Gps vs. Gis

GPS vs. GIS Global Positioning System (GPS) is a system that accurately determines the precise position of something on Earth. GPS is a constellation of twenty four satellites, each of which orbits Earth once every twelve hours. The U. S. Department of Defense operates and maintains these Global Positioning System satellites. Each satellite contains a high precision atomic clock and several transmitters that constantly send radio signals back to Earth. These signals communicate the satellite’s unique identification code, health, and position in space. Global Positioning Systems and base stations units in the fields receive these satellites and use them to calculate positions. All Global Positioning Systems receivers collect the locations of real world features (represented as points, lines or areas), and some can store descriptive data, or attributes, about these features. (1) Global positioning systems have been fully operational since April 27, 1995. GPS have become widely used worldwide, and a useful tool for map making, land surviving, commerce, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, and hobbies such as geocaching. Also, the precise time reference is used in many applications including the scientific study of earthquakes and as a required time synchronization method for cellular network protocols . (2) Geographers find GPS to be particularly useful in coding the precise location of objects. That information can later be enters as a layer in geographic information systems. (2) Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system that can capture, store, query, analyze, and display geographic date. 3) Geographic Information Systems allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. A Geographic Information Systems helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. Geographic Information System technology can be integrated into any enterprise information system framework. GIS is most often as sociated with a map. A map, however, is only one way you can work with geographic data in a Geographic information System, and only one type of product generated by a GIS. A GIS can provide a great deal more problem-solving capabilities than using a simple mapping program or adding data to an online mapping tool. When GIS software was first created, it required powerful computers and extensive training. Now, anyone can develop a desktop map. (3) (1) www. gps. gov (2) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/GPS (3) Rubenstein chapter 1