Updated June 9, 2023
Introduction to GIS Uses
GIS stands for geographic information systems. In GIS, there are three terms information is data, the system is anything that is working, and important terminology is geographic. Geographic is not about geographical aspects. Here geographic means assigning coordinates to objects on the earth’s surface. Gis comes with two more technologies one is remote sensing, and another one is GPS (Global Positioning System). All these technologies are generic, special, and digital. It can integrate with other technologies very easily. Various fields, such as Google Maps, Google Earth, earthquake monitoring, surveillance, healthcare, etc., utilize GIS.
Uses of GIS in Various Fields
Let us discuss the uses of GIS:
1. Google Map
Google map is one of the most widely used applications in the world, which works on GIS principles. Google Map is used to navigate from one place to another. In this application, we can check all geographical as well as physical objects such as where is an actual location, what is the distance between sources to a destination, how much time is required to reach a destination, how many lanes there are on a particular road, what are the actual things present on location.
However, satellite images pose a recurring problem regarding accuracy and details in performing all these tasks. To overcome this problem, google launched the street view API car. These cars collect all important information and minute details like a signboard, no parking, one-way route, location names, road names, subways, alternate routes, and many more.
2. Google Earth
It is also known as Keyhole Earth Viewer. It is a three-dimensional representation of Earth. It works on satellite images. All information captured by satellite stores using gis and used. It allows seeing all places on the earth with all details. We can easily see our place or house on google earth from multiple angles by moving an arrow over the object.
We can search the place by giving an exact address or providing coordinates. We can even add new data or information or places on google earth, then google verifies our data and posts the same on the application. Till now, google earth covered ninety-eight percent of the world, which means people can explore ninety-eight percent area of the entire world and can check every minute detail of a particular location.
3. Disasters Management
There are three types of disasters natural, technological, and Social. In natural disasters, again, there are various types of Geological like earthquakes and landslides. Meteorological like tornados, drought, and ice storms. Then oceanographic and hydrological.
Gis helps to reduce loss in every disaster by providing some information related to disasters so we can immediately take action. Let’s consider the flood example. By using gis we can easily decide what is the affected area, where we have to focus, where we need to shift the people, and how much is the exact extent of the disaster so that we can take necessary precautions before the problem as well as necessary actions after a disaster.
4. Crime Statistics
Gis plays a vital role in crime in analyzing and planning crime statistics. Nowadays, most police forces use this technology to store all crime details in various ways, like city-wise and type of crime. It gives a better idea to analyze the crime, and police forces can easily reach a location with one click. It covers larger cities which is impossible manually.
5. Archaeology
In environmental science, gis plays a critical role in research. In archaeology, researchers require every small detail with accuracy. Gis gives all the necessary information. It helps to search for many historical places as well. Many US universities plotted locations in historical research so other researchers or users can understand and learn about places and locations.
6. Telecom and Network Services
Gis is one of the important decision-making tools in the telecom sector. It allows wireless organizations to use data. Companies can use this geographic data in network design, modeling, telecom services, etc. It is also in engineering applications like design and maintenance. Telecom services collect information by gis about their services, like how many users are using them, which region has less usability, which region has network issues, and where they need to improve the service and their services. It also helps to learn recent market trends to improve performance. By comparing completers company can make respective changes to stand in the market. In this way, it is helpful to telecom and networking.
Along with the above application, GIS is used in various applications like accident analysis, hotspot analysis, town planning, urban planning, transport planning, environment impact analysis, agriculture applications, landside hazards, determining land use, land cover changes, routing and scheduling in navigation, flood damage estimation, gis solutions in banking sectors, wetland mapping, gis in geology, assets in management and assets in maintenance, GIS in the dairy industry, civil planning, transport, environmental engineering, worldwide earthquake notifications, gis for ocean industry and fisheries, business planning, utilities, public infrastructure facilities, knowledge-based defense system, land administration, land-use changes, surveying, banking, taxation, welfare management, locating underground objects, irrigation water management geologic mapping, environmental impact analysis, accident analysis and many more.
Conclusion
This article shows how gis (geographic information system) is used in various applications. The growth of gis has been unpredictable in the last ten years because gis technology has become more efficient and cheaper for the user; users can use many gis services free of cost, and it is used in almost every sector.
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