GEO 265: Introduction to GIS

MIDTERM EXAM – Due Monday, Oct 29, 2012 (before 5:59pm)

Instructions

This exam consists of multiple parts that will be completed both in-class and outside of class. The entire exam is “open book” meaning that you can use your textbook, on-line resources (i.e. ESRI help), or any resources EXCEPT your peers. This is an individual assignment and all answers must be adequately cited or put into your own words. Plagiarized answers will results in a zero.

Follow the instructions at the beginning of each section. The Midterm should be submitted through email to the instructor by 5:59 pm onMonday,Oct 29, 2012 (BEFORE CLASS).

Deliverables

Answer the following questions and produce the following outputs. It should be typed,well-organized, and submitted in PDF format.

PART I

GIS Applications

In class we watched the first part of the Geospatial Revolution series that looks at a variety of applications of GIS in different industries. Watch one of the next three episodes (2, 3, or 4) and answer the following questions.

  1. Choose ONE application from the series and answer the following questions in a couple of sentences:
  1. How is GIS being used for this particular industry/application?
  2. What are the benefits of using GIS?
  3. What is one other example of how GIS could be applied within this industry?

PART II

Geographic Concepts

  1. Briefly answer the following questions in a couple of sentences:
  1. What are the 5 components of GIS?
  2. Why are there so many different GIS file types?
  3. List one GIS file type and explain when you would use it.
  4. Explain why and when you would need to use Georeferencing tools.
  5. How is a geodetic datum related to coordinate systems?
  6. Why is the term ‘projections’ misleading in ArcGIS?
  1. Give me an EXAMPLE (not definition) of:
  1. Geographic Coordinate System
  2. Projected Coordinate System
  3. Geographic Feature
  4. Discrete data
  5. Continuous data

Part III

Multiple Choice (make your answer bold)

1|The three elements of geographic data are:

  1. Spatial coordinates, an attribute table, and an index
  2. Spatial coordinates, an attribute table, and metadata
  3. Location, attributes, and time
  4. Location, attributes, and a projection

2|A map that showed land ownership as private, federal, or state would be displaying what kind of attribute?

  1. Ordinal
  2. Nominal
  3. Ratio
  4. Interval

3|Which of the following is NOT a function of GIS?

  1. Capture data
  2. Query data
  3. Transpose data
  4. Produce output

4|The map below shows:

  1. State plane zones
  2. UTM zones
  3. Standard meridians
  4. Standard parallels

5|A “datum transformation” is always required in which of the following situations?

  1. When converting from vector to raster data
  2. When changing from one projected coordinate system to another
  3. When changing the linear units of the coordinate system
  4. When changing from one geographic coordinate system to another

6|A map layer is:

  1. A type of vector data file format
  2. A term used only for raster data
  3. A collection of features with the same geometry and attributes
  4. Another term for an attribute table

7|What does it mean to have an undefined projection?

  1. The projection is in latitude and longitude
  2. The dataset has no geographic coordinates
  3. No file exists to describe the projection information
  4. The dataset has a geographic coordinate system, but no projected coordinate system

8|Which statement is true for a shapefile?

  1. Lines that share a node are connected
  2. Polygons must not overlap
  3. Polygons that share a line are continuous
  4. None of the above

9|The true shape of the Earth is a(n)

  1. Sphere
  2. Ellipsoid
  3. Earthoid
  4. Geoid

10|The most commonly used vector data format is the:

  1. Shapefile
  2. Geodatabase
  3. Coverage
  4. TIN

Part IV

Using ArcGIS Tools

  • Open a new, blank map. On the classroom computers, connect to the Metro RLIS data folder on the T:thawspace (only in HT301), and find the following datasets:

City outlines: “cty_fill” shapefile (found in BOUNDARY folder)

Parks: “parks” shapefile (found in LAND folder)

River outlines: “riv_fill” shapefile (found in WATER folder)

Trails: “trails” shapefile (found in TRANSIT folder)

  • Zoom into the downtown Portland area. Use the Identify tool to examine the attributes for Washington Park.
  1. Who is the custodian of Washington Park?
  • Open the Trails attribute table. Apply the Statistics tool to the appropriate attribute field, in order to find the total (sum) length of all trails.
  1. What is the total trails length?
  • In the Trails attribute table, select only the “Regional” system type trails. Export the selected trails to create a new dataset, and add the new regional trails dataset to your data view.
  • Change the symbology of your datasets to appropriate colors/symbols so that you can clearly distinguish all of the different layers (City outlines, Parks, River outlines, Trails, and Regional trails).
  • Switch to the appropriate view for creating your overall map.
  1. What view must you be in to create your map?
  • Change the page orientation to Landscape view.
  • Add a second data frame to your map layout, and add all of the shapefiles from your original data frame into your new data frame.
  • The main (larger) data frame will show Portland and its suburbs, while the inset data frame will show a close-up of downtown Portland.
  • Add a title to the map and include your name somewhere in the map layout.
  1. Export the map as a .jpg and insert into your midterm doc.

PART V

Downloading GIS Data & Projections

You are a GIS intern at the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils, and have been assigned to make a general map ofOregon watershed council boundaries and major features. You will need to find multiple GIS datasets, assign a projection, and create a simple map.

  • Go to the Census Bureau website and download the compressed“Census 2000 State and State Equivalent Areas”shapefile for the state of Oregon ( Save and unzip the downloaded file.
  1. What is the State shapefile name?
  • Look back on the Census Bureau website’s page from where you downloaded the States shapefile. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “Descriptions and Metadata” link.
  1. What is the Projection and Datum for the “2000 State & State Equivalent Areas” dataset?
  • Open up a new blank map, and add the State shapefile. Look at the State shapefile Properties - it does not have a defined coordinate system. Using the information from the Census Bureau’s Descriptions and Metadata page, define the coordinate system of the shapefile using the correct tool in ArcToolbox.
  1. Which tool did you use to assign a coordinate system, and where did you find it?
  • Look at your map’s data frame Properties.
  1. Does your data frame have an assigned coordinate system? Why or why not?
  • Whether or not your data frame already has an assigned coordinate system – before adding the next shapefile, assign the“NAD 1983 Oregon Statewide Lambert (Intl Feet)” projectionto the data frame. (If the State layer no longer displays, use the “Zoom to Layer” or “Full Extent” tools.)
  1. Describe how you assigned the data frame projection.
  • Go to the Oregon Geospatial Data Clearinghouse ( and download (then unzip) the following datasets:

Rivers (EPA 1:250,000) shapefile

Waterbodies (USGS, 1:2,000,000) shapefile

Watershed Council Boundaries (2009, OWEB) shapefile

  • Add the rivers, waterbodies, and watershed council boundaries datasets to your map view. Change the appearance of the datasetsto appropriate colors and/or symbols (for example, rivers are usually a shade of blue). Display only an outline color (i.e. no fill color) for the following layers: state boundary (from the Census), and the watershed council boundaries.
  • Add the “Terrain” basemap to provide a background image.
  1. Describe howyou addeda basemap.
  • Switch to the map layout and make sure that all five layers display: State boundary, rivers,waterbodies, watershed council boundaries, and basemap. (Makesure that all layers are clearly visible on the map.)
  • Add a map title and your name.
  1. Export your map as a .jpg and insert into your Midterm document.

Geo 265 – Intro to GISPage 1 of 5

Midterm Exam – Fall 2012