1.2 & 1.3 - Geospatial Technology & Data

Which phrase refers to the collection of geospatial data through satellite imagery?

• Remote Sensing

• Global Positioning Systems

• Geographic Information Systems

• Fieldwork

• Mental Maps

Which is the best description of qualitative data used by geographers?

• Personal descriptions of processes and events.

• Census counts such as population statistics.

• Tables showing the age distribution of people in a community.

• Surveys about how often people visit other places.

• Measurements of distance made using GPS receivers.

"Smartphones, each one with a tiny GPS pinging, have revolutionized cartography. Matthew Zook, a geographer at the University of Kentucky, has partnered with data scientists there to create what they call the DOLLY Project - it's a searchable repository of every geotagged tweet since December of 2011, meaning Zook and his team have compiled billions of interrelated sentiments, each with a latitude and longitude attached."

Why are geographers interested in the information in DOLLY?

• Geographers are more likely to use new technology than are other scientists.

• Geographers focus on the sentiments of people more than do other scientists.

• It provides information about spatial distribution of people's reactions to events.

• The data is searchable, and most geographic information is hard to organize.

• It provides an opportunity for geographers to work with data scientists.

All of the following accurately describe how geographers and lawmakers use census data except...

• To provide state legislatures with the small area census population data necessary for the redrawing of voting districts.

• To help state and local governments plan for public safety and disaster preparedness.

• To gather demographic (population) information that is used to inform legislative decision making.

• To detect and monitor the physical characteristics of an area.

• To provide the federal government with population data that is used to determine how to allocate federal funds for states.

Photograph: European Space Agency, "Congo River, Africa."

A geographer would MOST likely uses a satellite image like the one above for which of the following purposes?

• To track the migration pattern of birds.

• To determine the environmental impact of building a dam on the distribution of water throughout the region.

• To count the number of people that live in a given area.

• To design telecommunications networks for an urban area.

• To map the extent of a formal region.

Which of the following descriptions are best aligned with the idea of geospatial data?

• There is a distinct separation between geospatial data and non geospatial data and the two information sets cannot be linked.

• Geospatial data is only used by government and business agencies.

• Geospatial data always expresses the spatial relationship between features found on the Earth.

• Geospatial data is the locational information of spatial features such as highways, tracts of land, and soil types.

• Geospatial data may not necessarily be linked directly to a particular spatial location.

Which of the following best describes how geographic information systems would be utilized by urban planners?

• To take satellite images of undeveloped regions outside of a city.

• To map current roadways and traffic flows to determine where to build a new highway onramp.

• To locate the street addresses of low-income families within a city.

• To determine the exact locations of underground electrical and sewage lines.

• To print paper maps to help tourists find locations in the city.

Which of the following data collection methods would be the BEST choice for someone looking to open up a new fast food restaurant based on location?

• Census Data

• Interviews

• Experiments

• Formal Observations

• Informal Observations

You are on a geography field trip and have been given the task of finding out how much time individual shoppers have spent inside of the mall. Which of the following data collection techniques do you feel would be most appropriate to find out his information?

• Photographing people shopping

• A questionnaire survey of customers leaving the mall

• Sending a letter to the mall's owners

• Interviews with store managers

• Sketching the mall layout

The image was taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Which of the following geographic technologies is this an example of?

• GPS

• GOS

• Mental Mapping

• GIS

• Remote Sensing