论地理信息系统及其在地理学中的地位

地理信息系统技术的兴起代表了地理学发展的一个重要方向。地理信息系统是一门处理地理(空间)数据的综合信息技术,它属于技术地理学的范畴,它为资源与环境的管理和规划以及地理学的研究提供了一个革命性工具。另一方面,地理信息系统的建立和应用又依赖于地理学理论和实用模型的发展。进一步勾通地理信息系统与空间分析之间的关系是目前促进地理信息系统发展的重要课题。

ON GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ITS STANDING ROLE IN GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE

The rise of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is one of the main developing trends in geography science. For facilitating the development of the technology, it is very important and necessary to deal with the basic theories of GIS and its relation with geographical science. | Many terms are used as synonyms for GIS. This paper reviwes the terms and concepts used in the literiture of geography- It views that GIS is not a simple information system, but a complex information technology. The significant feature of this technology is focused on the geographic (spatial refernced) data handling. The GIS components are user interface, database management, detabase creation, spatial data manipulation, analysis and display and product generation GIS provides a strong tool for management and planning of resources and environment so it is of an organizational function. GIS technology is often related with many other sciences that are concerned with spatial data. Specially, GIS has a very strong relation with geography, which can be seen as the "father" science to GIS. Geography offers spatial analysis and operational models to GIS. and GIS provides a revolutionary tool to gegoraphical research. It is concluded that GIS belongs to the domain of scientific geography and represents one of the two developing trends in geographical science. At present, the lack of mutual awareness between spatial analysis arid GIS is a major impediment to the dissemination and adoption of this technology, which makes a major task for geographer-