Introducing: Nearmap for Post-catastrophe Response
Post-catastrophe imagery and AI-derived property damage and condition data unite to help insurers process customer claims more efficiently.
Post-catastrophe imagery and AI-derived property damage and condition data unite to help insurers process customer claims more efficiently.
You might not know the acronym GIS off the top of your head, but these three letters are instrumental to almost every industry in the modern world. We’re talking about geographic information systems (GIS) and the data they generate.
GIS assembles data into what is essentially a trifle — it’s layers of seemingly unrelated elements that come together to create logical, quantifiable outcomes. By creating, managing, analyzing, and mapping huge datasets and then relating them to the world around us, we can glean valuable insights about spatial patterns and relationships.
We’re here to talk through everything you need to know about GIS data — where to get it, how to use it, and what it does.
A GIS (geographic information system) is essentially a system that creates, manages, analyzes, and maps all types of data, and then relates it specifically to geographic information – both location and description-based.
This fusion of mapping and analysis provides rich data and insights about locations. A typical GIS includes a digital map, accompanying digital data displayed on the map, and GIS software that links the two while carrying out the mapping and data analysis.
The maps that GIS generates bring order to the chaos of multiple datasets. Instead of sifting through loads of data, the information is collated into shareable maps with geographic data layers.
GIS tools are designed to analyze and visualize this spatial data, and it happens in three steps:
GIS data formats are created using different sources such as aerial imagery, field GIS data collection, GPS, and remote sensing. The integration of Nearmap with geospatial platforms like Esri ArcGIS is a prime example of how high-resolution aerial imagery works to make GIS technology more powerful and accurate. You can visualize data and projections in a real-world context as well as gain more information about the environment you’re analyzing.
GIS technology and its data are used in a wide variety of industries. The main uses of GIS data are for scientific research, resource management, and development planning. For example, a retailer might use GIS data to determine the best location for a new store based on population growth and foot traffic. Councils can monitor vegetation change in their local area, and architecture, engineering, and construction companies can plan and monitor projects.
Governments can use the data for a whole host of purposes including disaster planning and management — GIS can reveal ideal ingress and egress routes, help guide where to establish emergency shelters, and pinpoint which neighborhoods are most vulnerable.
Read more about what you can do with GIS Data.
There are two major types of GIS data — vector and raster. We explain the main differences below.
The vector format is all about firm borders and solid data. It’s any data that has a spatial component to it — if you’re using X/Y coordinates, that’s vector data. Vector data represents geographic data as points, lines or polygons.
The raster format is a grid of cells or pixels, where each cell contains an attribute value. The raster format is best for storing GIS data that varies over time, including aerial imagery and topographic data.
The process of GIS mapping can be broken down into five stages.
This is the mapping reality and bare bones of a GIS — the actual physical locations and objects represented using a coordinate system
The coordinates are turned into a more visual representation that’s closer to a map using a combination of vector and raster formats.
The GIS collects more spatial data to plug into the framework. This data comes from many sources, including aerial photographs and surveying.
The GIS queries the collected data to find relevant answers to practical geospatial questions, like how big a site is or the distance between two buildings.
This is where the magic happens! The GIS wraps all of the previous layers up into a user-friendly and searchable digital format.
Now that you know how it works and what it can be used for, why not level up your GIS to use the best data in the business?
Learn more about how high-resolution, aerial imagery from Nearmap, when integrated into geospatial platforms such as Esri ArcGIS, can help you optimize your location-based analysis today.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the data and analysis in blog articles, this information is not to be relied on as professional advice. No endorsement or approval of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressed or implied by any information in the blog. Should you seek to rely in any way whatsoever upon this content, you do so at your own risk.
