Unit 1 Flashcards
GPS
Systems that use satellites to determine exact location and coordinates
Useful for locating precise borders, mapping lines or points, and navigation
Remote Sensing
Using cameras on aircraft or satellites to take digital images or videos or earth
Useful for land and environmental applications, weather, and distribution of spatial phenomena
Community-based Solution
A solution that helps a specific community with a specific problem and is targeted to help that community
Geovisualizations
2D or 3D interactive maps that allow you to zoom in and zoom out and see the data in many different ways
They help us see and understand the world better
Seeing the world in these ways helps us to solve problems
GIS
System that stores layers of maps with varied information
Allows you to look at multiple aspects of a region
Useful for analyzing crime scene data, analyzing travel times, and planning urban area
Smartphone and Computer Applications
Apps that use locational data from personal devices
Suggestions for best routes, stores, restaurants, or or contact tracing
Plat maps
Show and label land ownership and property lines
Isoline maps
Use lines to indicate regions with certain statistics
Usually topographic maps (used by hikers)
Topographic maps
Maps that show elevation
Popular among hikers
Cartogram
Sizes are shown based on a certain statistic
Allow data to be easily compared
Cartographic scale
The way a map refers to the ratio of the scale
Can be many different formats
Small-scale maps
Large-scale maps
Show a larger amount of area with less detail
Show a smaller area with more detail
Latitude
Longitude
North-South
East-West
Spatial data (Geospatial data)
Information that can be tied to specific locations
Locations of things and human activities
Spatial Approach
Considering arrangement of spatial phenomena
Looking at location, distance, direction
Looking in-depth at human movements and perceptions
Site
The characteristics at the immediate location
Situation
Characteristics of a location relative to its surroundings
Toponyms
Place names that can give an idea about the geography or characteristics of a place
Can be deceiving and controversial
Flow
Patterns and movement of people and phenomena
Friction of distance
When things are farther apart, their connection tends to lessen
Distance decay
The inverse relationship between distance and connectivity
Sustainability
Trying to bring places to a level where they can have resources for the future and reduce impact on the environment
Sustainability’s Three Pillars
Environmental, social, economical
If these three factors are at a sustainable level, the place is sustainable and will be able to thrive for some time
Social Pillar
Humans have basic needs that require resources. When consumers in a place make certain resources of value, they help choose which resources that place uses. When there is a stable selection of resources that satisfy the consumers, a place is socially stable
Scale of Analysis
Refers to what is being shown on the map
General area
Graphs and other visuals (Scale of Analysis)
You can use scale of analysis on these as well by using more generalized or more specified data on a graph
How zoomed in or close you are in an image
Scale of Data
Level of detail of the data shown on the map
Functional Regions (Nodal Regions)
Organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity
Airports, football stadiums, pizza places
Formal Regions
United by one or more characteristics
Political, physical, cultural, economic
Perceptual Regions
Regions that are formed by human sense of place
No formal boundaries
Perception is different for everyone
Subregions
Regions that are further divided by defining characteristics
Thematic Maps
Show distribution of quantifiable data
Reference Maps
Show boundaries and place names, physical and man-made features
Mercator Projection
Preserves shape
Distorts size
Gall-Peters Projection
Preserves size
Distorts shape
Robinson Projection
Compromise projection
Goodes-Homolisine Projection
Preserves size and shape
Distorts oceans
Online mapping and visualization
Online maps to analyze data
Used by governments, private companies, universities, research facilities
Field Observations
Studies done and recorded in the field
Time-Space Compression
The reduction of time it takes for something to travel
Makes places feel closer
Environmental Determinism
Says that the environment is the big thing determining human lifestyle and success
Possibilism
Says that humans have and culture have a big influence and we can overcome environmental challenges
