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GEO 580
Advanced Applications of GIS
in the Geosciences

This course is offered every Spring quarter on campus, and also every winter and spring via distance education.

SPRING Term 2009, 4 credits

Instructor: Dr. Dawn Wright, dawn-at-dusk.geo.orst.edu, 541-737-1229
Office Hours: Spring term only, MW 1:50-2:50 p.m. in Wilkinson 114 or by appointment

TA: Tracy Kugler
Lecture: MW 6:00-7:30 p.m in Digital Earth (Wilkinson 210)
Lab/Project Work: T 6:00-8:00 p.m in Digital Earth (lab should also be open every night of the week and some weekends)

Web Site: http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/buffgis

Prerequisite: GEO 465/565 or an upper division/graduate, intermediate level course in GIS

REQUIRED Text: Geographic Information Systems and Science
Longley, Goodchild, Maguire, and Rhind, 2005, Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons
ISBN: 0-470-87000-1

REQUIRED Text: Modeling Our World
Michael Zeiler, 1999, ESRI Press,
ISBN:1-879102-62-5

OPTIONAL Text: Arc Marine: GIS for a Blue Planet
Wright, Blongewicz, Halpin, and Breman, 2007, ESRI Press,
ISBN 978-1-58948-017-9

OPTIONAL Text: Designing Geodatabases
David Arctur and Michael Zeiler, 2004, ESRI Press,
ISBN:1-58948-021-X

OPTIONAL Text: Map Analysis: Procedures and Applications in GIS Modeling
Joseph K. Berry, 2001, BASIS Press
Completely Online (www.innovativegis.com/basis/MapAnalysis/ )

Course Objectives: GEO 580 will take graduate students beyond the development of geographic mapping technology that simply answers the question, "Where is it?" to integrated systems and the foundational geographic information science that help us answer the question, "Why is it?" Designed as the "sequel" to the introductory course in GIS (GEO 465/565), GEO 580 will cover technical topics that we didn't have time to cover in GEO 465/565 while broadening the base of GIS theory established in that introductory course. Occasional discussion of the latest developments published in the GIS/geography literature and/or on the World Wide Web will reinforce this and foster an appreciation of GIS as an effective analytical tool for understanding complex processes. Each student will choose between: (1) a series or rigorous exercises in ArcGIS 9; or (2) completion and presentation of an 8-week long analytical project that will apply the concepts discussed in class.

Learning Outcomes - By the end of the course it is expected that students will be able to:

  • Synthesize and integrate concepts of GIS theory and methodology, including data models, data structures, topology, and spatial analysis.
  • More fully articulate the role of space as a source for explanation and understanding.
  • Synthesize and integrate information from the GIS/GIScience literature.
  • Demonstrate a conceptual and working knowledge of spatial analysis operations, including interplolation, transformation, spatial statistics, and estimation of error and uncertainty.
  • Design and implement a GIS analytical model; demonstrate basic understanding and use of a customized GIS data model
  • Develop a strategy to implement an effective GIS, starting with a basic scientific or decision-support question in mind, knowing something about potential problems to avoid, and realizing that all GIS projects vary in their design, configuration and operation, as well as in the amount of time needed to gather, format, and input data.
  • Employ teamwork skills in labs.
  • Demonstrate advanced GIS software skills, particularly in ArcGIS 9.x, as well as intermediate to advanced scientific computing skills.
  • Employ verbal/written communication and computer technology skills by way of poster presentations.

    • Grading: For students doing option (1), the midterm will be worth 30%, the final 30%, the labs 40%, (including the required ArcGIS data model exercise). For students doing option (2), the midterm will be worth 30%, the project 50%, and Labs 1-3 plus the data model exercise 20% (no final exam).

    Lecture/Discussion Topics to Include:

    Week 10 - Poster Presentations of Projects
    Final Exam - Monday, June 8 - 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. (should be able to move this to 6:00-8:00 p.m.)

    Library Info: As you know, we have a wonderful library on campus! See the Reference Services page at osulibrary.orst.edu/reference.

    You can access most of the library's databases at osulibrary.orst.edu/research.html from outside of the library or off campus.

    To obtain materials not in our collection, Interlibrary Loan forms for books and journal articles can be found at osulibrary.orst.edu/ill.

    There is a single GIS workstation in the library, running ArcGIS 9.x, ArcView 3.2, Erdas Imagine 8.5, and TIGER CTSI on Windows 2000. Contact the Map Library for access and use policies.

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    Last update: March 4, 2009
    http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/buffgis/580desc.html

    © 2000-present Dawn Wright