Overview of Geospatial Data

Introduction

Geographic information system (GIS) applications utilize various data types to effectively represent, analyze, and visualize spatial information. Two of the most commonly used data types in GIS are raster and vector data. The choice between these data types largely depends on the specific object or phenomenon being depicted and the desired level of detail.

Vector data is highly suitable for representing discrete objects like buildings, roads, and parks. It employs a coordinate-based data model, typically consisting of points, lines, and polygons. Vector data is the most prevalent type of GIS data and can be easily manipulated using GeoPandas.

Raster data, on the other hand, is ideal for representing continuous phenomena such as temperature variations on a lake’s surface, terrain elevation, or land cover types. Let’s explore some examples of these two fundamental data types in practice.