Geography 101 Lab Series: #1

Throughout Winter Quarter 2010 I was required to write eleven short Labs/Essays for class. We were to read a section of the textbook and answer one or more of the assigned questions at the end of each section after doing research to find sources besides the textbook for facts relevant to the topic. They were to be in Word format, a maximum of two double-spaced pages, with footnotes.

Having been a blogger for almost seven years, it was difficult at first to not get to pick the topic and still write something decent. The first couple were a little rough, but they get better as I get used to the format.

The final lab had most of the same requirements as the first ten, except that we were to research scientific journals, find an article and “critique” it. This Lab by itself was worth five times as many points as each of the others, so I decided to go big and with a topic I knew. My topic was “Gun Violence in American Culture Versus other Industrialized Nations”.

For the next two weeks I’ll be posting a Lab each day (including next weekend). I’ll first block quote the question/s and then block quote the Lab below the fold. I’ll be using links instead of footnotes here because links are easier on the web.

Some topics will be more interesting than others, but I encourage you to read them all. The length requirements were kind of a joke, so they aren’t very long at all.

Feel free to let me know how you think I did. I’ll let you know how the Professor thought I did at the end of the post.

We’ll start today off with The Development of GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Geographers have been working with Geographic Information Systems long before there were computers, using overlays and maps, which would seem crude today. Explore the advancement of GIS to its current state.

* When were computers first used for GIS?
* What were the major advances in GIS within the last two decades?
* What are some of the most common uses for GIS?
* What are some strengths and weaknesses of particular GIS software?
* How has the availability of information changed in the last ten years?

In your research try to talk to a GIS professional and get some hands-on experience with a GIS program.

Lab #1

Unless you count the stars, a map and compass were likely the first Geographic Information System widely used by humans. However it is only during the current era that the term was created so as to distinguish those analog systems from the digital ones used today.

In the early 1960’s the Canadian government, in an attempt to more quickly and accurately record their vast land area and its natural resources, sponsored the Canada Geographic Information System. At roughly the same time, the US military was working on mapping programs to aid in the location of the world’s nuclear arsenal and delivery of their own.

As technology of the world’s computers has advanced by leaps and bounds, Geographers have put these advances to use in creating a system more useful to the general public. Using imaging satellites, aerial photography and field researchers to collect information, and computers and electronic networks to share and distribute information, the knowledge of our physical world has been strengthened exponentially.

With the information explosion generated by the widespread use of the internet, just about anything a person would want to know about the what, where and why of the modern world can be pulled up for review with a few keystrokes. From geological information for land planners and developers to census data the advertising agency uses to market their products to the road map and weather information in the navigation system used by the truck driver delivering those products, information gathered by Global Positioning and geographical imaging satellites, aerial researchers and people in the field is used at some point in the daily lives of billions of people.

Because of the law of supply and demand, this widespread use of information means there are a number of different software programs on the market for both research and commercial use. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Most of them include making trade-offs between usability and detail. Some software readily allows for modifications while others are unadaptive without knowledge of obscure programming language.

With technology still advancing, the future of employment in the geographical industry is very bright. After all the world is your office. Or, if one prefers an actual office to field work, there are plenty of jobs in the analysis of information available as well.

Whether one wants to work to help others understand the ever changing physical environment, or map ancient cities, or try to guess the next “Big Thing” pop-culture shift, skills in analyzing and interpreting the many geographical identifiers will be in high demand.

As an example, my co-workers and I are helping the City of Seattle collect the solid waste and recyclables generated by residents of the city residents more efficiently. Despite the fact that the odor can sometimes be overpowering, it is quite rewarding to know just how much change you can effect and how those changes can make people’s lives better.

Grade: 100%

Yeah, it was a bit bouncy and happy for my usual style, but I was actually trying to stay within the two page requirement. I gave up on my attempts to do so by Lab #3. Also, my footnotes/links were on the less-than-adequate side of how many I should have included. I swamped him in later Labs.