Mapping Skills

Question 1

What are the advantages of remote sensing?

Answer 1

Studying types of vegetation

Studying and planning land use

Monitoring coastal changes and collecting ocean data

Assessing hazards

Managing natural resources

Question 2

What is the advantage of remote sensing over direct observation?

Answer 2

It has varied applications

Allow users to collect, interpret, and manipulate data over large, not easily accessible, dangerous areas.

Question 3

What are the three types of remote sensing?

Answer 3

Radar

LIDAR

Arial Photography

Question 4

Describe radar.

Answer 4

Creates images of a landscape in 2-D and 3-D.

Question 5

Describe LIDAR.

Answer 5

Detects features and measures distance and range (changes in ocean levels and topography).

Identifies and measures aerosols, clouds and other atmospheric constituents.

Question 6

Describe Arial Photography.

Answer 6

Two overlapping photographs can be viewed with a stereoscope.

A valuable historical source for land change.

Can be digitalised and compared to modern satellite and aircraft data.

Question 7

Explain the concept of geographical/spatial modelling.

Answer 7

Explain geographical processes.

Help to predict outcomes.

Explain changes associated with time and distance.

Question 8

Give examples of geographical processes explained by geographical/spatial modelling.

Answer 8

Flows, inputs throughputs and outputs, connections, associations and interrelationships.

Question 9

Give examples of the ways in which different geographical features are connected to each other.

Answer 9

Density, distribution, shape, change over time.

Question 10

Give examples of spatial modelling that project changes in land cover.

Answer 10

Von Thünen’s economic rent model

Christaller’s central place theory

Box models

Zero-dimensional models

Radiative-convective models

Question 11

What scale maps are topographical maps?

Answer 11

Large-scale

Question 12

What do large-scale maps show?

Answer 12

More detail about a smaller area of the Earth’s surface.

Question 13

What do small-scale maps show?

Answer 13

Less detail about a larger area of the Earth’s surface.

Question 14

How do you calculate the area of an irregular-shaped object?

Answer 14

Count the number of full grid squares.

Estimate from the incomplete.

Question 15

Formula for the time taken to travel a distance?

Answer 15

Question 16

Formula for gradient?

Answer 16

Question 17

Define latitude.

Answer 17

A measurement in degrees North and South of the Equator.

Horizontal.

Question 18

Define longitude.

Answer 18

A measurement in degrees East or West of the Prime Meridian.

Vertical.

Question 19

Define Easings.

Answer 19

The parallel, vertical lines on a map

Question 20

Define Northings.

Answer 20

The parallel, horizontal lines on a map.

Question 21

Define area reference (AR).

Answer 21

Usually 4 figures.

The number of Eastings and Northings which border the area of the feature.

Used to indicate specific areas on a map.

Question 22

Define grid reference (GR).

Answer 22

Usually 6 figures.

Used to pinpoint specific features on a map.

Question 23

Define contour line.

Answer 23

A line on a map joining points of equal altitude.

Question 24

What are three characteristics of contour lines?

Answer 24

They cannot end but eventually must join up to enclose an area which is above (or occasionally below) a certain altitude.

They cannot cross or touch (with the exception of cliffs)

Tend to be parallel.

Question 25

Formula for vertical exaggeration?

Answer 25

Question 26

Example of vertical exaggeration calculation?

Answer 26