Geographic information science and spatial analysis
Geographic information systems (GIS) and the underlying geographic information science that advances these technologies have a strong influence on spatial analysis. The increasing ability to capture and handle geographic data means that spatial analysis is occurring within increasingly data-rich environments. Geographic data capture systems include remotely sensed imagery, environmental monitoring systems such as intelligent transportation systems, and location-aware technologies such as mobile devices that can report location in near-real time. GIS provide platforms for managing these data, computing spatial relationships such as distance, connectivity and directional relationships between spatial units, and visualizing both the raw data and spatial analytic results within a cartographic context.
Geovisualization (GVis) combines scientific visualization with digital cartography to support the exploration and analysis of geographic data and information, including the results of spatial analysis or simulation. GVis leverages the human orientation towards visual information processing in the exploration, analysis and communication of geographic data and information. In contrast with traditional cartography, GVis is typically three or four-dimensional (the latter including time) and user-interactive.
Geographic knowledge discovery (GKD) is the human-centered process of applying efficient computational tools for exploring massive spatial databases. GKD includes geographic data mining, but also encompasses related activities such as data selection, data cleaning and pre-processing, and interpretation of results. GVis can also serve a central role in the GKD process. GKD is based on the premise that massive databases contain interesting (valid, novel, useful and understandable) patterns that standard analytical techniques cannot find. GKD can serve as a hypothesis-generating process for spatial analysis, producing tentative patterns and relationships that should be confirmed using spatial analytical techniques.
Spatial Decision Support Systems (sDSS) take existing spatial data and use a variety of mathematical models to make projections into the future. This allows urban and regional planners to test intervention decisions prior to implementation.
Did you know that almost everything we do in life is connected to geography in some way?
What you learned in high school and junior high only scratches the surface of what geography is. Geography as a science is distinguished by the spatial approach to understanding the mechanisms of the world's physical and human environments and the linkages between them, which basically means geography is a lot broader than you may have thought.
This science is broken into two areas: human and physical geography. Human geographers study subjects such as how humans use and perceive space and how they create and maintain places. Physical geographers look at physical aspects such as patterns of climate, landforms, soils and water. Physical geographers also forecast weather and analyze plans for forests and wetlands.
Both human and physical geographers develop skills in cartography (mapmaking), geographic information systems (GIS), and interpretation of satellite images (remote sensing). To help you meet society's needs for greater geographic understanding in the 21st century, our department offers four distinct options with the major.
This course is designed as a survey of ideas and issues in urban geography. Because urban geographers focus on a place (a city) rather than on a particular topic (such as politics or economics or culture) the course covers a range of topics relevant to cities. Examples from the course outline below include: politics, economy, gender, residential geography, urban form, and so on. Because all these issues exist together and interact in one place—the city—one of our main goals will be to understand the linkages among the many topics we study. In other words, we want to understand they city as a whole rather than understand specific parts of the city in isolation (its economy, its politics, its culture, etc.).
Above all, urban geography takes a spatial approach to understanding cities. Urban geographers want to know where something is, why it is there, and why that location is important. Moreover, they are interested in spatial patterns in the city—they attempt to describe and explain the city’s spatial layout. This spatial approach will be most clear when we examine urban form in the early part of the course, but the approach will continue as we discuss residential geography (where people live and why), politics (where power rests and why), and economics (where economic activity is located and why). More than anything, it is this spatial approach to cities—an approach that strives to understand how people and culture and power and relationships are embedded in a real geography of the city—that is the central defining feature of urban geography. The most important goal of this course is to teach you this spatial approach and to teach you how to see cities—and the world—geographically.
Geography Inquiry, a Multi-Science Approach
Geography Learning should be Integrated with Many Other Sciences
A multidisciplinary science approach to geography blends climatology, zoology, botany, geology with aspects of oceanography and enhances interest, inquiry and learning.
Multidisciplinary world geography brings new dimensions and possibilities to geography teachers and students. Here are ideas useful for thinking well in geography.
Geography Is Connected to Geology, Climatology, Oceanography, Zoology, Botany, Populations, Life
Geography relates to many sciences: biology, climatology, geology, oceanography. The planet is alive with animate and inanimate interactions. Geography provides unique opportunities for integrated, imaginative, and memorable learning. Seeing connection possibilities and using them is critical.
Geography Lesson Plans with Strong Interconnections Are Useful, Important
Remember the big picture comes first, fill in the details along the way. Because the sciences are fact-laden, it is easy to overburden new learners with lethal overdoses of information. However, clear, good cues and interconnections, promote interesting, creative, teaching, thinking, and learning. Consider these inquiries for world geography.
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