Geographical Information System (GIS) and Geographical Analysis

Abstract

The integration of GIS and geography helps geographers to analyse a series of regional or global geographical problems, to study the inner structural feature, distribution patterns, evolution process among atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere, to research the ways and mechanism of material flow, energy flow and information flow. Earth system is a large system that has many factors and complex structure. Moreover, the system is changeable with the variety of natural function and human activities. The researches of earth system and its related problems depend on new technologies. Geographers can understand space and physical relationship of data on geology, geomorphology, hydrology, meteorology, pedology and botany with the development of VRGIS. Meanwhile, geographers can know the inner mechanism of geographical environment, seek the ways of digital modular and quantitative study, and push development of digital earth theory and quantitative geography research.