Preface
Why I Wrote Introduction
to Geospatial Technologies
When people ask me what I teach, I say “geospatial technology.” The usual
response to this statement is a blank stare, a baffled “What?,” or a variation on
“I’ve never heard of that.” However, if I say I teach “technologies like GPS,
taking images from satellites, and using online tools like Google Earth or
MapQuest,” the response generally improves to “GPS is great” or “Google
Earth is so cool,” or even “Why do I get the wrong directions from that thing
in my car?” Although geospatial technologies are everywhere these days—
from software to Websites to cell phones—it seems that the phrase “geospatial technology” hasn’t really permeated into common parlance.
I hope that Introduction to Geospatial Technologies will help remedy this
situation. As its title implies, the goal of this book is to introduce several aspects of geospatial technologies—not only what they are and how they operate, but also how they are used in hands-on applications. In other words, the
book covers a little bit of everything, from theory to application.
In a sense, the book’s goal is to offer students an overview of several different fields and techniques and to provide a solid foundation on which further knowledge in more specialized classes (such as GIS or remote sensing)
can be built. Whether the book is used for a basic introductory course, a class
for non-majors, or as an introduction to widely used geospatial software
packages, this book is aimed at beginners just starting out. At Youngstown
State University (YSU), I teach an introductory class titled “Geospatial Foundations,” but I’ve seen similar-sounding classes at other universities with
names like “The Digital Earth,” “Introduction to Geospatial Analysis,” “Survey
of Geospatial Technologies,” “Introduction to GIS,” or “Computer Applications in Geography.” All of these courses seem aimed at the audience for
which Introduction to Geospatial Technologies was written.
Organization
The book is divided into four main parts.
Part 1 focuses on geospatial technology as it relates to spatial measurements
and data.
a Chapter 1, “It’s a Geospatial World Out There” introduces some basic
concepts and provides an overview of jobs, careers, and some key
technologies and applications (such as Google Earth).
xi
Why I Wrote Introduction
to Geospatial Technologies
When people ask me what I teach, I say “geospatial technology.” The usual
response to this statement is a blank stare, a baffled “What?,” or a variation on
“I’ve never heard of that.” However, if I say I teach “technologies like GPS,
taking images from satellites, and using online tools like Google Earth or
MapQuest,” the response generally improves to “GPS is great” or “Google
Earth is so cool,” or even “Why do I get the wrong directions from that thing
in my car?” Although geospatial technologies are everywhere these days—
from software to Websites to cell phones—it seems that the phrase “geospatial technology” hasn’t really permeated into common parlance.
I hope that Introduction to Geospatial Technologies will help remedy this
situation. As its title implies, the goal of this book is to introduce several aspects of geospatial technologies—not only what they are and how they operate, but also how they are used in hands-on applications. In other words, the
book covers a little bit of everything, from theory to application.
In a sense, the book’s goal is to offer students an overview of several different fields and techniques and to provide a solid foundation on which further knowledge in more specialized classes (such as GIS or remote sensing)
can be built. Whether the book is used for a basic introductory course, a class
for non-majors, or as an introduction to widely used geospatial software
packages, this book is aimed at beginners just starting out. At Youngstown
State University (YSU), I teach an introductory class titled “Geospatial Foundations,” but I’ve seen similar-sounding classes at other universities with
names like “The Digital Earth,” “Introduction to Geospatial Analysis,” “Survey
of Geospatial Technologies,” “Introduction to GIS,” or “Computer Applications in Geography.” All of these courses seem aimed at the audience for
which Introduction to Geospatial Technologies was written.
Organization
The book is divided into four main parts.
Part 1 focuses on geospatial technology as it relates to spatial measurements
and data.
a Chapter 1, “It’s a Geospatial World Out There” introduces some basic
concepts and provides an overview of jobs, careers, and some key
technologies and applications (such as Google Earth).
xi