Geographic Information Systems (GIS)		page contents What How Go On
What Is It Good For? Geography deeply influences almost every decision we make. We need to answer which options would affect what areas in what ways, and what issues are tied to what areas. GIS helps examine spatial relationships between issues and options so we can fully understand the impacts.		With GIS, you can analyze certain complex operations, scenarios, and relationships that would otherwise be very difficult, time consuming, or impractical. This technology is a useful tool to:   Conduct scientific investigations   Monitor and manage resources   Identify needs and problems   Determine relationships between vectors (e.g., levels of economic need contrasted with levels of water quality)   Evaluate alternatives   Perform "what if" (scenario) analysis by projecting data over time and space
How Do I Use It? Track indicators with GIS to simplify analysis.		GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, displaying, and analyzing geographically referenced data. A GIS integrates satellite data, aerial photographs, digital maps, and other data that can be linked to a location to analyze relationships and identify spatial patterns.
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