Learning objectives
The course gives knowledge on Geographic Information System (GIS) as an essential tool environmental data representation and management. The GIS is a strong tool for managing, analyzing, manipulating and visualizing spatial data, hence it is fundamental in the decision process for planning and developing environmental resources. In continental and coastal-marine environment, due to the complexity and the variety of available spatial data, the GIS is necessary to guarantee a correct use of land, continental water and coastal-marine environment. In particular, the course allows the students to develop knowledge in using commercial and/or open source GIS software applied in the professional field and in the public administration. The course will concern the following topics: i) database design, ii) programming language Python for controlling and analyzing vectorial and raster data, iii) production of static or dynamic cartographic representations.
Prerequisites
Students must have passed the exam of “Analisi di dati ambientali e geostatistica” (1st year).
Course unit content
The course aims at giving tools for applications through guided practice exercises with actual data from project focused on the management of land, continental and seawater. ESRI ArGIS and QGIS software will be used.
The course is organized into three modules basing on the main objectives.
i) In the first part, types of data and their managements into a geodatabase will be discussed, together with the structure to be used in database and relational database.
ii) Then, the course will deal with programming elements in GIS using Python language and creating script. The activities will start from the management of vectorial and raster data to continue with data analysis.
iii) Finally, the course will focus on cartographic outputs as static or dynamic maps for the representation of environmental data and results from analyses carried out on them.
Full programme
Section 1. Introduction to a GIS
• Introduction to the GIS: what is a GIS, key concepts on GIS Science, GIS Study and GIS tool
• The GIS in the framework of environmental planning and management
• Types of GIS data: Vectors and Rasters
• Topology: key concepts
• Analysis of raster data: key concepts
• Data sources in coastal-marine environment
• How to create spatial data
• How to define data quality
• Symbolization of vector and raster data
• Classifying vector and raster data
• Query the data
• Identifying, selecting and finding spatial objects
Section 2. Georeferencing, DATUM and cartographic projections
• Geographic coordinate system
• Projected coordinate systems
Sections 3 Creating continuous surfaces from points – Key concepts of interpolation
• What is data interpolation
• Data sources for interpolation
• Interpolating methods
• Examples
Section 4. Introduction to the Geodatabase
• What is a data model
• What is a Geodatabase and which are its elements
• General view on Geodatabase design and structure
Section 5. Elements for programming
• Programmaing using Python language and creation of script
• Management of vectorial and raster data
• Analysis of vectorial and raster data
Section 6. Outputs
• Static cartography
• Dynamic cartography
• Visualisation of results of data modelling
Bibliography
Practice exercises will be given together with .ppt presentation of both theretical and practical lectures.
Geographic Information Systems and Science 3e Paul A. Longley, Mike Goodchild, David J. Maguire, David W. Rhind August 2010, ©2011.
Burrough P A and McDonnell R A; 1998. Principles of Geographical Information Systems. Spatial Information Systems and Geostatistics. Oxford University Press.
Paul Longley John Wiley & Sons; 2005 Geographic Information Systems and Science. Wiley.
Teaching methods
Total hours: 56 for CFU: 6
Frontal lectures: 32 hours (4 CFU). Lectures on key concepts and cases study.
Exercise lectures: 24 hours (2 CFU). Exercises using GIS tools and statistical analysis of real datasets. The explanation of exercises will be given in a doc format so the students will be able to repeat the exercises, following the instructions.
Assessment methods and criteria
Practical exam including a management problem to be solved and a cartographic representation through ESRI ArcGIS or QGIS software. The test is organized onto three parts concerning 1) database structure, 2) data analysis, 3) cartographic representation.
Other information
None
