GEOG 3530/8535: Introduction to Cartography and GIS

Updated: January 27, 2008
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Dr. Michael P. Peterson
University of Nebraska at Omaha

Syllabus | Contact
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Readings / Online Resources (DSC 285)

Exercises (DSC 296)

1

Introduction to Cartography and GIS

  • Overview of course
  • Overview of GEOG 3540/8545
  • Delivery of maps through the Web.
  • GIS opportunities
  • Google's API and Mashups

Before the Lab

  1. Read What is HTML?
  2. Do My First Page
  3. Do Basic Formatting
  4. Do Basic Links
  5. Do Basic Images
  6. Get a picture or yourself (find, scan, or take)
  7. Make a page with your name, picture, educational background, major. Filename: bio.htm

During the Lab

  1. How to upload to: http://myfolder.unomaha.edu
  2. HTTP address of bio.htm
  3. Making an index page for assignments

2

No class

<html>
<h1> Comparison of Online Mapping Sites </h1>
<hr>

<h2>Google Map</h2>
<img src=googlemap.jpg>
<br>
Google does a nice job of labeling the streets in this area. All the
streets are shown relatively correctly but they are generalized. For
example, Pierce street has more curves than is shown on the map.

<h2>Yahoo! Map</h2>
<img src=yahoomap.jpg>
<br>
This would be the comment on the map from Yahoo.

<h2>MapQuest Map</h2>
<img src=mapquestmap.jpg>
<br>
This would be the comment on the map from MapQuest

Repeat this for all of the maps.
</html>

Before the Lab
Examine differences between the following online mapping sites by mapping the location of your home. Create a "MapsOfHome.htm" web page. Comment on the accuracy and quality of the various online maps from these sites. Crop the map from a screen capture from each site. Use the html code to the left to present the maps and comments.

  1. maps.google.com
  2. maps.yahoo.com
  3. mappoint.msn.com
  4. www.mapquest.com
  5. http://www.mapblast.com/
  6. http://www.mapsonus.com/
  7. http://www.maporama.com/

During the Lab

Presentation of web pages. Examination of differences between maps.

phpDesigner 2007 - Personal 5.0.2 (Download)
 

Chapter 1 - Questions from the readings:

  1. What is the distinction between analog and digital cartography?
  2. Why does cartographic development lag behind technological potential?
  3. Why is the impact of the transition to computers more immediate than with previous technological changes that influcenced cartography?

Chapter 24 - Questions from the readings:

  1. Why is selection more difficult in analog vs. digital cartography?
  2. Which generalization concept would involve the smoothing of line features?
  3. Enlarging the width of roads would be an example of which generalization concept?
  4. Explain the centrality of classification in both maps and language.

Before the Lab

  1. Read through the JavaScript section from Chapter 7 in handout. Implement 7.1 - 7.3 & 7.6 - 7.7
  2. Google Maps API key sign-up - You will need a Google account and you tell Google that your web directory is: http://myweb.unomaha.edu/~username/
  3. Have your Google Maps API key available in a text file on your USB drive.

During the Lab

  1. Review phpDesigner
  2. Examine the remaining JavaScript examples - link
  3. Implement the remainging examples with changes.
  4. First Google Map (change lat/long)

3

Mental Maps
Online Reading List

  1. Krygier Overview
  2. Mental maps in taxi drivers
  3. Mental, Virtual and Real Maps

Questions from the readings:

  1. How is information acquired for mental maps?
  2. What does the article about taxi drivers say about the formation of mental maps?
  3. How do maps affect the formation of mental maps?

Before the Lab

During the Lab

  1. Second Google Map - 10 Random Markers (change lat/long)
  2. Third Google Maps: Clickable marker (change lat/long)

4

Map Scale
Chapter 6
Online Resources

  1. University of Arizona guide to Map Scale
  2. USGS Map Scale
  3. An Introduction to Map Scale
  4. Guide to Map Scale
  5. Scale Calculator

Map Scale Assignment (print these pages and attach to other scale assignment; due Feb. 18)

Before the Lab

  • Implement the Haversine formula in Chapter 7 to calculate the distance between two points.

During the Lab

Convert the script in the following example so that the default lat/long values are for cities in Nebraska (or in the local area). Add your own graphic on top of the page. Remove the Movable Type Scripts text. Implement the Google Maps section so that the two points are shown.

http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html

Retain copyright notice.

5

History of Cartography
Chapter 3

  1. How Eratosthenes Measured the Circumference of the Earth
  2. What importance is ascribed to the South Pacific stick charts.
  3. What do cartographers and historians see in old maps?
  4. How old are the maps of Babylonia and Mesopotamia? What did they depict?
  5. Why are there no surviving maps of the Egyptian period?
  6. The greeks Poseidonius and Eratosthenes both calculated the circumference of the earth. How did they do it and what was the difference in their calculation.
  7. What were the accomplishments of Ptolemy?
  8. What is a Peutinger Table?
  9. What is a T in O map?
  10. What are Portolan and Catalan charts and what do they represent?
  11. What were the major accomplishments in cartography during the during the latter part of the renaissance, particularly the 1400s.
  12. For navigation, how was latitude and longitude ultimately determined, and when.
  13. Describe the work of Snow, an early example of thematic cartography. How is his work related to GIS?

Before the Lab

  • Read about Google markers
  • Find your own set of markers

1) Design your own marker and place on a map:

2) Lines with Google Maps. You'll need to use the interactive polyline encoder utility to get convert the latitude/longitude points to a text string.

3) Geocode your own address.

Geocoding Multiple Addresses

1) Data: (Last name A-L) Omaha Homicides 2000 | (Last name M-Z) Omaha Homicides 2001

2) Use http://www.batchgeocode.com/ to convert the addresses to latitude/longitude values.

3) Example marker file - data.xml

<markers>
<marker lat="41.257085" lng="-96.007312"/>
<marker lat="41.257899" lng="-96.005906"/>
<marker lat="41.258899" lng="-96.009538"/>
<marker lat="41.258534" lng="-96.012588"/>
<marker lat="41.259193" lng="-96.015652"/>
</markers>

4) Geocoding Example - Omaha Burglary (Takes a while because there are a lot of points.)

6

The Modern Era in the History of Cartography
Data Models:  Chapter 10
Digital Databases: Chapter 13
Questions from the readings:

  1. When did aerial photos start to be used for making maps?
  2. What is parallax?
  3. What is photogrammetry and how did benefit topographic mapping?
  4. What is a stereoplotter?
  5. What is an orthophoto?
  6. What is vector graphics?
  7. Provide an example of a map presented in a raster format.
  8. What is topology? Tesselation? TIN? Attribute?

Google Maps - Lines, Areas, choropleth maps

All Google code

 

7

Computer Mapping & GIS (in DSC 285)
Digital Databases: Chapter 13

Describe the following databases:

World Data Bank, DLG, DEM, TIGER, Soils Survey Geographic Data Base (SSURGO), NWI, Orthophotos, DOQ, DOQQ, Landsat, AVHRR, data formats and conversion, Shapefile, Geodatabase, Standard

Introduction to ArcGIS
Omaha Census
Filename:  omahamap.pdf

8

Exam 1 (in DSC 285)

Acquiring coordinates with GPS

GPS PowerPoint Slideshow (download and open with PowerPoint)
GPS Slideshow as a Web page

  1. When was the GPS program begun?
  2. How many satellites are used in GPS? What is their elevation and how often to they orbit?
  3. Explain the use of the pseudo-random code with GPS?
  4. What is selective availability?
  5. What is GDOP?
  6. What is differential GPS?
  7. What are different methods of providing differential data

Note how the GPS units initially show a map showing the position of the satellites that are currently in view. This is based on the "almanac" in each unit that calculates the position of the satellites based on the current time and day. It will take a few minutes for each unit to get the necessary readings from these satellites. If the signals from at least 4 satellites is strong enough, the unit can determine its position. Accuracy is usually less than 3 meters but this depends on a number of factors, including how the satellites are distributed in the sky.

Presentations of Web pages and exercises

Each student will demonstrate their web page, and contents.


9

Coordinate Systems
p. 99-110

  1. What is a rectangular coordinate system?
  2. What are eastings and northings?
  3. What is the purpose of a false easting and false northing?
  4. How many zones in the UTM system?
  5. A UTM northing on a USGS map represents the number of meters north from what line.
  6. In the USGS UTM, how many meters east of the zone's central meridian is the origin of the false easting measurements.
  7. When was the State Plane Coordinate system created and for what purpose?
  8. Find a map of the SPC system in the U.S.
  9. In the USPLS system, what is the origin for Nebraska and Kansas?
  10. How are townships numbered away from this origin?
  11. What is an unfortunate side-effect of the straight roads of the USPLS system?

Mapping GPS Points

Mapping GPS Points with Google Maps

The GPS points will be entered into a marker file called "data.xml" and mapped with Google maps. Output the map as a PDF file and add to your folder as GPS.pdf.

Extra Credit: Mapping GPS Points with ArcGIS

The GPS points collected on campus will be entered into Microsoft Access. This data file will be imported into ArcGIS and mapped. Label each point.

Topographic Maps
Topo and Image Map Page Template
Filename:  topomaps.htm

10

Map Projections
pp. 48-58 & Chapter 5 | PowerPoint

Get the Quicktime player for the following movies:
Movie on Great Circle | Movie on Projection

  1. How did the word "projection" come about?
  2. In a true projection system, what are the three developable surfaces on which to project?
  3. What are the four types of distortion caused by a map projection? Which can controlled the best?
  4. Describe Tissot's Indicatrix?
  5. What is a conformal projection?
  6. What is a transverse Mercator? What are its advantages?
  7. What is an equal area projection?
  8. Describe an equi-distant projection?
  9. Draw the typical graticule for the Mercator, sinusoidal, Molleweide, and Goode's homolosine.

Map projection gallery, TU-Vienna

Map Projections with ArcMap
Lab Template
Lab Data
Example
Filename:  project.htm

ArcMap will be used to make various map projections of the earth. Include the graticule on all projections.

11

Ground Survey
Chapter 7
Geodesy PowerPoint

  1. What is a geodesist?
  2. What is a plane surveyor?
  3. What is a baseline?
  4. What's an EDM?
  5. What's a theodolite?
  6. What is the destinction between an open and a closed traverse?
  7. How is differential leveling used?
  8. What is a "total station?"

Data Classification

  1. Classification Assignment
  2. Classif.htm (Fill-out this form and include a link on your web page. Also, include a link to your Excel file to show your work.

 

12

Data Measurement & Data Classification
p. 271-290; p. 516-522

  1. The land-water distinction is qualitative or quantitative?
  2. What are the three types of quantitative data?
  3. A map depicting 5 categories of population density data is showing what kind of quantitative data?
  4. Temperature in F and C is an example of what type of quantitative data?
  5. Why can't we say that 40 F is twice as warm as 20 F?
  6. What is a quantile? Quartile? Quintile? Decile?
  7. In a normal distribution, what percentage of the observations are under the curve at plus and minus 1 and 2 standard deviations from the mean?
  8. Explain the equal-steps (equal interval) classification method?
  9. What is the natural breaks classificaton system?

Online choropleth mapping

  1. Social Explorer
  2. American Factfinder
  3. Vienna map
  4. GeoClip

Assignment: Compare your calculations to the categories calculated by ArcGIS to your. What are the differences?

13

Remote Sensing
Chapter 8
An Introduction to Remote Sensing

Lidar Image of Lincoln

  1. What is a micron?
  2. What micron range corresponds to the visual spectrum?
  3. What is a spectral reflectrance curve and envelope?
  4. Describe the blocking effect of the earth's atmosphere over the 0.3 to 60 micron range?
  5. What are the four types of film used in remote sensing?
  6. What is a multispectral scanner?
  7. How does radar differ from other forms of remote sensing?
  8. What is the Thematic Mapper (TM)?
  9. How does TM compare to SPOT in spectral and spatial resolution?
  10. What is IKONOS?

Use ArcMap to map the four classifications that you calculated. Combine four maps onto a single display.

Download: Omaha Census

ArcMap uses the same equal interval and quantile classifications. Compare your equal interval and quantile breaks to those calculated by ArcMap. Make a side-by-side comparison your classification and ArcMaps.

Product - 3 PDF files:

1) Your four classifications on a single display.

2) Equal interval classification comparison with two maps.

3) Quantile classification comparison with two maps.

 

14

GIS
Chapter 17 (pp. 299-311)

  1. What are the four components of a GIS?
  2. What distinguishes the three stages of maturity and complexity of a GIS?
  3. What is rubber sheeting? Edge-matching?
  4. Describe the distinction between raster and vector digitizing?
  5. What is a common problem in digitizing polygons?
  6. What is topology?
  7. What are Thiessen polygons?
  8. What does "drape an image" mean?

From Job Opportunities in GeoTechnology

  1. How fast is the geospatial market growing?
  2. Why has Space Imaging grown by 70% in the last year?
  3. What type of education does Richardson see as important?
  4. What is the demand for remote sensing expertise in the UK?

Online Remote Sensing Resources
Remote Sensing Page Template
Filename: remotesensing.htm

Online GIS Template
Filename:  onlineGIS.htm

Contour Mapping by Computer

  1. Golden Software
  2. Contour and 3D Assignment
  3. x,y,z coordinates

Filenames:  contour.jpg, shaded.jpg, arrow.jpg, and wire.jpg
16 Dynamic / Interactive Mapping
Chapter 29
  1. What is a static representation?
  2. What introduced the potential of cartographic
    animation?
  3. What is a temporal animation?
  4. What is the most common type of temporal
    animation?.Another example.
  5. What would be different about a cartographic
    zoom compared to a photographic zoom?
  6. Describe the animation that alters the
    number of classes    .
  7. Describe the animation that alters the
    classification method    .
  8. What is happening in this animation?
  9. What type of animation is this?
  10. How would animation help with navigation?
  11. How is interactive cartography different
    from GIS?

Finalizing "Default.html" web page

Make sure that all of your links work properly on your default page.

Review for final exam
  Final Exam Week Final Exam DSC 296
Wednesday May 7 1-3 PM