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Digital Earth > Lecture 1,2 + Chapter 1,2 > Flashcards

Lecture 1,2 + Chapter 1,2 Flashcards

1
Q

What kind of questions can we answer with maps?

A
  • disease transmitted areas
  • population density
  • election results
  • migration patterns
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2
Q

What is a map

A

a map is a representation of some area (real or imaginary) usually on a flat surface

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3
Q

What do maps do

A
  • show a larger area than what we can see
  • present information of interest
  • demonstrate spatial relationships
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4
Q

What are the 2 major types of maps

A
  • reference maps
  • thematic maps
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5
Q

What is a reference map

A

reference maps show lots of data
- show a variety of features
- general store houses of info
EX: map of uoft, transportation routes, rivers etc

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6
Q

what is a thematic map

A

highlights specific themes
- overall goal is focus the users attention on specific features
- can tell by the title
- EX: low income areas, minority groups

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7
Q

T/F All maps are models

A

True
- they are representations of reality but they are not reality themselves

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8
Q

T/F All maps are political

A

True
- maps are socially constructed
- people decide what to include and what not to include depending how they want you to interpret the map
- pakistan/india, borders, etc

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9
Q

First known map of the world

A

The Babylonian Map
- diagrams that categorized features and symbolizes of the location of the creator

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10
Q

Brief of history of maps

A
  • Babylonian map
  • Ptolemy’s map
  • T and O map
  • Al-Idrisi - islamic
  • Cantino map
  • Mercator projection
  • thematic maps
  • analytical maps
  • geographic info maps
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11
Q

What does GIS stand for

A

Geographic Information System
- computer systems used to store, display and analyze spatial information

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12
Q

Liberal Education

A

creative insights and knowledge are acquired and used
- how they change over time
- engages you through reading, symbolization, classifying data, visual/statistical data

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13
Q

Spatial Data

A

a fundamental component of understanding contemporary society
- it can describe the position, dimensions, and relationships between geographic features like cities, rivers, roads, or buildings

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14
Q

Why is mapping important?

A
  • understanding wide range of data
  • represents society and technology of its time
  • GPS
  • thematic maps - crime hotspots, identify routes, vulnerability, disease etc
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15
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of map data

A
  1. Spatial data (where an object is located)
  2. Temporal data (when the data is collected and accurate)
  3. Attribute data (what characteristics the object or event has - population, income, etc)
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16
Q

Metadata

A

Data about data that describes such as the source, content, methods, developers, accuracy
- datasets much have: attribute information, metadata reference information, lineage, data quality info

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17
Q

What are the 2 types of data collection

A
  1. Direct collection (ground)
  2. Remote sensing (satellite)
18
Q

What is direct collection and how is it collected

A
  • data collected through direct interaction with a particular place
  • surveys, geocoding, sensors, GPS units, trilateration
19
Q

What are surveys

A
  • used as a way of direct collection
    gathering attribute data about individuals, households, or locations
  • number of trees on a street
  • census
20
Q

What is a census

A

census data serves a vital role in helping understanding our society
- allocation of government resources
- large scale surveys (country, provinces, territories
- today census can be filled out online, answering a series of question (every 10 years)
- EX: election results

21
Q

What are some problems associated with census data

A
  • accuracy
  • undercounting (marginalized populations, poor)
  • plenty of topics that are not covered
    • religion, consumer spending, political parties
22
Q

what is geocoding

A
  • used as a way of direct collection
    the process of attaching a geographic location to some sort of address information
  • takes address –> into coordinates to be plotted on a map
  • STEPS: converts the input into address, multiple interpretation, presents the user with the best matches of the location
23
Q

What are sensors

A
  • used as a way of direct collection
  • tools or devices that collect info about the environment around them
24
Q

What does GPS stand for

A

Global Positioning Systems

25
Q

What is a GPS

A

system that uses satellites to collect location data
- space segment (satellites that send signals to earth)
-control segment (maintenance of satellites about data control)
-user segment (receivers on the ground that process satellite info)

26
Q

How does GPS work

A

based on velocity = distance/time
- transmits signals to the earths surface and shows their position in space at that certain point
- a direct line of sight is required for signal

27
Q

What is trilateration and how it is calculated

A
  • used as a way of direct collection
    used to pinpoint the position of a person or location by knowing the distances from 3 different locations
  • drawing circles - finding circumference - only one location that fits all the circles
28
Q

What is remote sensing

A
  • 2nd type of data collection
  • collecting data from afar, taking pictures from a plane/satellite
  • sensors that detect nonvisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
  • monitors changes in the environment over large areas
    • deforestation, oil spills etc
29
Q

What is a landsat

A

the longest running satellite imagery program
- land/water, coloured infrared - vegetation etc

30
Q

3 problems of spatial data

A
  • Resolution (the specificity of data)
  • Accuracy (how well the data aligns with the real world)
  • Interoperability (how well the 2 datasets align with each other)
31
Q

3 types of resolution

A
  • Spatial Resolution (the smallest unit of area measured in the dataset
  • Attribute Resolution (the level of distinction between categories)
  • Temporal Resolution (the frequency at which the data was collected)
32
Q

Spatial Resolution Explained

A

quality of a computer screen
larger pictures with smaller pixels have better resolution
larger pictures with large pixels = bad quality
if you have a map that shows a large area you want a lower resolution (larger pixels)

33
Q

Attribution resolution explained

A

the degree to which distinctions are made
- like if a map show ages of individuals across a country there should be more than one range in the data to better accommodate all ages and represent them all more clearly
**the more categories = higher resolution

34
Q

Temporal resolution explained

A

how often is the measurement taken
- it would not make sense to describe how a neighborhood has changed in the last 5 years with data that is taken every 10 years

35
Q

What are the 3 types of accuracy data issues

A
  1. Spatial Accuracy
  2. Attribute Accuracy
  3. Temporal Accuracy
36
Q

What is spatial accuracy

A

how well the location of an object is reflected on the map
- if boundaries are drawn wrong or signals are blocked by trees

37
Q

What is attribute accuracy

A

whether characteristics reported about an object are true
- if participants do not respond, misunderstand or purposely provide false info (might be for census)

38
Q

What is temporal accuracy

A

Whether details about an object are up-to-date with respect to changes in the world
- objects in printed maps might be less accurate bc more urbanization and updates are happening in the world.

39
Q

what is interoperability and what are the 3 types

A

it describes how well 2 different datasets work with each other - are they comparing the same areas or categories
1. Spatial interoperability
2. Attribute interoperability
3. Temporal interoperability

40
Q

what is spatial interoperability

A

how well do spatial units match up
It ensures that geographic data from various sources or platforms can be shared, combined, and used effectively without losing meaning or accuracy, regardless of differences in formats, standards, or software environments.

41
Q

what is attribute interoperability

A

how well 2 datasets match
individuals in the past could only pick racial categories from 3 areas, now there’s more variety - about 15
the past had poor attribute interoperability because they have a very low attribute resolution (more categories = higher resolution)

42
Q

what is temporal interoperability

A

how well do the reported times match up
- makes sure if info collected or generated at different times, or from different time zones and temporal resolutions, can be used together accurately without issues
- EX: time zone consistency

Digital Earth (8 decks)

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