Problems

Web Page Questions:

Answer the following questions using the web pages listed in the chapter.

1. How Far Is It? - http://www.indo.com/distance
Using the information on the web site, find the distances and the direction one would set off in for the following pairs of cities. <a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=jpg::City Pairs::/sites/dl/free/0072367229/9462/Image02_01.jpg','popWin', 'width=710,height=256,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif">City Pairs (19.0K)</a>City Pairs

2. U.S.G.S. National Mapping Information - http://mapping.usgs.gov/ (Click on "search," then ask for "elevations and distances.")
Find the geographic centers of the following areas:

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=jpg::Geographic Center::/sites/dl/free/0072367229/9462/image02_02.jpg','popWin', 'width=712,height=264,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif">Geographic Center (13.0K)</a>Geographic Center

Problems:

1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are means of storing and manipulating geographic information in a computer. With a GIS, data can be analyzed and displayed with a greater speed and precision than what was possible before their development. This has become particularly useful to researchers who must combine and analyze a large number of variables simultaneously. In order to show one of the ways in which a GIS can be manipulated, combine the following two maps below in order to create a composite, and then answer the following questions. Note: record the amount of time it took you to complete the job.

1. You have combined the two maps showing rainfall and vegetation. What patterns appeared once these two maps were overlaid? _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
2. How long did it take you? Relate that to the fact that the computer can do this instantaneously. _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
3. How accurate do you feel your drawing is compared to what a computer might accomplish? _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Consider each one of the squares in the grid to be a pixel. How would the accuracy of the map change if the

i. pixels were smaller in size?____________________________________________________________

ii. pixels were larger in size?____________________________________________________________

2. Draw the profile of the island which corresponds to the contour lines (beginning at sea level and assuming a 100 foot contour interval). <a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=jpg::Contour Map::/sites/dl/free/0072367229/9462/image02_04.jpg','popWin', 'width=699,height=474,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif">Contour Map (76.0K)</a>Contour Map

Critical Thinking Questions

1. A map's scale, projection and symbolization are important for both the cartographer and the reader. Explain how the cartographer is influenced by the choices available and how the reader can be influenced by the combination used by the cartographer.
2. Nowadays, people are so caught up with the use Internet resources to get information and with computer programs to analyze numeric data, that they forget basic research methodology. Why does library research, either manual or electronic, still play an important role in geographic research?
3. Imagine the United States west of the Mississippi River without a township and range system of land division. How different would the political and cultural landscape be if township and range had not been employed?
4. You have been given the task of supervising a team who will portray recently acquired information in map format. Since every map should contain basic components to allow the reader to interpret what is being presented, describe how would you instruct your staff to prepare the map to receive the data. List ten of the major components found on any map and explain why each is important and cannot be omitted.
5. Space photography has helped to improve our knowledge of the earth's surface. By what means has remotely sensed imagery enhanced our understanding of our planet?