Mid-term Exam


GIS 488/588 - Fall '06 Session






    This exam consists of three parts: short answers, an exploratory/essay question plus a research question. This is an "open book" experience - just like real life. You are welcome and encouraged to use all resources available to you including your textbook (hopefully), lab exercises (why not?), and (hint) the PSU library.  This is being distributed to you via the web, but you are required to submit a "hard copy" to me on the due date of November 1st at the beginning of class.  





    Short Answers

    Briefly describe or define the following terms(20pts total):


    1) Polygon



    2) Pixel



    3) Spatial autocorrelation



    4) Geospatial



    5) Coverage















    Acronyms

    Decode and briefly describe the following acronyms/abbreviations/extension *:
    6) PLSS



    7) E00



    8) TIN



    9) CADD



    10) .PRJ



    * 1 Bonus point per answer if you tell me which each one is (an acronym, an abbreviation or a file extension... or both? all three!?)

    Geographic Data

    Identify the most likely coordinate system for each of the x,y pairs below. For each case, indicate if there is sufficient information to identify a unique location, and, if not, describe what additional information would be required. (5 pts each). 





    11) 530899.775, 5048742.584



    12) -122.60436, 45.59230



    13) 7663471.037, 708513.102



    14) 122* 36' 14.11"W, 45* 35' 29.62"N







    Exploratory Essay

    Answer one of the following questions (20pts).   Make sure you clearly mark which questions you answered.   Please make an effort to be thorough yet concise (no more than one page, not including graphics)  Use all resources available to you including texts, manuals, lab exercises, and (hint) web sites.  Your answers should be typed and single spaced and any relevant diagram neatly drawn.   

  1. In chapter 3, our authors describe the "The Fundamental Problem" with representing geographic information. So, what's the problem? In your own words, describe the issue, and explain how the two fundamental ways we represent geography - discrete and field - approach this problem of representing the world.
  2. You are a GIS analyst for Fregonese/Calthorpe and Associates (congratulations!). You have landed a contract to do a comprehensive landuse plan/vision for the greater Austin Texas Metropolitan area. Your first order of business is to compile a dataset to use as a base map. Describe some possible resources and databases that you might assemble. Include specifics about the following:

    1) What map projection(s) would you recommend using?
    2) Would you work with raster, vector or perhaps both types of datasets.
    3) What resources would you use to search for information about the area?





    Research Exercise

    Note: You may turn in your finished work sheet from the library excercise from Oct 25th in lieu of doing this excercise (20pts). Alternatively, turn that in AND do this excercise and receive 10pts extra credit!

    Where's Waldo?
    I) Using your newly aquired library research skills and PSU's excellent research tools at the Millar Library, explore Waldo Tobler's published articles and answer the following questions: What is the earliest publication you can locate?? What is the "source" Include the "abstract" in your answer.  

    II) Continue your exploration by doing a keyword search by a topic area of your choice. What was your keyword, and what was the result of your query? Pick one journal article (record) from the result and, once again, include an abstract and source for the article.

      http://www.pdx.edu/library/articles.html