1.1 AP Human Geo Reading Notes

Geographers often refer to the current era as being part of a geospatial revolution because they gather data through technical mapping and via satellites or aerial photos. Geographers also have the ability to gather data by visiting places, interviewing people, or observing events in the field. The quality of data gathered by individuals or institutions is important because patterns within the data will influence real-life individual choices and policy decisions. Landscape Analysis The word landscape comes from older Germanic words that refer to the condition of the land. The term can also imply a specific area, as in a "desert landscape" or the "landscape of Tuscany." The task of defining and describing landscapes is called landscape analysis. Observation and Interpretation The first part of landscape analysis is careful observation. Geographers are keen observers of phenomena and collect data about what they see. The term field observation is used to refer to the act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording, firsthand, information there. Geographers can often be found writing notes, taking photographs, sketching maps, counting and measuring things, and interviewing people as they walk through an area that they are interested in studying. For most of the history of geography, this was the only way to gather data about places. All of the information that can be tied to specific locations is called spatial data. Developments in Gathering Data Modern technology has increased the ways in which geographers can obtain spatial data including remote sensing and aerial sources. Remote sensing gathers information from satellites that orbit the earth or other craft above the atmosphere. Aerial photography, professional images captured from planes within the atmosphere, is an important source of observed data available today. Ground-level photography has replaced sketching as a tool for capturing information about landscapes. Sound recordings and the ability to get chemical analyses of air, water, and soil have also changed the way geographers observe a landscape. Interpreting Data Once data has been gathered, it must be interpreted. Geographers depend on their skills of synthesizing and integrating, or putting together, all of the collected information to better understand the place, area, or landscape being studied. A common example clearly observable today is the changes that occur in the landscapes of rural and urban areas over time. A geographer may be interested in understanding what changes are likely to occur as people move into or out of an area: Who are the people migrating into this area? Who is leaving? What are the cultures of these groups of people? What effects will the changes have on the local economy? What are the causes of people moving? What types of human-environment interaction are occurring? Geospatial Data Geospatial data can be quantitative or qualitative and may be gathered by organizations or individuals. Geospatial data includes all information that can be tied to a specific place. Besides locations of things, such as mountains or roads or boundaries, it includes human activities and traits. Where do speakers of Mandarin live? How common is poverty in each U.S. county? Where is the dividing line in a city between students who attend one high school and those who attend another school? Obtaining Geospatial Data Geographers collect geospatial data by doing fieldwork, or observing and recording information on location, or in the field. Important sources of this Lype of data can come from a census of the population, from interviews, or even from informal observations made by geographers. Land surveys, photographs, and sketches are also important ways in which this data is obtained. Technology is making the collection, storage, analysis, and display of geospatial data easier, as well as more accurate, than at any time in the past. The chart in Topic 1.3 illustrates three technologies that have revolutionized the importance of gcospatial data. Other Sources of Geospatial Data Additional sources of data can come from government policy documents such as treaties or agreements, articles and videos from news media outlets, or photos of an area. Many tech companies who design apps for smartphones use locational data elements that make suggestions on food options or activities that are near to you. Most photos taken with smartphones have geospatial data embedded into the image that can be mapped in interactive online maps sites. In fact, many companies and some governments are interested in buying your smartphone geospatial data so they can make targeted advertisements or policy decisions related to your locational activities. Students of geography can be local geographers who gather information for projects or field studies.