GIS Glossary

The process of determining optimal locations for labels on a map to maximize readability and minimize overlap.

An architecture that integrates data lakes and data warehouses, supporting large-scale spatial data storage and analysis.

The physical material present on the earth’s surface (e.g., vegetation, water, urban infrastructure), often mapped and analysed in spatial studies (inferred from standard GIS usage).

The classification of land based on its human use (e.g., residential, commercial, agricultural), important for urban planning and environmental analysis (inferred from standard GIS usage).

While not GIS-specific, LLMs can be used to analyse and interpret large volumes of spatial data and documentation.

The north-south coordinate of a location on the earth, measured in degrees from the equator. Latitude is essential for defining spatial positions in geographic coordinate systems.

A visual representation of a geographic dataset in a map. Layers can represent points, lines, or polygons and are fundamental for organizing, visualizing, and analysing different types of spatial data.

A key on a map explaining the meaning of symbols, colours, and patterns used, ensuring users can interpret spatial data correctly.

A remote sensing method that uses laser pulses to measure distances to the earth’s surface, producing high-resolution elevation data for spatial analysis (inferred from standard GIS usage).

A spatial object represented by a series of connected points, used to model linear features such as roads, rivers, or boundaries (inferred from standard GIS usage).

A method for storing and analysing data about features along a linear element (such as roads or rivers) using relative positions rather than absolute coordinates (inferred from standard GIS usage).

The process of deriving insights from location data to answer spatial questions, going beyond mapping to include spatial analytics and decision-making.

The east-west coordinate of a location, measured in degrees from the prime meridian. Longitude, together with latitude, precisely locates features on the earth’s surface.

A visual representation of spatial phenomena, used to display, analyse, and interpret geographic data.

A cell-by-cell analysis method for raster data, used to perform mathematical operations on spatial datasets (inferred from standard GIS usage).

A key explaining the symbols, colours, and patterns used on a map, enabling correct interpretation of spatial data.

The systematic transformation of locations from the earth’s curved surface to a flat map, affecting spatial analysis accuracy.

The ratio between distances on a map and corresponding distances in the real world, crucial for interpreting spatial relationships.

A spatial filter used to limit analysis to a specific area within a dataset (inferred from standard GIS usage).

A spatial statistic representing the average location of a set of points, useful for identifying central tendencies in spatial distributions (inferred from standard GIS usage).