Abstract
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) supports data collection, geospatial data analysis, visualization, scientific communication and research collaboration. GIS has implications for many fields of the Earth Sciences, which are above and beyond one's imagination. Since the development of the first computerized GIS in the 1960s, the need by professionals for geospatial technology in fields that utilize geospatial data has never stopped expanding. As noted by a market analysis in August 2017: “The GIS Market was valued at USD 5.33 Billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 10.12 Billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.6% between 2017 and 2023” (marketsandmarkets.com, August 2017). Earth Sciences encompasses a broad and diverse array of technical areas, such as geology, geomorphology, geography, geophysics, hydrology, hydrogeology, environmental sciences, oceanography, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences. All of these fields use geospatial data to solve complex problems related to the planet Earth. Some of these problems are near impossible to solve without the use of GIS. This article presents a brief introduction to GIS and examples of its applications to the Earth sciences. Three case studies highlight the utility of GIS applications in compiling, integrating, analyzing and visualizing geospatial data.
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