Differences Between GIS and Surveying
Differences Between GIS and Surveying
Differences Between GIS and Surveying
On Sunday 30th October 2022, Geoinfotech hosted a Twitter Space to discuss GIS: MORE THAN JUST A TOOL IN SURVEYING.
Our GIS specialists and experts from the Lagos and Abuja Offices chipped in to speak on the topic giving several examples where applicable.
Let’s enumerate the dissimilarities between surveying the phenomena called GIS.
Firstly, GIS is a geographic information system (GIS) that creates, manages, analyzes, and maps all types of data. GIS connects data to a map, integrating location data (where things are) with all types of descriptive information (what things are like there). This provides a foundation for mapping and analysis that is used in science and almost every industry. GIS helps users understand patterns, relationships, and geographic context.
The benefits of these could include improved communication and efficiency as well as better management and decision-making.
Now, what is Surveying?
Surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is called a land surveyor.
Surveying makes it possible to build and create maps by observing and recording characteristics of the land as well as the distance between various points. For centuries, cartographers utilized manual surveying techniques to build and create maps of the physical layout of land.
- There are various kinds of surveying; Cadastral, Topographic, Aerial, Engineering survey, Mining survey, Hydrographic (Bathymetric) survey, Geodesy and so much more.
THE DIFFERENCES
Surveying has focused on precision and accuracy, while Geographic Information System has focused on data management, spatial analysis and visualization, and less on the spatial accuracy of data. Surveying has often been performed on local or assumed coordinate systems, while GIS has used standard projections and global coordinate systems.
HOW IS GIS USED IN SURVEYING
Surveyors use GIS to manage the entire planning aspect of a surveying project. GIS provides the tools necessary to research, develop, implement, and monitor the progress of a project and manage site location, environmental impact mitigation, economic analysis, and other critical facets.
