WITHOUT GIS, YOU ARE NO WHERE!

 Without GIS, You are no where!

Confused!🤔

Let me explain you. May be you don't know about the word Geographic Information System (GIS), but everyone is surrounded every time with spatial information technology. Because of GIS Technology only the vast world becomes small & people never lost even if anywhere he/she is? Its only because everyone keeps the whole world in his own pocket as a google map, google earth or whatever the mapping tools. Think only one decade before, you will get clear cut idea about the power of GIS Technology.

GIS, GIS, GIS ... What is GIS ? Don't worry I won't explain the traditional and old definition of GIS i.e You all know! And Wikipedia does it just same! “Geographic information system(GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geo spatial data.”

See how fast technology upgraded since last decade, now its time to change the GIS Definition too. So, next time if someone asks you the real new definition of GIS, you need to get ready. Here is the brand new way to define GIS!

GIS is as the web or mobile app that can help you to collect your data and integrate with maps that can we used to visualize and analyze the data to find out your queries or pattern.

You must be aware that how fast e-commerce platform (e.g amazon, flipkart, zomato, swiggy & many more) emerged and you will be surprised that in today date It delivers the service in rural areas as well. See how powerful the GIS is!👀 But the question is how it is possible?

To answer this question you need to understand some key facts about the changes in technology. See the world moved from desktops to servers to the web and now to mobile application as everyone uses mobile now a days. GIS also took this transition. GIS moved from desktop application, to server based, to WebGIS and now to mobile GIS application.

As all you know 'A picture is worth a thousand words'. What made the change is the need for people to take advantage of the power of maps, the power of location intelligence & the power of geography. And now a days we can't even think to go outside without GIS Maps like google maps, OSM, google earth etc.

Key things that made the changes in GIS Technology.

1. Satellite Imagery: Since the availability of base map data as a web services, the hectic task of creating base data are slowly started to decrease. so you no more to create base maps to visualize. Now a days if you want a street data, satellite imagery, elevation data, weather forecast or even traffic, You now have it at your fingertips in a GIS.

2. WebGIS: Now a days, the Cloud and SaaS models started to get popular, GIS is always there for you. No need to install & update any GIS Software. It’s always up-to-date!

3. No need to store: It is always available as per your demand ― on PC, mobile or tablet. Enterprises are taking the advantage of Cloud storage model of data.

4. You no more create map layouts every time to visualize the data: Since too many open source WebGIS style & templates are available that help you to visualize GIS data. You can also share and publish these results easily and tell stories with your data.

5. Convenient use: You don’t need to run tools to analyze data. the GIS started getting integrated with business data, processes, and workflows. Instead of running a toolbox, or script to do the analysis, the logic for analysis is already pre-defined and the analysis can even happen over the Cloud. If you don’t have the logic, you can always buy the tool as an App in the Cloud and run it.

6. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)/ Drones Technology: Drones are very hot topic amongst several disciplines. Sensors on the other hand are the equivalent of the human senses. Together, sensors mounted on drones, can collect all kinds of GIS & non-GIS Data in very short span of time with high resolution. It makes revolution in GIS Technology.

7. Geospatial Technology: Geospatial involves GPS(Global Positioning Systems), GIS(Geographic Information System), and RS(Remote Sensing). This technology offers a radically different way in which we produce and use maps to make our GIS world better. Following types of spatial technologies used in industry applications:

• Remote Sensing: Satellite imagery and geospatial data collected from satellite sensors or airborne cameras. Some commercial satellite images can produce very high resolution. Satellite imagery plays crucial role to enhance in the changes in GIS mapping project and serves as a source of information and data to support analysis and classification for geospatial assessment and modeling.
• Geographic Information System: It is a mapping platform for analysis of geospatial data which is georeferenced. GIS is also used in environment management for natural hazards and disasters, global climate change, natural resources, wildlife, land cover and many other application that makes human life easy.
• Global Positioning System: It is satellite-based navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver. Several countries have developed or are in the process of setting up other global or regional satellite navigation systems. The Russian Global Navigation System (GLONASS) was developed contemporaneously with GPS, but suffered from incomplete coverage of the globe until the mid-2000s. GLONASS can be added to GPS devices, making more satellites available and enabling positions to be fixed more quickly and accurately, to within two meters. China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System began global services in 2018, and finished its full deployment in 2020. There are also the European Union Galileo positioning system, and India's NavIC. Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a GPS satellite based augmentation system to enhance GPS's accuracy in Asia-Oceania, with satellite navigation independent of GPS scheduled for 2023.

Let me know if i miss anything important. Write your comments to improve this list.

TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF HYDROLOGICAL PARAMETERS & SPACEBORNE GRAVITY ANOMALY FOR DECIPHERING GROUND WATER SCENERIO IN NORTH-WEST INDIA

The north-western part of India covering the states of NCR Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh is reported to have been affected by severe ground water depletion. 

In this study, an attempt has been made to assess potential ground water recharge scenario of NW India and its significance in relation to satellite-based GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) gravity anomaly and field-based groundwater level (GWL) fluctuation scenario. The potential groundwater recharge scenario was assessed in the major drainage basins of NW India in terms of terrain suitability for groundwater recharge and average monsoonal surface water column available for underground infiltration. Terrain suitability was assessed essentially based on hydrogeology and terrain parameters such as geomorphology, lithology, soil depth and texture, topographic wetness index, and land use-land cover. On the other hand, the average monsoonal groundwater storage (GWS) change was derived from spaceborne GRACE gravity anomaly based monthly TWS change and pre- vs. post monsoon groundwater level (GWL) fluctuations. Satellite based and ground based monsoonal GWS change data were compared using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient which shows a good agreement between them. The potential groundwater recharge is high in the major part of Upper Ganga drainage basin and in parts of Yamuna and Narmada drainage basins. It is found to be low to very low in Luni-Ghaggar drainage basin including desertic region of Rajasthan and Kutch region of Gujarat states. In the remaining areas, it ranges from low to moderate. While comparing potential groundwater recharge with terrain suitability for groundwater recharge, we observed a sharp disagreement between them in Luni-Ghaggar drainage basin essentially due to very low surface water column available for underground infiltration which is inversely related to terrain suitability factor. The spaceborne GRACE gravity anomaly based average monsoonal GWS change was found to be low in Luni-Ghaggar drainage basin and north-western part of Yamuna drainage basin covering desertic region of Rajasthan, whole of Haryana, NCR Delhi, southern part of Punjab, western part of U.P. and Kutch region of Gujarat states. On the other hand, it is moderate to high in Narmada drainage basin, southern parts of Chambal and Yamuna drainage basins and eastern part of Upper Ganga drainage basin. Similarly, the GWL fluctuation based average monsoonal GWS change was found to be low in Luni-Ghaggar drainage basin and NW part of Yamuna drainage basin. In a large spatial extent of Upper Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal and Narmada drainage basins particularly along the flood plains of Yamuna, Chambal, Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati and Mahi rivers, GWS change was found to range from moderate to high. Overall, we found a positive correlation between spaceborne GRACE and ground-based GWL fluctuation based GWS change in 97.7% of the study area; out of which the correlation was moderate to high in 77.4 % area. In the comparison between potential groundwater recharge vs. observed GWL fluctuation based monsoonal GWS change, both high and low potential groundwater recharge classes with high increase in monsoonal GWS, which may be considered prospective and/or safe in terms of groundwater sustainability, occupy only 34.3 % of the study area. On the other hand, both high and low potential groundwater recharge classes with low increase in monsoonal GWS, which may be considered poorly prospective and vulnerable to groundwater depletion, occupy 62.1 % of the study area. Furthermore, the remaining two classes with decreasing monsoonal GWS (negative GWS change in the monsoon), those are at severe risk in terms of sustainability of groundwater, occupy 3.6 % of the study area. They are mostly confined to Luni-Ghaggar and NW part of Yamuna drainage basins covering parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and western U.P. states.

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