AP HUG Unit 1

1. GIS (geographic information system): captures, stores, queries, and displays geographic data

Example: Using different layers of data, like road maps, elevation maps, population maps to determine “where to build a new airport”.

2. Photogrammetry: the science of taking measurements of Earth’s surface from photographs

Example: A rancher flies a drone over cattle to determine location.

3. Remote sensing: the acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or from other long-distance methods

Example: Caltech receives information on earthquakes from remote sensing devices.

4. GPS (global positioning system): a system that determines the precise position of something on Earth

Example: GPS is used by navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps to pinpoint the exact location of a destination.

5. Geotagging: identification and storage of a piece of information by its precise latitude and longitude coordinates

Example: Phones are able to display the location of where we took a photo through geotagging.

6. Mashup: a map that overlays data from one source on top of a map provided by a mapping service such as Google Maps

Example: We can find traffic conditions on apps like Waze because of mashup.

7. Map: a two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth’s surface or a portion of it

Example: World maps help us learn more about countries and continents (size, location, etc).

8. Cartography: the science of mapmaking

Example: Mountains have been represented or labeled as triangles in many maps in the past and present.

9. Cartographer: a person who specializes in studying the science of mapmaking

Example: Gerard Mercator is a famous cartographer who is known for the Mercator Projection which is a cylindrical map that became standard for navigation, especially in the sea.

10. Map Scale: the relationship of a feature’s size on a map to its actual size on Earth.

Example: A ratio on a map scale of 1:30,000 (inches) means for every inch on the map, 30,000 inches is covered on ground in real land.

11. Projection: the scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map

The four types of distortion:

Shape-appears more elongated or squat

Distance-increase or decrease between two points

Relative Size-alteration so that one area may appear larger than another but in reality is smaller

Direction-distortion from one place to another

Example: The Winkel projection shows the relative sizes of landmasses as the same in reality, while the Mercator displays little shape distortion, consistent direction, and is a rectangular shape.

12. Robinson: uninterrupted; allocates space to oceans but shows land areas much smaller than on interrupted maps of the same size

Example: The map was created in an attempt to find a good compromise to the problem of readily showing the whole globe as a flat image, which makes it visually appealing.

13. Mercator: shape is distorted very little, direction is consistent, and the map is rectangular. Relative size is grossly distorted towards the poles, making high-latitude places look much larger than they actually are

Example: Antarctica of high-latitude looks much larger on a mercator projection because of relative size distortion towards the poles.

14. Homolosine: projection which separates the Eastern and Western hemispheres into two pieces (known as interruption) and gives more prominence to the landmasses (meridians for right angles with the parallels on a globe, but not in this projection)

Example: This projection is used for world maps and is useful for presenting spatial distribution of phenomena because of its equal-area property.

15. Gall-Peters: distortion of shape, no distortion of relative size

Example: Countries are represented in their true proportions to one another.

16. Winkel: relative size of landmasses are the same as in reality, minimizes distortion in the sames of most landmasses (by allocating space to the oceans, the land areas are much smaller than on interrupted maps of the same size)

Example: Areas toward the North and South poles such as Greenland and Australia become more distorted but they are sparsely inhabited so distorting their shapes is not usually important.

17. Geographic Grid: a system of imaginary arcs drawn in a grid pattern on Earth’s surface that plays an important role in telling time (determines absolute location)

Example: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is located 40 degrees north latitude and 75 west longitude.

18. Absolute location: the position of a place in a way that never changes, such as geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude

Example: Mr. Boren’s room is in F122.

19. Choropleth Map: a map here recognizable areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the variable. (colors and range)

Example: The states of America with darker colors on a choropleth map display areas of higher corn production.

20. Graduated Symbol Map: displays symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable (uses shapes and symbols such as circles and squares)

Example: On a graduated symbol map of corn production in the United States, the larger circles represent more corn production while the smaller circles represent little corn production.

21. Cartogram Map: a map in which the size of a country is proportional to the value of a particular variable rather than to the actual land area

Example: AA cartogram map of corn production in the United States shows bigger states with more corn production..

22. Dot Distribution Map: depicts data as points and shows how those points are clustered together or spread out over an area

Example: More dots on a dot distribution map of corn production in the states of America shows where there is more production.

23. Isoline Map: connects with lines all the places that have particular values

Example: The darker the color on an isoline map is, the more important the region for corn production.

24. Meridian: an arc connecting the North and South poles

Example: The meridian opposite of the prime meridian is at 180 degrees longitude.

25. Longitude: a numbering storm that is the basis for telling time

Example: The state capital building in Denver, Colorado is located 39.42.2 north latitude and 104.59.04 west longitude.

26. Latitude: the numbering system to indicate the location of parallel

Example: Cairo, Egypt’s latitude would be written in degrees and minutes as 29° 52’ N.

27. Equator: a line that runs to the middle of Earth horizontally

Example: Equators divide Earth into North and South hemispheres.

28. Topographic Map: both a reference and isoline map with the isolines representing a physical feature

Example: An example of elevation can be shown in a topographic map.

29. Reference Map: shows location of places as well as human and natural geographic features

Example: Physical maps, road maps, and location maps.

30. Thematic Map: a type of map that tells a story about a place

Example: Choropleth, dot distribution, isoline, graduation symbol maps.

Unit 1 Section 1.2 Vocabulary

31. Place: the features that contribute to the distinctiveness of a particular spot on Earth

Example: Hometowns, vacation destinations, and a part of a country are all examples of places.