Question on checking GPS coordinates

AlexiGeorge

Hi,

I am mapping GPS coordinates and then manually zooming into each coordinate to make sure that it is falling near evidence of a village (near buildings, roads, or a deforested area), and that the points are not falling within a water body.  I am just overlaying the GPS layer with the Basemap.  Essentially, I am "cleaning" the GPS data by checking each point for its accuracy. 

I am wondering if there is a certain way to sort the GPS layer so that points "within a water body" or a "certain distance away from buildings/roads/deforestation" could be made apparent? 

This way, I would not have to go through each point, zooming into each one to visually assess this.

Please let me know if this makes sense and if there is a way to do this!

Thanks

ChrisDonohue__GISP

If you are using ArcMap, there are several ways you could run an analysis to find the points that do or do not fall where you expect them.  The general topic to read up on is "Overlay Analysis".

- For example, if you have a polygon feature class of water features, you can use it to Clip the GPS points file and the result will be points that fall within the water features.

Clip (Data Management)

ArcGIS Help (10.2, 10.2.1, and 10.2.2)

- Another way to find the points in water is to do Select By Location  to determine which GPS points fall within the water and then export the resulting selection as a new feature class so you can then review them.

ArcGIS Help (10.2, 10.2.1, and 10.2.2)

- A third way would be to use a Spatial Join, which will add attribute information to your GPS points which can then be used to differentiate if they fell in water or not.

ArcGIS Help (10.2, 10.2.1, and 10.2.2)

- In regards to proximity to buildings, if you want the GPS Points to be within a certain distance of a building, if you have a building feature class, you can Buffer the building feature class by that distance to create a "capture area", then use one of the processes above to establish whether the GPS points fell within that capture.

Buffer (Analysis)

ArcGIS Help (10.2, 10.2.1, and 10.2.2)

Chris Donohue, GISP