1. Geography Tools and Methods

2. Geography Skills We use them daily to make personal decisions
Geographers use them to understand and explain concepts about the Earth
Cartographers, or mapmakers, use them to create maps and globes
Map: Two-dimensional representation that shows more detail than a globe
Globe: Three dimensional representation of the Earth showing area, distance and direction accurately

3. Map Projections
Projections: Cartographers project the round Earth onto a flat surface. The purpose of the map determines the type of projection used.
Planar:
Often used for maps of the poles
Most accurate at its center
Cylindrical Projection:
Projection of a globe into a cylinder
Most accurate near the Equator
Shapes and distances are distorted near the Poles
Conic:
Comes from placing a cone over part of the globe.
Best for showing limited east-west areas that are not too far from the Equator

4. Common Map Projections
Winkel Tripel:
Most general reference maps
Provides a good balance between size and shape of land areas
Robinson:
Has minor distortions as the polar areas are flattened

5. The World: A Robinson Projection

6. Getting It All On the Map
The World: Mercator Projection
In 1569, a geographer named Gerardus Mercator created a flat map to help sailors navigate long journeys across the globe.
The Mercator projection, or method of putting a map of the Earth onto a flat piece of paper, is used by nearly all deep-sea navigators.
The Mercator projection shows correct shapes, but not true distances or sizes.

7. Common Map Projections continued…
Goode’s Interrupted Equal-Area:
Resembles a globe that has been cut apart and flattened
Shows true size and shape, but distances are distorted
Mercator:
Distorts size and shape as it moves farther from the Equator
Accurately shows true directions and shapes of landmasses
Useful for sea travel

8. The World: Three Projections
Interrupted Projection
There are many ways to show a globe on a flat map. The interrupted projection map, on the left, shows real sizes and shapes of continents. The equal area map , below left, shows size accurately. The Peters projection, below, shows land and oceans areas and correct directions accurately
Peters Projection
Equal-Area Projection
OwlTeacher.com

9. Mercator Projection vs. Peters Projection

10. Determining Location Absolute Location: Latitude: Longitude:
Precise location using a coordinate system
Latitude and longitude most common
Measured by geographic positioning systems (GPS)
Latitude:
Also known as parallels,
Measures distance north and south of the Equator (0 degrees latitude)
Longitude:
Also known as meridians
Measure distance east and west of the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude), which runs through Greenwich, England
The opposite side of the Prime Meridian is the International Date Line at 180 degrees longitude

11. How Latitude and Longitude Form the Global Grid

12. Determining Location continued…
Global Grid: A series of latitude and longitude coordinates across the earth that help us to find absolute locations
Hemispheres:
The Equator separates the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres
The Prime Meridian separates the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres

13. The Hemispheres

14. Reading a Map
Scale Bar: Shows the relationship between map measurements and the actual distances on Earth.
Compass Rose: Shows the four cardinal directions: north, south, west and east.
Map Key: Lists and explains the symbols, colors, and lines used on a map. Sometimes called a legend.

15. Scale
Scale: a consistent, proportional relationship between the measurements shown on the map and the measurement on the Earth’s surface.
Small-Scale Maps: Shows a large area with little detail
Large-Scale Maps: Shows a small area with a great amount of detail

16. The Power of Scale
Influence of processes operating at different scales
Context of a phenomenon in what is happening at different scales
Political use of scale to change who is involved or how an issue is perceived

17. Why Are Geographers Concerned with Scale and Connectedness?
Scale: Territorial extent of something
Varying scales of observations
Local
Regional
National
Global

18. Local
National
Global

19. Types of Maps Reference:
Political: Shows the boundaries and locations of countries, states, counties, cities, or towns. Most are human made features.
Physical: Shows location and topography (the shape) of the Earth’s features including water features, landforms, and relief and elevation

20. Types of Maps Continued
Thematic: Emphasize a single idea or particular kind of information
Qualitative:
Uses colors, symbols, lines, or dots to show specific information related to an idea.
Often shows historical information
Flow-Line (flow vector):
Illustrate movement of people, animals, goods, and ideas, as well as physical processes like hurricanes and glaciers
Arrows are used to represent the flow or direction of movement

21. Why Do Geographers Use Maps, and What Do Maps Tell Us?
Types of maps
Reference maps
Locations of places and geographic features
Absolute locations
Thematic maps
Degree of an attribute
Pattern of distribution
Information/data
Movement
Relative locations

22. Reference Map

23. Thematic
Map

24. Determining Location continued…
Relative Location:
Location in relation to something else
Changes over time with changing circumstances

25. Mental Maps
Maps we carry in our minds of places we have been and places we have heard of
Activity Spaces
The places we travel to routinely in our rounds of daily activity

26. Geographic Information System (GIS) Computer hardware
and software that
permit storage and
analysis of layers of
spatial data

27. Geographic Information Systems
GIS:
Software and hardware used by cartographers
Data from various sources such as maps, satellite images, printed text, and statistics are entered and the GIS converts the data to a digital code
The information is then processed into layers to produce maps.
This system allows cartographers to make maps and change them quickly and easily

28. Area of impact and destruction
Remote Sensing and GIS
Satellite image
(direct observation)
Hurricane Katrina, 2005:
Area of impact and destruction