Geography, GIS and Mapping
As the world grows warmer and the population of the earth battles climate change, the tools of the geographer are becoming vitally important in the search for knowledge about our climate and energy demands. Geovisualization, which incorporates many geographical tools, is an important weapon in the geographer’s arsenal in the fight against climate change. Following is a description of the elements which are used to create geovisualizations to provide extensive information for decision makers.
Geography is the study of places, landscapes, environments and people. Whether those places relate to the landforms which they comprise, the development of urban places within them or the population which inhabits them, geography ultimately is a comprehensive study of the land and its people. Geography is an amalgam of the physical and social sciences which provides an understanding of the dynamics of landform processes and environments together with an understanding of societies, spaces, cultures and economies and the links between all of these elements.
In studying geography, it is necessary to focus on the epicentre of the region which is under study and in the first instance; the geomorphology of a region has significant implications regarding the habitation of a region. By understanding the composition and origins of landforms, the geographer is able to make numerous predictions about the potential uses for a region such as agriculture land use, mining, water resources and urban infrastructure. If the geomorphology of a region is such that there is, say, no available water, it is very unlikely that the region will be populated. However, a lush region, with vital plant productivity and abundant water resources, is likely to be significantly populated. This type of region is also able to be significantly developed into urban centres, where buildings and communities grow. When communities develop, so does the sense of place for the people in those communities. All of these issues are encompassed in the study of geography.
GIS (geographic information systems) are methods of viewing the earth’s surface and gathering data by means of remote sensing. GIS is a very relevant tool for the geographer because it allows information from inaccessible places to appear on a computer desktop, and provides more intricate data that can be discovered by fieldwork. GIS data is gathered by a process called remote sensing whereby photographic and other equipment is mounted on aircraft or satellite and data is collected over a wide area. .
GIS is a vital tool used by geographers to map the spatial distribution of landforms. A GIS system can work in real time to facilitate the collection and storage of geographical data, and to analyze and integrate spatial data to map the spatial distribution of soils, geology, and urban and rural infrastructure to define and analyze landforms and populations to enable decision making. GIS can also be a vital tool in planning for emergency response and understanding and preempting natural disasters. For example, the increases in precipitation caused by global warming can be recorded using GIS, and predictions can then be made regarding potential flood levels and point to which communities will be most vulnerable if a flood should occur. As a geographical tool, GIS allows decision makers to have a better picture of the immediate situation in any geographically based crisis and enables them to be better informed to make relevant and timely planning decisions. Once provided with GIS data, decision makers are able to provide imminent warnings of impending disaster, and more effectively plan for amelioration and remediation of those disasters.
Map making is the oldest tool known to the geographer and dates back to the 6th Century. Defining the boundaries and elements of the spaces in which we live has long been considered vitally important in the understanding of our world. Early navigators were at pains to construct maps with which to document and discover the new world. A map is a two-dimensional graphical representation of the spatial distribution of features, elements or occurrences on the Earth’s surface. Mapping involves the use of mathematics in an attempt to accurately translate elements on the curved form of the globe to a flat plane, such as paper or a computer screen. To specify a location on the surface of the earth, map makers use a system of latitudes and longitudes, imaginary lines on the earth’s surface. The angles of latitude vary from 0 at the Equator to 90 at the poles. Lines of latitude are expressed as between 0 and 180 east or west of the prime meridian, which passes through the Greenwich Observatory in England.
Geovisualization uses elements of geography, and data gained from GIS and mapping to “provide theory, methods and tools for visual exploration, analysis, synthesis and presentation of geospatial data. ”. One example of this is the National Heat Map of the UK (http://tools.decc.gov.uk/nationalheatmap/) which was designed to identify locations where heat distribution is most likely to be economic and beneficial and it depicts actual heat demand from buildings across the United Kingdom . From a set of national energy consumption statistics, maps of heat demand density were produced and the locations of power stations and combined heat and power plants (CHP) were also located on these maps. Remote sensing data was used to map the location of every address in England and the map is produced in fine enough detail to zoom in on a particular building or group of buildings and view its energy demand..
The wider use of current technologies such as GIS and geovisualization have important roles to play in supporting the gathering of information. However, it is important to remember that basic geographical techniques such as fieldwork are still necessary to the collection of information and should not be forgotten in the rush to embrace new technologies. Rather data gathered during fieldwork should be used to inform the technologies, rather than the technologies dictating what data should be gathered.
Works Cited
DECC. National Heat Map. 2016. <http://tools.decc.gov.uk/nationalheatmap/>.
Karmakar, S., Simonovic, S. P., Peck, A. and Black, J. “An information system for risk-vulnerability assessment to flood.” Journal of Geographic Information Systems 2.3 (2010): 129-146.
MacEachren, A.M. and Kraak, M-J. Commission on Visualization & Virtual Environments. 2003. <http://www.geovista.psu.edu/sites/icavis/agenda.html>.
Royal Geographical Society. What is Geography? n.d. <http://www.rgs.org/geographytoday/what+is+geography.htm>.
