Beyond
Mapping III — Map Analysis GIS World magazine September 1996 to January 2007 |
|
written by Joseph K.
Berry
with links to all Beyond
Mapping columns About the Online Compilation
Series
|
Table of Contents (click links below to access topics) Introduction – The GIS Evolution Topic 1 – Data
Structure Implications Topic 2 – Fundamental
Map Analysis Approaches Topic 3 – Basic
Techniques in Spatial Analysis Topic 4 – Calculating
Effective Distance Topic 5 – Calculating
Visual Exposure Topic 6 – Summarizing
Neighbors Topic 7 – Basic
Spatial Modeling Approaches Topic 8 – Spatial
Modeling Example Topic 9 – Basis Techniques
in Spatial Statistics Topic 10 – Spatial
Data Mining Epilog – The Many Faces of GIS |
© 2013 All rights reserved. Further distribution of this online compilation in its entirety in electronic or hardcopy form is prohibited without prior written permission of the author. Permission to use portions of the collection for educational purposes is granted provided reference is made to the author and this online compilation. |
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.pdf version of this document)
(Click for Table of
Contents for all four books in the series)
Map Analysis: Understanding
Spatial Patterns and Relationships
Description
and Annotated Table of Contents
Map Analysis: Understanding Spatial
Patterns and Relationships is a collection of selected works from of Joe Berry’s popular “Beyond
Mapping” columns published in GeoWorld magazine from 1996 through 2007. This compilation develops a structured view
of the important concepts, considerations and procedures involved in grid-based
map analysis.
While
numerous books focus on Geographic Information Systems (
The result
is a book that engages the reader to “think spatially” and formulate new and
innovative solutions to complex spatial problems. Key to this process is a paradigm shift that
extends the traditional paper map perspective of “where is what” to the modern
perspective of “why and so what.” Within
this context, maps become data and map analysis becomes the means to derive
information about spatial patterns and relationships within and among map
layers.
Introduction The GIS Evolution — As
Topic 1 Data Structure Implications —
Topic 2 Fundamental Map Analysis Approaches — Map Analysis exploits the
digital nature of modern maps to investigate the patterns and relationships
within and among mapped data. This topic
uses a series of examples to introduce the concept of a map-ematics
and the similarities/differences in Spatial
Analysis and Spatial Statistics
that form the two primary compartments of the map analysis toolbox.
Topic 3 Basic Techniques in Spatial Analysis — Spatial Analysis
investigates the “spatial context” of mapped data resulting from the relative
positioning and coincidence of the map values.
This topic discusses the Reclassify
and Overlay grouping of operators
that form the basic techniques used in most spatial models.
Topic 4 Calculating Effective Distance — Traditional
“as the crow flies” distance measured with a ruler is rarely an effective in
establishing separation between two points as the reality of intervening
barriers play a significant role that bends and twists actual movement. This topic discusses the advanced Distance Measurement grouping of
operators and expands the concept of simple distance to effective proximity
considering relative and absolute barriers to movement.
Topic 5 Calculating Visual Exposure — Visual
analysis is an extension of effective distance measurement that considers
line-of-sight connectivity among map locations.
This topic discusses the procedures, considerations and applications of
derived viewshed and visual exposure maps.
Topic 6 Summarizing Neighbors — Values
surrounding a location can be used to investigate localized variation,
anomalies, and trends in mapped data.
This topic discusses the advanced Neighbors grouping of operators that
characterize map values occurring within a roving window centered at a location
by either the surface configuration implied or a simple statistical summary.
Topic 7 Basic Spatial Modeling Approaches — Spatial
Modeling involves “thinking with maps” to solve a problem by deriving a
solution map through a logical series of map analysis operations applied to
base maps in a manner analogous to a cooking recipe. This topic describes a progression of models
that demonstrate the procedures and considerations in deriving areas of
suitable wildlife habitat.
Topic 8 Spatial Modeling Example — Successful
spatial models require the integration human judgment and analytical
processing. This topic describes the
spatial reasoning and processing considerations surrounding a routing model
that considers preferences for a variety of map criteria in determining the
best path and optimal corridor for a proposed power line.
Topic 9 Basis Techniques in Spatial Statistics
— Spatial Statistics
utilizes information about the spatial arrangement inherent in a data set to
help explain variation and is based on the assumption that “nearby things are
more alike than distant things.” This
topic focuses on surface modeling techniques used to generate and evaluate the
geographic distribution implied by a set of discrete point samples.
Topic 10 Spatial Data Mining — Spatial
Data Mining investigates the
relationships within and among mapped data to characterize, compare, segment
and map-ematically model spatial dependency.
This topic focuses on basic techniques for comparing maps, assessing similarity
and clustering as means to understand and utilize spatial relationships in
decision-making.
Epilog The Many Faces of GIS — GIS
in general and map analysis in particular is radically changing how we perceive
and utilize maps. This topic discusses
different GIS adoption paths, their driving factors and impacts on the current
and future dynamics within the GIS community.
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