GIS is a unique field because of it’s connection to location. This has allowed it to expand across disciplines. This guide will look at how GIS is used in various disciplines and what you can do with GIS.

Geospatial Science Is Interdisciplinary

One of the most important things to understand about geospatial science is that it is not limited to a Single Discipline or Career Path.

Geospatial methods can be combined with fields such as:

  • Biology
  • Ecology
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Environmental Science
  • Agriculture
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Public Health
  • Business
  • Economics
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Archaeology

All of these different fiels fall into Major Areas for Geospatial Science.

Major Areas of Geospatial Science

Geospatial science encompasses several related disciplines and technologies.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are computer systems used to store, manage, analyze, and visualize geographic data.

GIS can be used to combine multiple datasets and examine relationships between them.

For example, a researcher could combine:

  • Roads
  • Rivers
  • Elevation
  • Land cover
  • Population
  • Building locations

to investigate questions about transportation, development, or environmental risk.

Remote Sensing

Remote sensing involves collecting information about Earth’s surface without directly interacting with the objects being studied.

Common sources of remotely sensed data include:

  • Satellites
  • Aircraft
  • Drones
  • Radar
  • LiDAR
  • Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors

Remote sensing can be used to monitor vegetation, map land cover, measure elevation, identify changes in glaciers, and observe environmental conditions over large areas.

Cartography and Visualization

Cartography is the practice of designing and creating maps.

Modern cartography extends beyond traditional paper maps. Interactive maps and web applications allow users to explore geographic information, turn data layers on and off, search locations, and interact with visualizations.

Effective geospatial visualization helps people understand complex spatial information and communicate research findings.

Global Positioning and Location Technologies

Global Positioning System (GPS) and other positioning technologies allow us to determine the location of objects and people on Earth’s surface.

Location technologies are used in applications such as:

  • Navigation
  • Field research
  • Surveying
  • Wildlife tracking
  • Transportation
  • Agriculture
  • Recreation

GPS is one example of a broader category of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

Spatial Analysis

Spatial analysis uses geographic data and computational methods to identify patterns and relationships across space.

For example, spatial analysis can help answer questions such as:

  • What areas are within a 10-minute drive of a hospital?
  • Where are populations concentrated?
  • Which locations are most vulnerable to flooding?
  • Are disease cases clustered geographically?
  • How does temperature vary across a landscape?

Spatial analysis often combines GIS with statistics, programming, and other computational methods.

Geospatial Programming and Data Science

Many modern geospatial workflows involve programming and data science.

Programming languages such as Python, R, and JavaScript can be used to:

  • Process large geographic datasets
  • Automate repetitive GIS tasks
  • Analyze spatial patterns
  • Create interactive maps
  • Access geospatial APIs
  • Build web mapping applications
  • Work with satellite imagery
  • Develop reproducible research workflows

Geospatial programming is particularly useful when working with large datasets or tasks that would be difficult to complete manually.

Geospatial Technology and Your Career

Learning geospatial skills does not necessarily mean pursuing a career specifically titled “GIS Specialist” or “Geospatial Scientist.”

Geospatial skills can complement many different career paths.

You might use geospatial technology to:

  • Analyze research data
  • Create maps and visualizations
  • Work with environmental datasets
  • Automate data-processing tasks
  • Build interactive websites
  • Analyze satellite imagery
  • Support business decisions
  • Manage infrastructure
  • Communicate research findings

For students and researchers, learning geospatial methods can therefore provide an additional set of tools that can be applied to problems in many different disciplines. This makes it ever more important to have a foundational knowledge-base for GIS, which will allow you to pursue a variety of careers you are interested in.

Next Steps

Upon finishing this section, we encourage you to check out GIS Fundamentals, or checkout our Learning Resources on the Geospatial Science homepage.

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