Lecture 3:

GIS Data Analysis

Deus D
SGST, Ardhi university

Objectives
Appreciate different GIS operational
capabilities
Differentiate GIS from other information
systems
Able to make use of different GIS analytical
tools to solve real world problems

GIS Spatial Analysis definition

Spatial analysis is transforming and combining data
from diverse sources / disciplines into useful
information, to improve ones understanding or to
satisfy the requirements or objectives of decisionmakers. *de By (ed) ITC 2000+
Spatial analysis are all methods that can be applied to
geographic data to add value to them, to support
decisions, and to reveal patterns and anomalies that
are not immediately obvious in other words, spatial
analysis is the process by which we turn raw data into
useful information. *Longley et al. 2001+

what analysis tool to use?

Effective spatial analysis requires an
intelligent user, not just a powerful computer
[Longley et al. 2001].
You know Why????? (next slide.)

what analysis tool to use?

..., our journey will be a conceptual one, and you
will be spending more time learning to think
spatially than on the commands you will need to
perform analysis.
Remember, the only way to decide which
commands to use is to know what you are trying to
do. It is a much shorter path from concepts to
commands than from commands to concepts,
[DeMers 2000]

Introduction
Distinguishing functions of GIS
For spatial decision making
Transform raw spatial data into useful
information

Data analysis operations

Measurement
Basic spatial measurements: x,y, distance, area etc.
Spatial query
Data retrieval on both geometric and attribute data
(Re)Classification
Assign new classification codes
Overlay
Topological and Raster overlay
Neighbourhood
Evaluate the characteristics of surrounding area.
Network analysis
The connectivity of linear features.

Spatial query
Select all clinics in
district A.

Spatial query
- Select features adjacent to other features
Features adjacent to the
original selection
polygon

also called MEET

relationship.
Share common
boundaries.
Apply only to line
and polygon
features.

Original selection
polygon

Spatial
query
Example:

Roads and
clinics
Select 1st
class road

Select all clinics within 200

meters from the first class
roads.

Create
buffer along
1st roads
Select clinics
within the buffer
polygons

(Re)Classification

Assign codes based on specific attributes.

Reduce the number of classes and eliminate details.
useful for revealing spatial patterns.
reclassify data in different systems or for different
purposes.
Example: soil types reclassified into soil suitability for
agricultural purpose.

(Re)Classification - procedure
Specify input data source.
Apply one of the classification methods.
Specify the output data - new classification
(both spatial and attributes).

(Re)Classification - 1 : 1
The total number of classes do not change.
No geometric change on vector data.
Different classification systems.

(Re)Classification - M : 1
The number of classes is reduced.
May have geometric editing after the classification.
Also called generalization, aggregation, merge and
dissolve operations.

(Re)Classification - M : 1

M:1
classification

CODE
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80

OLD TYPE
Planned Residential
Industry
Commercial
Institutional
Transport
Recreational
Non Built-up
Unplanned Residential

NEW TYPE
Residential
Commercial
Commercial
Public
Public
Public
Non Built-up
Residential

(Re)Classification - 1: M
The number of classes increases.
Additional information are needed for 1:M
classification.
A geometric feature may be divided into two or
more features.

Overlay operations
Combines several map layers into one.
New spatial elements are usually created.
All map layers must be in the same
coordinate systems.
Both on vector and raster data.

Overlay operations - Vector data

Topological overlay.
Involves complicated geometric calculations to
create new topology.
Spatial features are combined.
New attributes are assigned to each new feature,
such as area, parameters.
The attributes from the input map layers are kept
in the output.

Overlay operations

Overlay operations - Union

All the features in the two input data

source are kept in the output.

Applies only to polygon features.
Input 1
Output

UNION

Input 2

Overlay operations - Intersect

Only the features inside the common area of the two

input data are kept in the output.

One input data can be point, line or polygon feature
type, the other must be a polygon data set.

Input 1

Output

INTERSECT

Intersect data set

Overlay operations - CLIP

Extracts those features from an input coverage that

overlap with a clip coverage.

No combination of attributes.

Output

Input 1

CLIP

Clip data
set

Overlay operations - ERASE

Erases the input coverage features that overlap with

the erase coverage polygons.

No combination of attributes.

Output

Input 1

ERASE

Erase
data set