B011250 - GIS AND COMPUTER TRAINING

Italian

Introduction to operational GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Reference and positioning systems in geography. The course is aimed at providing a basic background on the following topics, both theoretically and operationally: vector and raster data analysis, database design and building, digitisation of analog data, layout and utilisation in decision support systems of simple geographic analysis projects, assimilation of field instrument data into GIS

Handouts and printed material provided by the teacher during classes

The course aims to provide a grounding in the discipline of geographic information systems through the presentation of the theoretical and practical aspects of the field together with practical exercises in the computer lab.
Competence in the basic knowledge of Geographic Information Systems and in the primary elements of geographic information analysis, with special reference to geological data.
At the end of the course, the student should have gained practical skills on how to create, import and manage geographical data in vector and raster formats. He also should have acquired the ability to analyse such data using basic and intermediate level GIS tools

None. A course on Physical Geography is, however, a recommended prerequisite.

Number of credits: 3
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 75
Hours reserved to private study and other indivual formative activities: about 40
Lectures (hours): 20
Laboratory (hours): 15
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): (15) see above
Seminars (hours): 0
Stages: 0
Intermediate examinations: 0

Frequency of lessons is highly recommended, but not mandatory
Teaching tools: All classes will be in the computer room. The main teaching support tool will be the GIS software installed on the PCs of the room

Written report on the final exercise plus written or oral examination

Introduction to operational GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Reference and positioning systems in geography. Types of geographic data, topology, geo-relational analysis of sets of geographic, spatial autocorrelation. Import, creation and basic manipulation of geographical data in both vector and raster format. Point data analysis, density, distance, geostatistics in GIS, interpolation. Analysis of line data, non-euclidean distances, scale invariance and importance of survey scale, fractal geographical objects and implications in the geosciences. Statistics on directional data. Topology of arc connections. Analysis of polygonal data. Dependence of surface area on survey scale. Polygon-arc topology. Geo-relational models in geology. Georegistering and digitization of maps and on Google Earth. Raster data analysis. Local, focal, global and zonal functions. Topographic and 3D terrain model data analysis with GIS. Laboratory exercises on interpolation of pluviometric data and on slope stability.