across the range of geospatial science and technology, whether as a user or as a contractor of services employing these technologies, and without either specialist education or substantial experience. The manual covers the fundamentals of each of these topical areas, providing the requisite mathematics, computer science and physics necessary to understand how the technologies work, assuming some elementary background in calculus and physics. It also shows how the technologies can be used together and focuses on their commonalities. A number of applications such as mapping and environmental modeling are presented, and a website accompanies the book.

Book Description :

This book focuses on 21st century geospatial technologies (GT). It highlights their broad range of capabilities and their essential role in effectively addressing and resolving critical everyday issues, such as environment, sustainability, climate change, urban planning, economy, culture and geopolitics. Featuring chapters written by leading international scientists, it discusses the application of GT tools and demonstrates that the problems requiring such tools transcend national boundaries, cultures, political systems and scientific backgrounds on a global scale. In addition, it enhances readers’ spatial understanding of, and geographical reasoning in connection with, societal issues. The book will appeal to scientists, teachers and students of geography, the earth sciences and related areas, as well as decision-makers interested in the application and capabilities of geospatial technologies and new, spatial methods for addressing important issues.

Book Description :

"TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 446: Use of Advance Geospatial Data, Tools, Technologies, and Information in Department of Transportation Projects that explores the development, documentation, and introduction of advanced geospatial technologies within departments of transportation.The report also provides a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of leading technologies, and how they are being used today." -- Publisher's description.

Book Description :

This book advances the scientific understanding and application of space-based technologies to address a variety of areas related to sustainable development; including environmental systems analysis, environmental management, clean processes, green chemistry, and green engineering. Geo-spatial techniques have gained considerable interest in recent decades among the earth and environmental science communities for solving and understanding various complex problems and approaches towards sustainable technologies. The book encompasses several scopes of interests on sustainable technologies in areas such as water resources, forestry, remote sensing, meteorology, atmospheric and oceanic modeling, environmental engineering and management, civil engineering, air and environmental pollution, water quality problems, etc. The book will appeal to people with an interest in geo-spatial techniques, sustainable development and other diverse backgrounds within earth and environmental sciences field.

Book Description :

The demand on local government to do more with less by improving operations, increasing productivity, and making better and more informed decisions increases constantly. On a departmental level Geographic Information Systems are helping meet this demand but the majority of local government organizations do not take the time to understand the GIS needs and opportunities of each and every department. This book: Discusses how towns, cities and counties and their specific departments should actually use GIS Explains the best ways to use GIS tools through many specific case studies and step by step instructions Emphasises local government needs first before offering solutions Gives readers a practical and understandable way of thinking about managing and making GIS successful This book is the guide that details best GIS applications and practices for the 34 departments in local government that can, and should, use GIS technology. It explains in details how, why, and what each department should implement, a clear and understandable explanation of departmental GIS.

Book Description :

This volume advances the scientific understanding, development, and application of geospatial technologies related to groundwater resource management, mapping, monitoring, and modelling using up-to-date remote sensing and GIS techniques. The book further provides a critical analysis of the debates and discourses surrounding groundwater resources and society, illustrates the relationship between groundwater resources and precision agriculture for societal development, and describes novel, region-specific management strategies and techniques for sustainability with case studies. The book is organized into three parts: (I) Groundwater resources and societal development; (II) Groundwater availability, quality and pollution; and (III) Sustainable groundwater resources management. Each section begins with a short introduction that includes an overview of the papers in that section. Individual chapters focus on the core themes of research and knowledge along with some topics that have received lesser attention. The book will be of interest to water resource planners and decision-makers, academic researchers, policy makers, NGOs, and academic researchers and students in Geography, Geophysics, Hydrology, Remote Sensing & GIS, Agriculture, Soil Science, and Agronomy.

Book Description :

Geospatial technologies in general - and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in particular - are becoming increasingly important in our society. GIS technology is used to identify the optimal routes for emergency vehicles, to determine the best locations for various businesses, schools, and facilities, to monitor the growth and expansion of urban areas as a way to manage natural resources, and much more. Principles of Geographic Information Systems by John Jensen and Ryan Jensen is an ideal introduction for those who know very little about geographic information systems and spatial analysis. Relatively complex GIS principles are introduced in basic terms, often using graphics to communicate principles rather than complex mathematical equations. Content is not geared toward any single commercial GIS software program, and the book's timely, practical examples and extensive visual format appeal to today's students. This text can be used at the undergraduate or graduate level in one or two semester courses in Introductory and Intermediate GIS, yet can also be useful for professionals looking to increase their knowledge in this subject area. Note: If you are purchasing the standalone text or electronic version, mygeoscienceplace does not come automatically packaged with the text. To purchase mygeoscienceplace, please visit www.mygeoscienceplace.com.

Book Description :

This open access book is a consolidation of lessons learnt and experiences gathered from our efforts to utilise Earth observation (EO) science and applications to address environmental challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. It includes a complete package of knowledge on service life cycles including multi-disciplinary topics and practically tested applications for the HKH. It comprises 19 chapters drawing from a decade’s worth of experience gleaned over the course of our implementation of SERVIR-HKH – a joint initiative of NASA, USAID, and ICIMOD – to build capacity on using EO and geospatial technology for effective decision making in the region. The book highlights SERVIR’s approaches to the design and delivery of information services – in agriculture and food security; land cover and land use change, and ecosystems; water resources and hydro-climatic disasters; and weather and climate services. It also touches upon multidisciplinary topics such as service planning; gender integration; user engagement; capacity building; communication; and monitoring, evaluation, and learning. We hope that this book will be a good reference document for professionals and practitioners working in remote sensing, geographic information systems, regional and spatial sciences, climate change, ecosystems, and environmental analysis. Furthermore, we are hopeful that policymakers, academics, and other informed audiences working in sustainable development and evaluation – beyond the wider SERVIR network and well as within it – will greatly benefit from what we share here on our applications, case studies, and documentation across cross-cutting topics.

Book Description :

The sustainable development of the agriculture sector is the only option to meet the demands of increased and economically viable production in a changing climate. This means there is a need to introduce the latest technologies to enhance production, and also help policymakers make decisions for the future. Geospatial technologies & tools, such as remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and mobile & web applications, provide unique capabilities to analyze multi-scale, multi-temporal datasets, and support decision-making in sustainable agriculture development and natural resources management. Further, the availability of reliable and timely geospatial information on natural resources and environmental conditions is essential for sustainable agricultural development and food security. Since remote sensing solutions are fast, non-destructive and have large spatial coverage, they can play a significant role in the identification, inventory, and mapping of land resources. Over the past four decades, remote sensing has proved to be a cost-effective and powerful tool to assess crop and soil properties in varying spatial and temporal scales using both visual and digital techniques. Satellite remote sensing coupled with GIS & mobile-app based positional information has emerged as an efficient tool for optimizing input resources, and minimizing cost of production and risk of biotic/ abiotic factors nature to promote sustainable agriculture. This book comprehensively documents the applications of space-based technologies for crop and soil assessments for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Book Description :

This book provides an introduction to HCI and usability aspects ofGeographical Information Systems and Science. Its aim is tointroduce the principles of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); todiscuss the special usability aspects of GIS which designers anddevelopers need to take into account when developing such systems;and to offer a set of tried and tested frameworks, matrices andtechniques that can be used within GIS projects. Geographical Information Systems and other applications ofcomputerised mapping have gained popularity in recent years. Today,computer-based maps are common on the World Wide Web, mobilephones, satellite navigation systems and in various desktopcomputing packages. The more sophisticated packages that allow themanipulation and analysis of geographical information are used inlocation decisions of new businesses, for public service deliveryfor planning decisions by local and central government. Many moreapplications exist and some estimate the number of people acrossthe world that are using GIS in their daily work at severalmillions. However, many applications of GIS are hard to learn andto master. This is understandable, as until quite recently, themain focus of software vendors in the area of GIS was on thedelivery of basic functionality and development of methods topresent and manipulate geographical information using the availablecomputing resources. As a result, little attention was paid tousability aspects of GIS. This is evident in many public andprivate systems where the terminology, conceptual design andstructure are all centred around the engineering of GIS and not onthe needs and concepts that are familiar to the user. This book covers a range of topics from the cognitive models ofgeographical representation, to interface design. It will providethe reader with frameworks and techniques that can be used anddescription of case studies in which these techniques have beenused for computer mapping application.

Book Description :

Map Librarianship identifies basic geoliteracy concepts and enhances reference and instruction skills by providing details on finding, downloading, delivering, and assessing maps, remotely sensed imagery, and other geospatial resources and services, primarily from trusted government sources. By offering descriptions of traditional maps, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and other geospatial technologies, the book provides a timely and practical guide for the map and geospatial librarian to blend confidence in traditional library skill sets. Includes rarely discussed concepts of citing and referencing maps and geospatial data, fair use and copyright Creates an awareness and appreciation of existing print map collections, while building digital stewardship with surrogate map and aerial imagery collections Provides an introduction to the theory and applications of GIS, remote sensing, participatory neogeography and neocartography practices, and other geospatial technologies Includes a list of geospatial resources with descriptions and illustrations of commonly used map types and formats, online geospatial data sources, and an introduction to the most commonly used geospatial software packages available, on both desktop and mobile platforms

Book Description :

Climate adaptation is a timely yet complex topic that does not fit squarely into any one disciplinary realm. Geospatial Applications for Climate Adaptation Planning presents an overview of the range of strategies, tools, and techniques that must be used to assess myriad overlapping vulnerabilities and to formulate appropriate climate-relevant solutions at multiple scales and in varying contexts. Organized into four sections, the book includes 15 chapters. Each chapter is grounded in the literature and presents case studies designed by the authors, as well as many examples from a diverse international group of scholars and entities in the public and private sectors. Areas covered include: Climate Change and Climate Adaptation Planning: Context and Concepts Geospatial Technologies: Fundamentals and Terminology GIS and Climate Vulnerability Assessments Technical Approaches to Formulating Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies Geospatial Applications for Climate Adaptation Planning is aimed at advanced students, researchers, and entities in the public and private sectors. It also provides supplementary reading for courses in planning, public administration, policy studies, and disaster management.