Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Continously Variable Circle Map

A continuously variable circle map demonstrates the quantity of a variable through the use of circles which vary in size according to the quantity of the variable at that particular point without limiting the size options for the circles. In other words, the size of the circle directly relates to the quantity of the measured variable.



The map below demonstrates presidential candidate endorsements by newspaper, with the size of each dot representing the circulation of the newspaper.





http://infochimps.org/static/gallery/politics/endorsements_map/endorsement_graph.html

Monday, September 29, 2008

DOQQ (Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quads)

DOQQs combine an areal photograph with the geometric qualities of a map by georeferencing the image and orthorectifying it. (Orthorectification is the process of adjusting the photographs to minimize distortion created in capturing an image of three dimensional terrain and translating the information to a two dimensional map.



http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/software/mcmc/drgdoq_merge.gif

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Digital Elevation Model



A DEM is a digital map that shows terrain elevations for ground positions at regularly spaced horizontal intervals. They are often used to generate three dimensional images, with our without color, that show the relief of the location.



This image of the Sahara Desert was created using satellite imaging.

http://www.satimagingcorp.com/gallery/dem-sahara-tunisia-lg.html

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Digital Line Graph

Digital Line Graphs illustrate data such as topography, hydrography, boundaries, roads, utility lines, etc. with images stored as lines, points and areas.
The DLG shown here includes boundaries, hydrography and hypsography and can be found at

Friday, September 26, 2008

Digital Raster Graphics

A digital raster graphic, or DRG, is a scanned image of a United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map, which is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Universal Transverse Mercator projection.



http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/tsunamis/htm/images/ports/brook/brdrg.gif

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Isopach Map


Isopach maps illustrate rock or sediment thickness using contour lines. The map shown here shows the thickness of sedements beneath Long Island.


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Isohyet Map


A contour map that illustrates the third variable of rainfall using contour lines is an isohyet map.


This map represents the rainfall totals associated with Hurricane Rita in 2005.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/Drought2005.htm

Monday, September 22, 2008

Isotach Map


Isotach maps are contour maps which use contour lines to illustrate wind speed.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Isobar Map

This contour map uses isobars to demonstrate the third variable of air pressure.

http://metservice.co.nz/default/index.php?alias=mapsandobservations

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Contour Map

This image represents a contour map of the famous Mona Lisa. A contour map is a type of
hypsometric map that uses contour lines to represent a third variable. Contours are lines that join equal values of the variable being mapped at a constant interval that describe the elevational change between contour lines.


In this example, the overall shape and distortion of the surface of the Mona Lisa, is illustrated, with the contour interval defined at the right-hand side of the image.

This image can be found at http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/aboutUs/nrc90/monalisa/contour_e.html

LIDAR

LIDAR uses laser pulses and GPS to create highly detailed images of earth surface phenomena.

This map shows the Clear Fork Watershed in West Virginia.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Doppler Radar


Doppler technology utilizes microwaves to track direction and speed of suspended water droplets in the atmosphere. This map was created by NOAA to show the inbound and outbound velocity couplets associated with a tornado in Arkansas.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/images/blysrm.jpg

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Upcoming Events in Asia




Remote Sensing - Fires



The US Forest Service presents this map, shown here in both US and Florida views, to illustrate recent fire occurrences.

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/wms.php

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Remotely-Sensed Map - Aerial Photograph

This aerial photograph of a corn maze, also known as a "maize", is a perfect example of how a photograph can be considered a map. In this case, the map can be recognized in a literal sense as it can help a viewer find his or her way through the maze. Photographs certainly do not have to be so obvious to be considered a map.


Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Cartographic Animation




Through modern technology, cartographers are able to animate maps to better illustrate a concept of geographic progression. The cartographic animation shown here portrays the separation of the world's continents. (Click on the image to view the animation.)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Pangea_animation_03.gif

Monday, September 15, 2008

Statistical Map

Statistical map of Napoleon’s Russian campaign of 1812


The size of Napoleon’s army is shown by the dwindling width of the lines of advance (green) and retreat (gold). The retreat information is correlated with a temperature scale shown along the lower portion of the map. Published by Charles Minard in 1869

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Cartogram


This fashionable cartogram illsutrates world-wide clothing exports by portraying the size of each country not based on actual area of that country, but by the quantity of clothing that country exports.

http://www.worldmapper.org/images/largepng/83.png

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Flow Map


Flow maps are used to illustrate movement between places using flow lines that vary in width according to the quantity.


This map shows the flow of Texas truck freight.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas/combtrk_tx_1998.jpg

Friday, September 12, 2008

Isoline Map

An isoline map conveys numberical vaules for continuous distributions by means of lines joining points of equal vaule.


This map conveys the annual runoff depth of East China water transfer region and can be found at http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80157e/80157E0T.GIF.


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Proportional Circle Map

These proportional circle maps illustrate the distribution of four mineral deposits in the Selwyn Basin of Canada using circles that are sized according to the quantity of mineral found at that location.

http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/mindep/metallogeny/sedex/selwyn/images/fig22.jpg

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Choropleth Map



A chloropleth map is a type of a thematic map which identifies a statistical variable by geographical area. In this example, we see the results of the 2004 Presidential Election by state. This map shows a number of statistical elements, including the declared winner for each state, the margin by which he won and the voter turnout.


I look forward to adding to this post by updating this particular map in November.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Dot Distribution Map

Dots distribution maps use visual imagery to illustrate the quantity of a particular variable by showing the distribution of that variable over a given geographical location.


The dot distribution map shown here illustrates the distribution of the world's population.


Monday, September 8, 2008

Propaganda Map

When I think of propaganda, I immediately think of Nazi Germany. This propaganda map distorted a true representation of geographical data created by the Nazis to convince the British that they were surrounded.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Hypsometric Map


This hypsometric map shows the relief of the surface of the moon. Thid image portrays the topography of moon as the third dimension of the two-dimensional map through the use of vibrant color.


Saturday, September 6, 2008

PLSS


The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships, which is the level of information included in the National Atlas. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. Normally, a permanent monument, or marker, is placed at each section corner. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots.


This map of Alabama showing PLSS townships can be found at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alfrankl/landrecords.htm

Friday, September 5, 2008

Cadastral Map

A cadastral map, or so-called "indication sketch", became the graphical component of the cadastre around the middle of the 19th century. Maps were a result of the first trigonometric allocation. In this, all parcels were marked by topographic numbers and houses by house numbers. Cadastral maps show all houses, parcels, water areas and trails of particular villages.

http://agresearchservices.com/hist_sources.html

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Thematic Map

This thematic map shows the system behind the assignment of zip codes, with state names overlaid. Specifically, the creator of this map wanted to demonstrate what would happen if you connected each zip code in ascending order. The pattern illustrates some interesting information relating to the density of zip codes as assigned across the United States. It is important to note that not all of the breaks between zip codes match exactly with state borders, which are imposed behind the zip code distribution lines.



This map can be found at http://eagereyes.org/Applications/ZIPScribbleMap.html.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Topographic Map


It looks familiar, but it is no ordinary map.


It is part of the most detailed topographic map of the world ever made, according the US space agency NASA .


NASA noted that Australia was the flattest continent in the world. "Its low average elevation (300 metres) is caused by its position near the centre of a tectonic plate, where there are no volcanic or other geologic forces of the type that raise the topography of other continents.
"Prominent features of Australia include the Lake Eyre Basin, the darker green region visible in the centre-right. At 16 metres below sea level, this depression is one of the largest inland drainage systems in the world, covering more than 1.3 million square kilometres.


"The crescent-shaped uniform green region in the south, just left of centre, is the Nullarbor Plain, a low-lying limestone plateau, which is so flat that the Trans-Australian railway runs through it in a straight line for more than 483 kilometres."
Colour coding used in the map "is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations".

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Planimetric Map



A planimetric map is a two dimensional representation which includes no relief features, such a street map. The one planimetric map shown here is of St. Petersburg, FL















http://www.sanborn.com/products/CitySets_pdf/CSboundaries_STPETERSBURG.pdf

Monday, September 1, 2008

Mental Map

About.com:geography defines a mental map as "a map which represents the perceptions and knowledge a person has of an area." The image below is a spoof of President George W. Bush's perceptions and knowledge of the world. This is meant to be purely satirical and is not meant to demean or offend anyone, not even Mr. Bush himself.




"The World According to Dubya" can be found at http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/298202156_73e54012fa_b.jpg