Chapter 2 Representations Of Earth Flashcards
What is cartography?
The study and practice of making maps.
What are reference maps?
Maps that show the location of the geographic areas for general use.
What are thematic maps?
Maps that focus on a specific theme or subject area.
What does ‘thinking geographically’ mean?
Analyzing spatial relationships and patterns.
What shape is the Earth described as?
Oblate spheroid.
What is a great circle?
The largest circle that can be drawn on a sphere.
To find a great circle identify any line of longitude (meridian) or the equator, as these are the only lines that cut through the exact center of the Earth, creating a great circle
What is a hemisphere?
Half of the Earth, usually divided into northern and southern halves.
What is a small circle?
A circle on a sphere that is smaller than a great circle.
What is navigation?
The process of planning and controlling the movement of a vehicle.
What is a coordinate system?
A system for identifying locations on the Earth’s surface.
What is the equator?
An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
What is latitude?
The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.
What is a sextant?
An instrument used for measuring angles in navigation.
What is the prime meridian?
The meridian at 0 degrees longitude.
What is longitude?
The distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.
What are decimal degrees?
A numeric representation of latitude and longitude in decimal format.
What is the geographic grid?
A system of lines that create a grid over the Earth’s surface.
What is a parallel?
A line of latitude.
What is a meridian?
A line of longitude.
What is a time zone?
A region of the Earth that has the same standard time.
What is solar noon?
The time of day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
What is the International Date Line?
An imaginary line that separates calendar days.
What is the Township and Range Survey System?
A method for surveying land in the United States.
What is the U.S Public Lands Survey System?
A system for surveying and dividing public lands in the U.S.
What is a principal meridian?
A north-south line used in land surveying.
What is a base line?
An east-west line used in land surveying.
What is a township?
A square unit of land in the Township and Range Survey System.
What is a section?
A subdivision of a township, typically one square mile.
What are Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS)?
Satellite systems used for navigation and positioning.
What is the global positioning system (GPS)?
A GNSS used for determining precise locations.
What is a map projection?
A method for representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map.
What is a planar projection?
A map projection that displays the Earth on a flat surface.
What is a conic projection?
A map projection that uses a cone to represent the Earth’s surface.
What is a cylindrical projection?
A map projection that wraps the Earth in a cylinder.
What is the Mercator projection?
A cylindrical map projection that distorts size but preserves shape.
What is a conformal map?
A map that preserves angles but distorts area.
What is an equal-area map?
A map that preserves area but distorts shape.
What is an azimuthal projection?
A map projection that displays the Earth from a specific point.
What is a gnomonic projection?
A map projection that shows great circles as straight lines.
What is a compromise projection?
A map projection that attempts to minimize distortion in all aspects.
What is a legend on a map?
A key that explains the symbols used on a map.
What is map scale?
The relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground.
What is a verbal scale?
A scale expressed in words, such as ‘1 inch equals 1 mile.’
What is a graphic (bar) scale?
A scale represented by a bar that shows distance.
What is a representative fraction (RF) scale?
A scale expressed as a ratio, such as 1:100,000.
What is magnetic declination?
The angle between magnetic north and true north.
What is azimuth?
The angle between a reference direction and a point.
What is bearing?
The direction or path along which something moves.
What is discrete data?
Data that can be counted and has distinct values.
What is continuous data?
Data that can take any value within a range.
What is an isoline?
A line on a map that connects points of equal value.
What are topographic contours?
Lines on a map that represent elevation.
What is a contour interval?
The difference in elevation between adjacent contour lines.
What is a profile?
A cross-sectional view of the terrain.
What is gradient (slope)?
The steepness of a line or surface.
What is remote sensing?
The acquisition of information about an object without physical contact.
What are drones?
Unmanned aerial vehicles used for various purposes.
What is an unoccupied aerial system (UAS)?
A system that includes drones and their control systems.
What is a photograph?
An image captured using a camera.
What is a digital image?
An image created or captured in a digital format.
What is a pixel?
The smallest unit of a digital image.
What is spatial resolution?
The level of detail in a digital image.
What are passive systems?
Remote sensing systems that detect natural energy.
What are active systems?
Remote sensing systems that emit their own energy.
What is aerial photography?
The taking of photographs from the air.
What is near-infrared (NIR)?
A type of light used in remote sensing.
What is thermal infrared (TIR)?
A type of light used to measure temperature.
What is sonar?
A system that uses sound waves to detect objects underwater.
What is radar?
A system that uses radio waves to detect objects.
What is weather radar?
Radar used to detect precipitation and weather patterns.
What is surface imaging radar?
Radar that provides images of the Earth’s surface.
What is lidar?
A remote sensing method that uses light to measure distances.
What is multispectral remote sensing?
Remote sensing that captures data across multiple wavelengths.
What are visualization models?
Models used to represent data visually.
What is a geographic information system (GIS)?
A system for capturing, storing, and analyzing geographic data.
What are digital map layers?
Layers of data used in GIS to represent different features.
What is a digital elevation model (DEM)?
A 3D representation of a terrain’s surface.
What is draping?
The process of overlaying data on a digital elevation model.
What are geospatial technologies?
Technologies used to collect, analyze, and visualize geographic data.
