Geographical Information System
Making decisions based on geography is basic to human thinking. Where shall we go, what will it be
like, and what shall we do when we get there are applied to the simple event of going to the store or
to the major event of launching a bathysphere into the ocean’s depths. By understanding geography
and people's relationship to location, we can make informed decisions about the way we live on our
planet. A geographic information system (GIS) is a technological tool for comprehending geography
and making intelligent decisions.
GIS organizes geographic data so that a person reading a map can select data necessary for a
specifi c project or task. A thematic map has a table of contents that allows the reader to add layers
of information to a basemap of real-world locations. For example, a social analyst might use the
basemap of Eugene, Oregon, and select datasets from the U.S. Census Bureau to add data layers
to a map that shows residents’ education levels, ages, and employment status. With an ability to
combine a variety of datasets in an infi nite number of ways, GIS is a useful tool for nearly every fi eld
of knowledge from archaeology to zoology.
A good GIS program is able to process geographic data from a variety of sources and integrate
it into a map project. Many countries have an abundance of geographic data for analysis, and
governments often make GIS datasets publicly available. Map fi le databases often come included
with GIS packages; others can be obtained from both commercial vendors and government
agencies. Some data is gathered in the fi eld by global positioning units that attach a location
coordinate (latitude and longitude) to a feature such as a pump station.
GIS maps are interactive. On the computer screen, map users can scan a GIS map in any direction,
zoom in or out, and change the nature of the information contained in the map. They can choose
whether to see the roads, how many roads to see, and how roads should be depicted. Then
they can select what other items they wish to view alongside these roads such as storm drains,
gas lines, rare plants, or hospitals. Some GIS programs are designed to perform sophisticated
calculations for tracking storms or predicting erosion patterns. GIS applications can be embedded
into common activities such as verifying an address.
From routinely performing work-related tasks to scientifi cally exploring the complexities of our world,
GIS gives people the geographic advantage to become more productive, more aware, and more
responsive citizens of planet Earth.
GIS for Mining
Mineral exploration geoscientists use diverse types of datasets to search for new economic
deposits. Data sources vary from geologic maps, hyperspectral airborne and multispectral
satellite images, and geophysical images to databases in many formats. GIS is an ideal platform
to bring them together in a geoscientist’s computer and deliver meaningful outcomes.
GIS is now able to help geoscientists in many aspects of their activities: data collection,
management, analysis, and reporting. Field geologists can now capture fi eld data electronically
using ArcPad and global positioning system (GPS) receivers. Other datasets may be
downloaded from the Internet. All of these datasets can be integrated, manipulated, and
analyzed using GIS.
Pipelines, electric lines, roads, ramps, and other mining facilities change frequently. Engineers
and operations staff use GIS for facility planning applications. Keeping track of existing
infrastructure and integrating it with the mine plan and block models can be achieved with GIS.
GIS can also be used to integrate recent survey data with block models or mine design data
from other mining software packages such as GeoSoft, Vulcan, MineSight, SURPAC Range, or
Mining Visualization System (MVS).
Most mining information, including fi nancial and asset information, has some sort of spatial
component that can be represented in map form. Management and mineral economists are
using GIS in their evaluation of corporate and competitor assets. Mining companies also use
GIS to actively monitor the environmental impacts that may be caused by their activities and
conduct reclamation.
Various types of geologic datasets, such as geophysical images, geochemistry, geologic maps,
radiometric measurements, boreholes, and mineral deposits, can be displayed, interrogated,
and analyzed simultaneously using GIS