List of Common GIS Related Acronyms
A/D Analog to Digital
AM/FMAutomated Mapping and Facilities Management
AMLARC Macro Language
ANSIAmerican National Standards Institute
APIApplication Program Interface
ARC/INFO ARC/INFO is a geographic information system
AVHRRAdvanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
AVLAutomated Vehicle Locations
BIPBand-Interleaved-by-Pixel
BSQBand-Sequential
CADComputer Aided Dispatch A term for computer enabled dispatching.
CADComputer Assisted Design A generic term for computerized drawings.
CASEComputer Aided Software Engineering
CDPDCellular Digital Packet Data A format used to transfer data such as auto vehicle locations
CEPCircular Error Probable
CFFCartographic Feature Files The vector format USFS uses to publish data.
CGICommon Gateway Interface
CGMComputer Graphics Metafile
COGOCo-ordinate Geometry
COMComponent Object Model
CPUCentral Processing Unit
CSSMContent Standards for Spatial Metadata
DBMSDatabase Management System
DCWDigital Chart of the World A public dataset published by DMA in VPF format.
DAKData Automation Kit an ESRI software package for PC's.
DGNSSDifferential Global Navigation Satellite System
DGPSDifferential Global Positioning System
DGPS Differential GPS
DEMDigital Elevation Model, typically produced by USGS in 30 or 10 meter cell size.
DIMEDual Independent Map Encoding
DIPDigital Image Processing
DLGDigital Line Graph, a vector GIS format produced by USGS.
DOQDigital Ortho Quad, (also DOQQ) a quad based ortho image
DPIDots per Inch
DXFDigital Exchange Format
DRGDigital Raster Graphic, a scanned image of a USGS 71⁄2’ quad.
DTMDigital Terrain Model, a generic term for software terrain modeling.
EIFOVEffective Instantaneous Field of View
EOSEarth Observation Satellite
FIPSFederal Information Processing Standard
FTPFile Transfer Protocol
FTRPFramework Transportation segment Reference Point
GBF/DIMEGeographic Base File/Dual Independent Map Encoding
GNSSGlobal Navigation Satellite System
GMTGreenwich Mean Time
GISGeographic Information Systems
GNISGeographic Names Information System
GPSGlobal Positioning System
GACGlobal Area Coverage
GCPGround Control Point
GRASSGeographic Resources Analysis Support System
GZIP Gzip reduces the size of the named files using Lempel-Ziv coding (LZ77)
GRASSGeographic Resources Analysis Support System
GUIGraphical User Interface
HDOP Horizontal Dilution of Precision
HTMLHyper Text Markup Language
HTTPHypertext Transfer Protocol
IEEEInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Inc
IFOVInstantaneous Field of View
INS Inertial Navigation System
IMUInertial Measuring Unit
INSInertial Navigation System
I/OInput/Output
ISDNIntegrated Services Digital Network
ISOInternational Standards Organization
JPEGJoint Photographic Expert Group
L1The 1575.42 MHz GPS carrier frequency including C/A and P Code
L2The 1227.60 MHz secondary GPS carrier frequency (P Code only)
L5The 1176.45 MHz third civil GPS frequency that tracks carrier at lower signal-to-noise ratios
LAASLocal Area Augmentation System
LACLocal Area Coverage
LANLocal Area Network
LANDSAT (formerly ERTS)
LISLand Information System
LUTLook-up Table
LIDARLIght Detection And Ranging
MOSSMap Overlay Statistical System
MSSMultispectral Scanner
NADNorth American Datum
NAD27North American Datum of 1927
NAD83North American Datum of 1983
NAPPNational Aerial Photography Program
NGV29 NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929
NMAS NATIONAL MAP ACCURACY STANDARDS
NATSGONational Soil Geographic
NDVINormalized Difference Vegetation Index
NFSNetwork File System
NGDNational GeoSpatial Database
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
NSDINational Spatial Data Infrastructure
OGCOpen GIS Consortium
OGISOpen GeoData Interoperability Specification
OCXActive X Controls
OTHT Over The Horizon Targeting
PDOP Position Dilution of Precision
PLSSPublic Land Survey(also PLSS, Public Land Survey System)
RADARRadio Detecting and Ranging
RBVReturn Beam Vidicon
RDBMSRelational Database Management System
RMS Root Mean Square
RMSERoot Mean Square Error
RAWSRemote Automated Weather Station
RTKReal Time Kinematic
SASelective Availability
SBASSatellite Based Augmentation System
SDESpatial Database Engine, an ESRI software package for serving data
SDMLSpatial Data Manipulation Language
SDTSSpatial Data Transfer Standard
SGMLStandard Generalized Markup Language
SPOTSatellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre
SSURGOSoil Survey Geographic
STATSGOState Soil Geographic
SQLStructured Query Language
SQL/MM Structured Query Language/MultiMedia
TARTape Archive
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TIGRISTopologically Integrated Geographic and Resource Information System
TIGER®Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing
TINTriangular Irregular Network
TDOP Time Dilution of Precision
TMThematic Mapper
TVCTagged Vector Contours
UTMUniversal Transverse Mercator Projection
VDOPVertical Dilution of Precision
VORVery high frequency Omnidirectional Range
VPFVector Product Format A published vector format used by the DMA.
WAISWide Area Information Server
WAASWide Area Augmentation System
WGSWorld Geodetic System
WGS 72World Geodetic System 1972
WGS 84World Geodetic System 1984
WANWide Area Network
WWWWorld Wide Web Used for the internet.
XMLExtensible Markup Language
File Extensions:
DBFData Base File, the dBase file format, used with SHP
DGNDesiGN file, the Microstation drawing format
DWGDraWinG file, the AutoCad drawing format
DXFDrawing eXchange Format an AutoCad export file
EPSEncapsulated PoStcript file a file format favored for graphics exchange
E00An ESRI export file
GIFGraphic Interchange Format
JPG (JPEG)Joint Photographic Experts Group
MDBMicrosoft DataBase The extension for an Access database
PDFPortable Document Format
PNGPortable Network Graphic A new format for Web graphics
RTFRich Text Format A generic word processing format
SHPSHaPe file An ESRI published spatial data format,
TIF (TIFF)Tag Image File Format An image format commonly used in GIS
Organizations:
APFOAerial Photography Field Office
FGDCFederal Geographic Data Committee
NACoNational Association of Counties
NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
NHDNational Hydrologic Data
NIMANational Imagery Mapping Agency
NOAANational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NSDINational Spatial Data Infrastructure
NWINational Wetlands Inventory, US Fish & Wildlife Service
URISAUrban and Regional Information Systems Association
BLMBureau of Land Management, Department of Interior
DMADefense Mapping Agency
EDCEarth Resources Observation Systems Data Center
ESRIEnvironmental Systems Research Institute
NRCSNatural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture
NIMANational Imagery and Mapping Agency, Military
UNESCOUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
USFSUnited States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture
USGSUnited States Geologic Survey, Department of Interior