Geographic Data and Map Concepts Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering map types, geographic data collection methods, geospatial technologies, and spatial organization concepts based on the lecture transcripts.

Geography

The study of "where and why things are" and how humans interact, also summarized as the "WHY of where."

Spatial

Refers to how humans interact, organize, and move around space (e.g., roads).

Qualitative Data

Subjective data that focuses on why and how, open-ended questions, and deep feelings, recorded firsthand through sources like media reports and travel narratives.

Quantitative Data

Objective data derived from tests, medicine, science, statistics, and math.

Fieldwork

A geographic data collection method involving direct observations, recording information firsthand, and physical data gathering like house-to-house census collection (e.g., U.S. Census).

Reference Maps

Generalized map sources that focus on location, including political and physical maps.

Political Map

A type of reference map showing states, countries, and capitals.

Physical Map

A type of reference map showing natural features.

Thematic Map

A map focusing on a specific topic, place, or time.

Choropleth Map

A thematic map that uses colors to show the distribution of spatial data.

Dot Density Map

A thematic map that uses dots to show the precise location of specific events.

Graduated / Proportional Symbol Map

A thematic map where sized symbols indicate data, where a bigger dot or symbol represents a bigger value.

Isoline Map

A thematic map using lines that connect points of equal value to show variation across space, such as weather or elevation.

Topographic Map

A map showing elevation through texture and overlapping lines.

Cartogram

A thematic map where the size of a discussed area is modified to reflect a specific value, such as population.

GIS (Geographic Information System)

Mapping visualization software used for analyzing information from many digital maps, data sets, crime data, pollution, and traffic.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

Geospatial technology where satellites orbit Earth and transmit information to receivers to establish absolute location and aerial pictures.

Remote Sensing

Cameras or sensors collecting photos from above the atmosphere to observe weather and environmental changes.

LANDSAT

Satellites orbiting for $50$\,years that collect light by intensity (including light we cannot see), take satellite images from space, take photos of the world in $8$\,days, and take $28$\,days for twin satellites to photograph the complete Earth.

Patterns and Spatial Organization (PSO)

A geographic big idea examining how human society and patterns are organized by political, historical, cultural, and economic influences.

Impacts and Human Interactions (IMP)

A geographic big idea concerning the relationships between people and the environment.

Spatial Process and Societal Change (SPS)

A geographic big idea focusing on the consequences of humans altering the environment.

Globalization / Time-space Compression

The phenomenon where modern transportation and communication (carriages, emails, letters, texts) make the world feel or be perceived as smaller.

Absolute Location

The exact latitude or address of a place.

Relative Location

The relationship of one location to another place (e.g., between my house and Natural Grocers).

Absolute Distance

Precise spatial interaction and connections.

Relative Distance

A casual measurement of distance between places.

Absolute Direction

Exact cardinal directions: North, South, East, West (NSEW).

Relative Direction

Casual directions based on memory or relative terms, such as left and right.

Map Projection

The method used by a cartographer to show the curved Earth on flat paper.

SAAD

An acronym for the four main distortions created by map projections: Shape, Area, Distance, and Direction.

Mercator Projection

A map projection created by mapping the world on a cylinder, which distorts the poles.

Peters Projection

A map projection that draws countries to their accurate physical sizes.

Robinson Projection

A common world map projection.

OPTIC Strategy

A strategy used to properly analyze an artifact relating to geographic data.

U.S. Megacities

Cities qualifying as megacities identified in the transcript as New York and LA.