Lab 4

In this lab I used ArcMap to create maps of a proposed airport expansion project.  I created three maps, one that showed schools near the airport, one that showed land use surrounding the airport and one that showed population density for the county.  Overall, I found my experience with GIS to be a positive one.  The lab was very tedious and took a lot of time, but I found that by following the tutorial closely it was not too difficult.  The tutorial itself was very thorough and helpful.  Initially I read through it and it seemed a bit confusing, but going through it again while simultaneously completing the steps on ArcMap made it much more clear.  ArcMap was very helpful in this situation because it showed areas affected by the proposed airport expansion so that an informed decision could be made so that the airport would not negatively affect the community.

Humans are spatial organisms, and therefore location information is a large part of our world.  Location information is displayed through maps.  GIS is an important tool that allows for the compiling of data and effectively models the data.  There are many advantages to GIS.  GIS allows conduction of spatial analysis.  It also allows for ready access to data and for information to be updated as necessary.  The ArcMap program has many features that are useful when mapmaking.  One feature that was very helpful was the ability of ArcMap to calculate information by simply inputting a formula.  Also the program had many tools that simplified the process.  For example, by changing the name of a layer in the table of contents it automatically updates the name on the map legend.  Overall the program was user friendly, just a bit tedious.  GIS has much potential and is an important system. 

While ArcMap is a great tool for creating maps and displaying data sets, it does have its downfalls.  The first downfall is simply that it is a challenging program to use.  It has so many different features that it is sometimes confusing.  One must have previous knowledge about computers in order to use this program.  As for GIS in general there are also some pitfalls.  One of these is the way in which GIS creates categories.  For example, an area is categorized as agricultural, residential or commercial even if the whole area isn’t necessarily that certain category just the majority, which can be misleading.  Another downfall to GIS is that the program is quite expensive, making it less accessible. 

An additional factor of GIS is that someone must have knowledge about geography to use it.  This is both an advantage and a downfall.  It is a good thing because it limits people who do not know anything about geography from creating maps that contain misinformation.  However, this is a pitfall because it does not allow everyone to be able to use the program.  Someone must have extensive knowledge about geography to adequately use ArcMap.  I feel that in this lab having a background working with computers and taking drafting classes greatly helped me.  I was prepared for the tedious work and was able to get through it by just taking my time.  Overall GIS is a great system that allows for analysis of geographic information and aids in solving problems.