Cartographic Communication

1
Cartographic Communication
2
Two Types of Maps

• Reference Maps
• Show locations of places and geographic features
• Absolute locations
• What are reference maps used for?

• Thematic Maps
• Tell a story about the degree of an attribute,
  the pattern of its distribution, or its movement.
• Relative locations
• What are thematic maps used for?

3
Graduated Circle Maps or Proportional symbol

• shapes of different sizes to show where and how
  much
• Larger the circle more phenomenon
• Single variable
• Population, median income, wheat production, or
  average land value

Swine Flu
4
(No Transcript)
5
Dot Map

• A single or specified number of occurrences is
  represented by a dot
• Good for suggesting spatial pattern,
  distribution, and dispersion
• Poor at showing precise value

Crime Map
6
Commercial wireless signals
7
Isometric/Isopleth/Isoline Map

• Features isolines that connect points registering
  equal values of whatever is being mapped.
• Isoline show where there is a uniform occurrence
• Poor at showing information that might be patchy

8
Perception of Place
Where Pennsylvanian students prefer to live
Where Californian students prefer to live
9
(No Transcript)
10
Choropleth

• Shows data in a predetermined unit.
• Each unit is shaded to represent how much of an
  item in the borders
• Can give a false impression of abrupt change
• Smaller units are better than larger (1-5) is
  more accurate than (1-50)

Election Results
11
Cartogram

• Uses statistical data to transform a space so
  that the largest unit on the map is the one
  showing the greatest statistical value
• Gives a good visual representation of quantity
  but not good at communicating exact numbers

12
(No Transcript)
13
Most thematic maps have

• Simplification-
• What has the cartographer chosen to keep
• Why are things left out?
• Symbolization
• What do the symbols add to the meaning?
• Does it look attractive?
• Classification
• Thematic maps use categories
• Equal interval or set values
• Induction
• Information is under the surface or hidden
• Linked to classification
• Centering- what is placed in the center of the
  map shows cultural/artistic value

14
Simplification
15
Simplification
16
Symbolization
Super bowl Word Symbols
17
Symbolization
18
Symbolization
19
Symbolization
20
Classification
21
Classification
22
Classification
23
Induction
24
Centering
25
Centering
26
Centering
27
Scale
28
Scale
29
Message/Art
30
Message/Art
31
(No Transcript)