Examination and Study Questions for
GIS 2002 (Ausgewählte Kapitel in GIS II),

1. Essay Questions
2. Short Answer
3. Multiple-choice

1. Essay Questions

Limit each essay to two double-spaced typewritten pages plus references.

1. GIS is an enabling technology moving from an area of research to a common tool. Which research areas do remain ? What developments do you expect over the next few years ?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of employing object-oriented GIS databases as opposed to flat, hierarchical, and relational structures?

3. Making decisions in and about space ranges from every day simple decision to long-term strategic and policy issues. Describe some principles of spatial decisions, and give a number of practical examples.

4. Environmental problems are always also spatial problems. Elaborate and give examples.

5. Dynamic, spatially distributed models are closely related to GIS. How ?

6. Urban environmental problems are manifold; list a few of the most pressing ones in developing and industrial countries, and describe how GIS could be used to address them

2. Short Answer

Limit your answers to no more than 100 words.

1. What is a GIS ? Can you describe it for your grandmother ?

2. What is the fundamental difference between raster and vector GIS?

3. Map projections may have interesting political implications; why ?

4. Why is it useful to view GIS as a process rather than merely software of hardware?

5. List a number of trends in GIS technology. What would you have developed next ?

6. Paper and digital maps are sometimes referred to as "dumb maps." Why are they and what would make them "intelligent?"

7. Why does selection of a particular GIS always involve compromise?

8. Describe the differences between raster and vector based GIS?

9. Explain the difference between attribute data, topology and coordinates, give examples.

10. Concerning international GIS projects, why is availability of necessary data coverage an especially important issue? What else is of major importance here ?

11. What are meta data, and why are they important ?

12. List a few international environmental issues that could be addressed using GIS? How ?

13. EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) requires large volumes of data and a range of analytical and presentation tools; what are possible roles of GIS in EIA ?

14. State-of-the-Environment reporting is a good candidate for extensive GIS use. How and what for would you use GIS in this context ?

15. What lesson can be learned from the failure of the European Community's CORINE project to reach its original goals?

16. Considering the stages of technological innovation -- initiation, contagion, coordination, integration, mainstream, obsolescence -- where would you place GIS in 2002 and why? Can you draw a curve of global use versus time ?

17. Some GIS data are in the public domain, some are proprietary; what would be a good economic model for spatial data ?

18. Uncertainty is a fact of life and a major issue in science - how does it affect GIS ?

19. Environmental processes are dynamic; how can one handle that in a GIS ?

20. Even with the increasing availability of digital data sources, why might one still consider tracing from paper sources for a GIS project?

21. Remote sensing and satellite imagery provide large volumes of synoptic data; what are the drawbacks, if any ?

22. Spatial models require spatial input data; what would you need for:
    • an air quality models;
    • a transportation model;
    • a water resources model ?
23. Dispersion and diffusion are important concepts in environmental modeling; where esle, in spatial analysis, are these concepts important ?

24. Decision support is a loosely defined concept; what are the main elements of any structured decision making ?

25. Environmental and technological risks are important considerations in spatial planning. Describe some major sources of risk; how can GIS be used to manage that ?

26. What is the difference between classical and fuzzy sets (diagram optional)? How could fuzzy sets be applied to natural or social phenomena analyzed with GIS?

27. What are the advantages and disadvantages of rule-based expert systems vis a vis numerical models and analysis ?

28. Why is it that any networked computer is an insecure computer? What must be done to make a computer more secure, totally secure?

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3. Multiple-choice questions

Choose the best or most appropriate answer(s) to the question.

1. Considerable information and data for GIS is available on the Internet, which of the following formats must be transmitted in binary format?
   1. .dxf
   2. .dwg
   3. .zip files
   4. .gif files
   5. .xps
   6. html files
   7. xhtml files
   8. xml files
   9. .jpg
   10. DLGs and DEMs
   11. Shape files
   12. .e00
2. In the world of GIS, another term for the property of connectivity is:
   1. proximity
   2. neighborhood
   3. linkage
   4. bondage
   5. binding
   6. topology
   7. boolean identity
   8. location

3. By definition a GIS must include:
   1. A subsystem for data reporting and product generation
   2. A method for data storage, retrieval, and representation
   3. A method for storing demographic information
   4. A method for scanning maps to produce raster files
   5. A menu driven user interface
   6. Data analysis functions
   7. A support contract
   8. A means for the input of spatial and non-spatial data

4. Which of the following statements are true of the history of GIS?
   1. The development of the first true GIS depended upon the invention of the microcomputer in the early 1980s.
   2. Some of the first applications were natural resource inventories.
   3. Public utilities were early users of automated mapping and GIS technologies.
   4. International standardisation has been accomplished in the mid 80's.
   5. Municipal government agencies have been slow to adopt GIS.

5. Layers or levels in a GIS can be used to:
   1. Group related geographic features by function
   2. Isolate point, line, and area features
   3. Develop thematic maps
   4. Combine non-spatial and attribute information
   5. Perform simple calculations
   6. Design colorful representations
   7. Highlight logical relationships among geographic features

6. Which of the following are types of infrastructure?
   1. An electrical distribution system
   2. A river network
   3. A telephone cable network
   4. Habitats of endangered species
   5. Storm and wastewater sewer systems, treatment plants
   6. Gas and oil pipelines
   7. Designated Natura 2000 zones
   8. Parks, forests, and natural reserves
   9. The highway system and road network
   10. City zoning classifications

7. Which of the following are areas of GIS application in the commercial sector ?
   1. Oil and gas exploration
   2. Dispatch of emergency medical services
   3. Timber and lumber production
   4. Census data analysis
   5. Direct marketing and retailing
   6. Managing telecommunication networks
   7. Real-estate management and marketing
   8. Global change monitoring
   9. Monitoring wetland habitats

8. Which of the following are true?
   1. Digitizing is defined as converting aerial photographs into maps
   2. Digitizing involves tracing map features into a computer
   3. A keyboard cannot be used to digitize maps, only to enter attribute information
   4. Digitizing from a tablet involves using a template
   5. A digitizing tablet and mouse are examples of input devices used in digitizing
   6. Today, digitizing can be done fully automatic.

9. Typical environmental simulation models can be used for the following types of applications:
   1. Spatial interpolation
   2. Forecasting and early warning
   3. Population dynamics and demographics analysis
   4. Gradient search
   5. Dispersion calculations
   6. Resource exploration
   7. Regulatory compliance analysis
   8. Scenario analysis
   9. Buffer analysis
   10. None of the above

10. Site suitability analysis is a typical example for:
    1. Dynamic simulation modeling
    2. Econometric modeling
    3. Dispersion modeling
    4. Multi-criteria methods
    5. Environmental economics
    6. Demographic modeling
    7. Spatial analysis

11. Some environmental problems are non-spatial in nature, for example:
    1. Atmospheric dispersion
    2. Climate change
    3. Croundwater pollution
    4. Watershed degradation
    5. Urban air pollution
    6. Acute toxic effects
    7. Eutrophication
    8. Deforestation
    9. Sea level rise
    10. Floods and droughts

12. Atmospheric dispersion of pollutants and their spatial distribution (ambient concentration) depend directly on:
    1. Time of the day
    2. Atmospheric stability
    3. Gibbs free energy
    4. Wind speed
    5. Wind direction
    6. Cloud cover
    7. Darcy's law
    8. Stack height
    9. The hemisphere
    10. Air temperature
    11. The model chosen
    12. Avogadros number

13. Typical examples of spatial analysis and decision problems are:
    1. Routing, traffic allocation
    2. Ranking and benchmarking
    3. Site suitability analysis
    4. Zoning
    5. Investment allocation
    6. Waste allocation
    7. Emission reduction
    8. Interpolation (cubic splines)

14. Major Environmental Hazards are:
    1. Always man made
    2. Consequence of technological failures
    3. High-probability events
    4. High-probability, low consequence events
    5. Low-probability, high-consequence events
    6. Voluntary individual risks
    7. Involuntary social risks
    8. Inconsequential events
    9. Easily insured

15. Expert systems use:
    1. Difference equations
    2. Differential equations
    3. Partial differential equations
    4. Coupled algebraic equations
    5. Rules and heuristics
    6. Matrix inversion
    7. First oder logic
    8. Overlay analysis
    9. Finite element methods
    10. Finite difference methods

16. Monetary valuation of environmental problems can be attempted with:
    1. Only Euros (as of March 1, 2002)
    2. Currency conversion tables
    3. Contingent valuation
    4. NPV (net present value)
    5. Baeys' theorem
    6. CBA (cost-benefit analysis)
    7. Tentral limit theorem
    8. Travel cost method
    9. Repair and restoration costs
    10. Operation and maintenance costs
    11. Arbitrary coefficients
    12. Mini-max method
    13. Not at all

17. NUTS3 refers to:
    1. A NASA spatial data standard
    2. A data layer used in the US Army GRASS system
    3. An earth observation satellite
    4. The CEO/JRC GIS meta-data standard
    5. A EUROSTAT statitical spatial unit
    6. A layer of resolution in the US TIGER mapping system
    7. The USGS data interchange format

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