This overview of GIS was developed by Joseph P. Peters, a Solutions Engineer from Esri for Utah’s annual Maps on the Hill.  Entitled “A GIS Story: The power behind the map in the 21st Century” this site takes viewers through a cursory overview of the origin of geographic knowledge before providing an overview of GIS.
The compilation starts off with a look at the oldest known map, a Babylonian clay tablet dating back to 5 BCE and then segues into a look at Ptolemy, a Greek scholar who compiled all the known geographic knowledge into one atlas in around 150 CE.  Finally, the introduction part takes a look at John Snow’s famous cholera map, widely recognized as the beginnings of mapping out geographic data in order to analyze it.
The main section of this review of GIS provides examples of using GIS and geospatial technologies to gather and analyze data. Â Interspersed with explanatory text are story maps for viewers to explore each discussion point. Â The site is a great starting point for those interested in learning more about how GIS is being applied and the data and technologies driving its use. Â Earth observation imagery such as Landsat, LiDAR, and 3D mapping are all discussed in this story map.
Visit:Â A GIS Story:Â The power behind the map in the 21st Century
