GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are extremely beneficial tools, but do have a few drawbacks. For this lab report, I used the ArcGIS program to create and edit a map from preexisting data. The map was based upon an airport and its surrounding area, and the airport's proposed expansion, along with how the noise form the airport affects schools and residential communities within a certain range.
GIS are useful because they allow individuals to compose and consolidate data into a visual map or reference that can be used in any number of different applications. It allows a person to not only figure out where something is, but also what it is and why it is there. Information and data are inputed into a GIS, and the outputs are the maps, scales, and surveys we use frequently throughout our lives. Without even thinking about it, we use our iPhones and MapQuest and other applications to make our everyday lives easier, and all these are made possible by GIS.
The problems with GIS are that they are often quite expensive programs and take a while to get to know how to use. They are quite effective, but they are not simple, and without the introduction to ArcGIS presented at the beginning of this lab, I would have been completely lost. Also, the outputs of GIS are time consuming to create, and I am well aware of this fact. I spent a collective 4 hours working on this lab.
All in all, the benefits of GIS far exceed the costs. While it does have a few downsides, its an extremely advantageous and productive tool, and without a doubt the most effective way to create and compose geographic information into references.
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