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Making Sense of Maps

Making Sense of Maps. Doug R. Oetter Dept. of History and Geography Georgia College & State University 6 October 2004. Geography. Study of Earth phenomena Includes an analysis of distributional patterns and interrelationships among these phenomena. Two Branches of Geography.

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Making Sense of Maps

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  1. Making Sense of Maps Doug R. Oetter Dept. of History and Geography Georgia College & State University 6 October 2004

  2. Geography • Study of Earth phenomena • Includes an analysis of distributional patterns and interrelationships among these phenomena.

  3. Two Branches of Geography • Human geography • Populations & Migrations • Culture (Languages, Religions) • Regions • Trade & Transportation • Geopolitics • Physical Geography • Meteorology • Geomorphology • Biogeography • Soil science

  4. Technology, Tools, and Methods of Geography • Maps • Photographs and satellite images • Surveying • Global Positioning System • Field work and remote measurements • Instruments • Geo-statistics

  5. Maps • Maps are a way to record and store information • Maps are a means of analyzing locational distribution and spatial patterns • Maps are a method of presenting information and communicating findings • Maps are 2-dimensional representations of a 3-dimensional spheroid

  6. Maps and Mapping • Advantages of Maps • Graphic representations with symbolic language • Show spatial relationships with great efficiency • Can be changed through time and space • Useful to laypeople as well as geographers • Limitations of Maps • Can never be completely accurate because they leave out detail and conditions change • Map distortion is inherent due to the Earth’s curvature

  7. Global Grid • Parallels are always parallel and evenly spaced • 111 km (69 mi) • Meridians converge at the poles • Meridians and parallels cross at right angles

  8. Map Projections

  9. Essential Map Elements • Title • Legend • Scale • Orientation • Metadata

  10. Types of Maps • Thematic • Location • Distribution • Topographic • Isolines • Charts

  11. Thematic • Focuses attention on one feature or theme • Shows the distribution of a single attribute or the relationship among several

  12. Location • Shows geographic situation and other important locational information

  13. Distribution • Dot map shows relative density by position and number of dots

  14. Isolines • Isolines show boundaries between areas of equal value • Elevation • Air temperature • Precipitation

  15. Topographic • Contour lines plus surface features

  16. Charts • Specially designed to serve the needs of nautical and aeronautical navigators

  17. Small vs. Large Scale • Small scale • small amount of detail • small RF • Large scale • large detail • large RF

  18. Exercise 1: What Type of Map is This? • What does it show? • What scale is it?

  19. What makes a Good Map? • What is the motive, intent, or goal of the map? • Who will read the map? • Where will the map be used? • What data are available for the composition of the map? • What resources are available in terms of both time and equipment?

  20. Exercise 2: Can you Make a Map? • Mental Maps • A person's perception of the world is known as a mental map. • A mental map is an individual's own internal map of their known world.

  21. Traditional Mapping Methods • Manual technologies • Hand-drawn from navigators • Magnetic technology • Compass • Mechanical technology • Printing press • Photography • Field stations & surveying • Air photos • Stereoscopes and zoom transfers

  22. Digital technology • Hardware • Software • Data

  23. Modern Mapping Methods • GIS • Remote Sensing • Active • Emitting and detecting reflected signal • Passive • Detecting reflected sunlight or thermal signal • Computer Cartography

  24. GIS • Digitizer • Geocoding • Attributes • Digital Imagery • Digital Elevation Models • Point, Line, and Polygon Features

  25. Remote Sensing • Gathering and interpretation of all types of aerial and space imagery

  26. Aerial Photography • Vertical vs. oblique • True color, near-infrared

  27. Passive Remote Sensing • Thermal Infrared Scanning (TIR) • Multi-spectral sensors • Landsat • SPOT • Ikonos • MODIS

  28. Computer Cartography

  29. Exercise 3: GIS Demonstration

  30. Map Links

  31. Historical Maps http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites/hist_sites.html

  32. Internet Resources http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/

  33. Internet Resources http://ecaimaps.berkeley.edu/clearinghouse/

  34. Internet Resources http://www.timemap.net/

  35. Internet Resources http://www2.cr.nps.gov/gis/

  36. Internet Resources http://www.geographynetwork.com/

  37. Internet Resources http://www.esri.com/library/journals/archaeology/index.html

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