Lab 7: Joining Data in ArcMap

Below is a jpg image of Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois.

Projection used:
The projection I selected is WGS-1984 coordinate system with a Mercator projection. I chose this because I am not mapping a large region, just a few states. Since it's a small area, I wouldn't have to worry about much distortion; and the counties are very well distributed. The WGS-1984 is a reference coordinate system used by the Global Positioning System. If I will be discussing popular locations in these states, using the WGS will allow people to accurately use their GPS's while visiting the attractions.

Definitions pertaining to this exercise:

• .xls file: Excel file
• select by attributes: making a selection based on certain attributes in a field; allows you to provide a SQL query expression that is used to select features that match the selection criteria
• query: a request to select features or records from a database
• fields (in a table): a column in a table that stores the values for a single attribute
• records (in a table): the rows in a table that stores information for an attribute
• attributes: nonspatial information about a geographic feature in GIS, usually stored in a table and linked to a feature by a unique identifier
• relational database: a database structured to recognize relations among stored items of information
• join function: appending the fields of one table to those of another through an attribute or field common to both tables
• calculate/field calculator: tool that allows you to perform a calculation based on different fields in the attribute table; for example, length, and area can also be calculated. 

*all definitions taken from the ESRI software dictionary

Blog Maps - Lab 6 Exercise

Maps created during this exercise:

This is a map I created in ArcMap for our 6th lab. It shows when certain countries entered the European Union.

The two maps below show farm densities and popualtion by zip codes in the state of Indiana. These maps were also created with ArcMap.

Definitions of terms related to this lab exercise:

• map document: in ArcMap, the file that contains one map, its layout, and its associated layers, tables, charts, and reports. Map documents can be printed or embedded in other documents and have an .mxd extension.
• table of contents: a tabbed list of data frames and layers on a map that shows how the data is symbolized, the source of the data, and whether or not each layer is selectable.
• data frame: a map element that defines a geographic extent, a page extent, a coordinate system, and other display properties for one or more layers in ArcMap. A dataset can be represented in one or more data frames. 
• map layer: a reference to a data source, such as a shapefile, coverage, geodatabase feature class, or raster, that defines how the data should be symbolized on a map. They can also define additional properties, such as which features from the data source are included.
• attribute table: a database or tabular file containing information about a set of geographic features, usually arranged so that each row represents a feature and each column represents one feature attribute.

*all definitions taken from the ESRI software dictionary

Exploring the ESRI website:

While looking at the website, I noticed that there are a variety of industries that use ESRI and ArcGIS to determine a variety of issues. One in particular that I found was: "Italy's government uses a cloud GIS to monitor hazardous materials." (italy monitoring)

Another industry that interests me is conservation. On the ESRI website, I found a link that shows where the top 10 inspiring wildlife habitats exist. ESRI offers a conservation GIS program that is a platform for protecting the natural world.

My views on ArcGIS:

I originally took an Introduction to GIS class in the spring of 2014, when I was still a biology major. Now, in 2017, I am a geography major and am taking a GISII class, to learn more applications and gain the knowledge and experience to use GIS for a variety of issues. At first, I realized how intense and broad GIS is. There are so many tools, shortcuts, and features that it is impossible to memorize how to use and utilize them all. I noticed that practice makes perfect, and the more I use ArcGIS, the easier it seems to be. I love using this program, and it is extremely helpful in a variety of ways for a variety of fields.