UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2016/2017
ORDINARY EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREES OF BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BIT2307 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
FULLTIME/PART TIME/DISTANCE LEARNING
DATE: AUGUST, 2017 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One & ANY OTHER TWO questions.
QUESTION ONE: 30 MARKS (COMPULSORY)
a) Using examples describe vector data as used in GIS (3Marks)
b) Explain the following terms with reference to geographic information systems;
i. Layer (2Marks)
ii. UTM (2Marks)
iii. Topographic map (2Marks)
iv. The Georeferencer (2Marks)
c) Describe five applications of GIS today (5Marks)
d) Attribute data stored in the GIS consists of three basic types. Name any two of these
(2Marks)
e) Explain how each of the following is performed in Qgis:
i) Setting the CRS of a raster image (3Marks)
ii) Creating a new vector layer (3Marks)
iii) Georeferencing a raster image (3Marks)
iv) Digitizing (3Marks)
QUESTION TWO: 20 MARKS
a) Write notes on Raster data structures with focus on the following: (16Marks)
i) Tin ( triangular irregular network)
ii) Run length encoded data structures
ii) Chain encoding
iv) Quad tree data structure
b) Many GIS applications are in existence today, both commercially and in open source.
List the various types of these applications (4Marks)
QUESTION THREE: 20 MARKS
a) Give the meaning of the following terms as used in GIS
i) Web GIS (2Marks)
ii) DEM (2Marks)
iii) Datum (2Marks)
iv) GPS (2Marks)
v) Elipsoid (2Marks)
b) i) List the main types of DBMS are available to the GIS users today (2Marks)
ii) Describe the steps involved in the creation of a GIS database (8Marks)
QUESTION FOUR: 20 MARKS
a) Define the term topology (2Marks)
b) Explain the three major elements that characterize topology (6Marks)
c) Explain the steps involved in putting a GIS to work (8Marks)
d) Define OTF and explain its importance in any GIS project (4Marks)
QUESTION FIVE: 20 MARKS
a) Explain the major sources of spatial data (8Marks)
b) Name any four types of spatial entities used to represent geographic features (4Marks)
c) Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using raster data for spatial representation
(8Marks)
