GEOG 1114 1stEdition Lecture 4Outline of Last Lecture Physical Geography: An Introduction to Earth III. A portrait of the Earth continued 1. Earth movements 1. Seasons: Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Fall Equinox, Spring Equinox 2. Time: Tropical year, Lunar month, Solar day, Time zones Outline of Current LectureIntroduction to Maps: The tools of Geography -Maps: Purpose? Types? Limitations? Characteristics:-Map Scale - Map Generalization-Map projections Current Lecture What is a map? It is spatial representation of phenomena What is a maps purpose? They are used to convey information, they help people understand spatial distributions and identifying patterns, and teach one about size, distance, directions, andunderstanding the layout of our planet. Three Types of Maps:1. General Reference- understanding of areas and a general idea of where things are 2. Thematic-You can have whatever theme you want. Ex: Soil Moisture across the U.S., restaurant locations, weather maps, etc. These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.3. 3-dimensional maps- Google Earth but the best example is the globe; it shows the true shapes of different parts of the world. Google Earth distorts the image. Map Limitations: -It is hard for a sphere to be portrayed on a two-dimensional surface-It took a whole decade to figure out how to draw a curvy line on a computer-It requires knowledge of how to use cartographic skills and scientific visualization to produce anideal map both in terms of interface and cartographic designMap Characteristics Scale- the mathematical relationship between objects shown on the map and the real world Expression of scale: 1.Fractional Map scale- (Representative Fraction: a.k.a. RF) expressed as a ratio or fraction Ex: 1:24,000 1/24,000 *It is dimensionless meaning you put the units in2.Graphic Map Scale- depicts scale with a bar graph 3.Verbal Map Scale- Ex: 1 inch is equal to 1 mile Large vs. Small Scale Fractional RelationshipSmall Scale- shows a large area with small detail- Smaller Representative Fraction (larger denominator)Large Scale- shows small area with large detail- Large Representative Fraction (smaller denominator)Map Generalization: All maps show only a selection of geographic phenomena.Generalization is influenced by the purpose of the map Three major techniques: 1.Simplification, 2.Classification, and 3.Symbolization1. Omitting details not essential to the purpose; that will clutter and confuse2. Ordering and grouping of data that reduces information to manageable forms3. Graphic coding; using small size/shape/colors of symbols for identificationProjections: A Systematic representation of all or part of the 3D earth surface onto 2D flat surface The Transform Process involves projecting the earth onto a simple geometric shape and flattening those shapes into two-dimensional cylinders, cones, or
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