What You Need To Know About Geodata

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) use geodata to store location information.

The geographic perspective allows us to see data in a different light.

The use of geodata addresses the location problem because geographic issues require spatial reasoning. For more information, visit ellipsis-drive.com.

Table of Contents

Geographical Data Types

Each type of geographic information has its own unique value in terms of how it can be used.

The type of data, how it is gathered, and what it can be used for is important, regardless of whether the data is sourced from the government, privately, or openly.

The most common types of data, as well as their benefits and drawbacks, range from vector to raster to web-based to multitemporal.

Vector Files

VERTICES and PATHS are the two components of vector data. Vector data can be classified as points, lines, or polygons. Spatial reference points such as latitude and longitude define each point, line, and polygon.

A vector point is simply an XY coordinate. Additionally, vector lines arranged in a particular order connect each point or vertex to a path. And polygons join a group of vertices together. However, it encompasses the first and last vertices, forming a polygon.

Raster Files

Each pixel or grid cell in a raster data set represents a point. The cells are typically regular in size and regular in shape. However, rasters can also be rectangular. Pixels in rasters have values associated with them.

Raster values gradually change, such as the elevation or temperature on a continuous raster. The pixels in discrete rasters are assigned to specific classes, however. In land cover classes, for example, we assign specific values to pixels.

Geodatabase

Vectors and rasters are stored in geographic databases. These databases contain structured information about geographic data. An example is Esri geodatabases, geopackages, and multi-layer rasters.

Spatial databases are most commonly known as SpatialLite. The reason we use geographic databases is that they allow us to keep all data in one place. Our container allows us to create networks, mosaics, and versions within it.

Files on the Web

Due to the internet’s status as the largest library in the world, geodata has developed its own methods for storing and accessing info. A number of geographic services were built to display and serve geographic features over the Internet, such as GeoJSON, GeoRSS, and web mapping services (WMS).

In addition, organizations can create data warehouses in the cloud by utilizing online platforms such as Esri’s ArcGIS Online.

A Multitemporal Perspective

Information is attached to a time component by multi-temporal data. As well as having a time component, multi-temporal geodata includes a geographical component.

In a geographical context, weather and climate data provides information about how temperature and meteorological information change over time. Geodata describing land use patterns, demographic trends, and lightning strikes are also examples.