GEOG 3080

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GEOG 3080

• Map Types

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Maps contain geographic features
These may be Points Lines, which are made of
points Areas, which are made up of lines
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Some map types are
Physical Political Planimetric Topographic
Thematic Sometimes Remotely Sensed Images are
considered maps
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Physical Maps
Physical Maps highlight physical features, such
as rivers, lakes, mountains ranges, and other
elevated regions.
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Political Maps
Political Maps show the political boundaries of
countries, states, cities, and other political
entities. These are boundaries created by people
as opposed to naturally-occurring boundaries,
although people often use natural boundaries
such as rivers and mountain ranges to draw the
borders of countries, states, and cities.
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Sometimes a map can show both Physical and
Political features

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Planimetric Maps
Do not show relief features in measurable
form. May be the simplest maps. Include Base
Maps Outline Maps Cadastral Maps
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Base Maps
Background information over which a thematic map
is created. Can be simple or complex. Simple base
maps are often adapted from existing maps, they
may contain only shorelines and the boundaries
that outline a country, etc. Complex base maps
may include rivers, political boundaries,
transportation routes and other information.
What is required on a base map DEPENDS ON THE
PURPOSE OF THE MAP
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Outline Maps
Outline maps usually give a framework on which To
plot information. They are often used in
the Classroom.
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Cadastral Maps
Include the locations of property ownership
lines, along with their bearings and lengths,
the ownership and size of land parcels,
Information about the building and improvements
to the property and other similar information.
Line-Route maps are a specialized map of this
type Used by utility companies to show routes and
rights of way for transmission lines or
pipelines.
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Cadastral Maps
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Topographic Maps
Topographic Maps are used to show landscape
features and elevations
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Bathymetric Maps
Bathymetric maps show depth of water and the
bottom surface under water.
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Thematic Maps
Thematic Maps are designed to show a theme, a
single spatial distribution or pattern, using a
specific map type. The maps type can be almost
any of those discussed here.
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Choropleth Maps
Shaded map where data are classes and areas such
as states or countries are shaded or colored
according to their value.
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Dot Maps
Dot Maps use dots to depict the location of
features and may show the distribution of a
feature such as population over a base map. The
main goal is to provide a visual image of the
variation in the density of distribution of the
feature.
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Dot Maps
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Graduated Symbol Maps
On Graduated Symbol Maps the symbol size is
varied with the value of the feature being
mapped.
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Network Maps
Network Maps show a set of connected lines with
The same or similar attributes.
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Flow Maps
Flow Maps show the direction and amount of
movement with variations in line width, color
or both.
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Isoline Maps
Isoline Maps show numerical values for continuous
distributions by lines joining points of equal
value.
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Cartograms
Cartograms use a different standard of
measurement, such as time or cost, which is
substituted for distance measurements or in
which the area of region is made proportional to
some other measure, such as population or income.
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Cartograms

• All states are resized relative their population
• 1996 U.S. Population Cartogram

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Remotely Sensed Images or Data
Remote sensing the gathering of information by
the means of a sensor that is not in contact
with the features being observed. Major types of
remotely sensed images or data include Aerial
photographs Images from radar and other airborne
sensors Satellite images
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Aerial Photographs
Aerial Photographs are categorized by the angle
of view. Vertical lens is pointed straight
down Oblique lens is pointed at an angle away
from the vertical
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Vertical Aerial Photography
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Oblique Aerial Photography
San Francisco, California, May 5, 1906--Library
of Congress
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Radar Imaging
Radar active remote sensing technique which
involves the transmission, reflection, and
detection of radio waves in the microwave
wavelengths. The image is produced by a radar
unit.
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Radar Image
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Satellite Image
Image captured by instruments that are in Earth
orbit. Images are usually returned to earth as
digital data. There are a wide variety of images
for various uses.
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Satellite Image
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What type of map should you use?
Making the right decision is a matter of
experience and common sense but your decision
should be dictated by type of data, the
audience, and the purpose of the map.
   Sometimes the nature of the data or the
purpose of a map will dictate a particular
approach.