GIS and Remote Sensing
Geographic Information Systems store and display layers of spatial data, and remote sensing collects information from satellites.
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Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
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Geographic Information Systems store and display layers of spatial data, and remote sensing collects information from satellites.
- GPS finds locations
- Satellite images track change
- GIS layers can be combined
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is GIS and Remote Sensing?
Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains GIS and Remote Sensing. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.
Check that you can explain GIS and Remote Sensing in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding GIS and Remote Sensing helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
GIS and Remote Sensing in detail
Remote sensing collects information about the Earth from a distance, using satellites and aerial photography, and it is used to monitor weather, deforestation, urban growth and disasters. GPS uses satellites to give an exact location.
A Geographical Information System (GIS) stores, analyses and displays spatial data as layers on a map, such as roads, rivers, population and land use. Layers can be combined to answer questions, like finding the best site for a new school or mapping flood risk. GIS helps planners, emergency services and businesses make decisions, though data quality and cost matter.
How the interactive helps you understand GIS and Remote Sensing
Watch the network in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the network responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of GIS and Remote Sensing.
Real-life uses and examples
- Support an answer about GIS and Remote Sensing with a named case study and specific evidence.
- Interpret a graph or map that shows GIS and Remote Sensing and say what it suggests.
- Describe a real place where GIS and Remote Sensing can be seen, using a map or photograph.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing general statements without a named place or example.
- Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain GIS and Remote Sensing.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about GIS and Remote Sensing
What is GIS and Remote Sensing?
Geographic Information Systems store and display layers of spatial data, and remote sensing collects information from satellites.
What are the most important points about GIS and Remote Sensing?
The main points are: GPS finds locations; Satellite images track change; GIS layers can be combined.
Why is GIS and Remote Sensing useful?
Understanding GIS and Remote Sensing helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
How can I practise GIS and Remote Sensing?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to GIS and Remote Sensing?
Related topics in Geography include Latitude and Longitude, Reading Maps, Contour Lines and Relief.