Intro: My name is Rio Obenauf, I am a sophomore majoring in Sociology and Environmental Studies. I work in the costume shop for the Theater department. I plan to go to grad school for Environmental Sociology after graduation and figure out what I want to do from there, likely studying social vulnerability or biodiversity conservation. I took GEOG 347 in the fall and we worked a lot with ArcGIS. I struggled with this class because I had no background knowledge or experience with GIS so I am excited to learn more about the software without the stress of trying to figure it out as I go.
Schuurman Chapt
er 1: I had not heard of GIS before coming to OWU but it’s incredible just how many ways it can be utilize
d and how vast its reach is. I had no idea how much controversy surrounded GIS as far as how it’s regarded, whether as an extension of mapping or as a tool for quantitative analysis. I was previously unfamiliar with many of the terms used in this article including the terms GIScience and GISystems. Geographic Information Science is the science behind the GIS software and is the study of geographic information, focusing on theories, methods, and technologies. GISystems are the software and hardware used to collect, store, analyze, and display data.
In GEOG 347 we used GIS to analyze rates of deforestation over an area in Guatemala. Our data went back to 1970 so it was cool to see the evolution in quality from then to 2025. Images from 1970 were nearly unusable because of how fuzzy they were. We also used GIS to analyze temperatures in central Ohio to study the Columbus urban heat island. I had no idea how wide the range of applications for this framework is and that it initially gained appreciation in the architectural community. I greatly appreciate just how versatile GIS is and how many contexts it can be applied in. GIS has gained traction in so many disciplines and communities that I am sure I will have an opportunity to use these skills in my future career. I am grateful to have this opportunity to learn how to use this software as it is a great ability to possess for the field I plan to go into.
GIS Application 1: GIS can be used to analyze flood prone areas to aid in disaster mitigation and predict future flooding events. This study researched flood pr
eparedness in Thailand, specifically in the elderly population.
https://doi.org/10.3390/w14081268
GIS Application 2: This study used GIS to monitor animal and habitat biodiversity. They used GIS because it accommodates large varieties of spatial and attribute data. Data on species and habitat distribution from different dates allow monitoring of the location and the extent of change.