Maps & Geospatial Technology

Flashcards covering key concepts in Maps and Geospatial Technology based on the provided lecture notes.

Gerardus Mercator

A 15th Century Flemish cartographer known for creating the Mercator projection.

Mercator projection

The most famous map projection invented in 1569.

Size distortion

The main problem with the Mercator projection, leading to a misleading world view, especially at the poles.

Topographic maps

Maps that use contour lines to portray the Earth's surface.

Contour lines

Lines that connect points of equal elevation on a topographic map.

Contour interval

The vertical distance or difference in elevation between contour lines.

Index contours

Bold or thicker lines that appear at every 5th contour line on a map.

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite System, such as GPS, based on a constellation of at least 24 high-altitude satellites.

GLONASS

Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System.

GALILEO

The GNSS developed by Europe.

Remote sensing

Observing an object from a satellite or aircraft.

Landsat program

A USA satellite program that began in 1972, jointly directed by NASA and the USGS.

Landsat 9

Launched in 2021, it is part of the Landsat program.

NASA Earth Observing System (EOS)

A satellite program that began in the 1990s, monitoring the Earth's land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere.

UAV

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, commonly known as a drone.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer mapping system used to analyze spatial and geographic data.

Dr. Roger Tomlinson

The inventor of Geographic Information System (GIS).

ArcGIS

A software developed for GIS.

Who developed ArcGIS software?

ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) is the company that developed ArcGIS software, providing tools for mapping and analyzing geospatial data.