CEP Geographic Information Systems 3

Question 1

What is the main difference between a geographic coordinate system (GCS) and a projected coordinate system (PCS)?

Accepted Answer

GCS uses latitude/longitude on a sphere while PCS uses x/y coordinates on a flat plane

Answer

A GCS references locations on a curved earth surface using degrees of latitude and longitude, while a PCS uses mathematical transformations to represent those locations on a flat, two-dimensional surface.

Question 2

An environmental planner uses GIS to merge two adjacent county-level datasets into a single seamless layer. Which operation achieves this?

Accepted Answer

Append

Answer

The Append operation combines multiple datasets of the same feature type into one output dataset, making it ideal for merging adjacent geographic areas.

Question 3

Which interpolation method in GIS is considered an exact interpolator, meaning it honors all input data points exactly?

Accepted Answer

Spline

Answer

Spline interpolation is an exact interpolator that forces the surface to pass through all input data points while maintaining a smooth continuous surface.

Question 4

In GIS-based environmental impact assessment, what does a viewshed analysis determine?

Accepted Answer

The area visible from one or more observer points based on terrain

Answer

Viewshed analysis uses a digital elevation model to calculate which areas can be seen from specified observer points, critical for assessing visual impacts of proposed projects.

Question 5

What is the primary function of a spatial index in a GIS database?

Accepted Answer

To speed up spatial queries by organizing features by location

Answer

A spatial index organizes geographic features by their location, dramatically reducing query time when searching for features within a specific area.

(CEP) Certified Environmental Planner Practice Test

(CEP) Certified Environmental Planner Practice Test

CEP Geographic Information Systems 3