MAPPING OUR WORLDChapter 2

Section 2.1Latitude and Longitude

Cartography is the science of mapmaking, where cartographers use an imaginary grid of parallel lines and vertical lines to locate exact points on Earth.

On this grid, the equator (an imaginary parallel splitting the Earth in half at 0o) separates the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Latitude Longitude Refers to lines that

measure distances north and south of the equator, running east and west.

Each degree of latitude is about 111km on the Earth’s surface.

To locate positions more exactly, degrees of latitude are broken into smaller units called minutes

There are two points of latitude… the North Pole and the South Pole.

Lines of latitude are parallel

Latitude will have 90o north and south of the equator

Refers to lines that measure east and west of the Prime Meridian (0o), running north and south.

Also referred to as meridians

The Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich, England (the home of the royal Naval Observatory).

Lines of longitude are NOT parallel, but are instead large semicircles that extend vertically from pole to pole.

Longitude will have 180o

east and west of the Prime Meridian.

World Mapping: Points of Interest

Latitude: Equator (0o) Tropics Zone (between 30oN and 30 S of the

equator) Tropic of Cancer (23.5o N) Tropic of Capricorn (23.5o S) Arctic Circle (66.5o N) Antarctic Circle (66.5o S)

Longitude: Prime Meridian (0o) International Date Line (180o)

Where in the World?

Throughout this course, you will need to know the geographical location of many different places, regions, landmasses, and bodies of water: Continents Oceans Large bodies of water (Great Lakes, Rivers) in USA Mountain Ranges in the USA Time Zones with the USA Land description Regions within the USA Individual states within YOUR region

Large Bodies of Water The location of the United States, with its Atlantic and

Pacific coasts, has provided access to other areas of the world.

The Atlantic Ocean not only serves as our eastern border, but has also served as the “highway” for explorers, early settlers, and now… immigrants.

The Pacific Ocean was also an early exploration route.

The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and other parts of America.

Bodies of water support interaction among regions, form borders, and create links to other areas.

Relevant land and bodies of water within the United States of

America

App

alac

hian

Mou

ntai

ns

Great LakesRocky

MountainsM

ississippi River

The Gulf of Mexico

Regions of the United States of America

The United States of America is divided into 5 main regions:

1. West2. Midwest3. Northeast4. Southeast5. South

The United States is further broken into regions by landmasses / land features…

Breaking down Regions by landform descriptions

1

Coastal

Plain

2Appalachian

Highlands

3Canadian

Shield

4Interior

Lowlands5

Great Plains

6Rocky Mountain

s(CONTINENTAL DIVIDE)

7Basin And

Range8Coastal Range

TIME ZONES The Earth is divided into 24

time zones… because there are 24 hours in the day!

There are SIX designated time zones in the USA:

1. EST (Raleigh) -- TIME2. CST (Chicago) – (-1)3. MST (Denver) – (-2)4. PST (Los Angeles) – (-3)5. AKST (Alaska) – (-4)6. HST (Hawaii) – (-5)

• Each line of longitude, although some have been adjusted for convenience, is represented by 15o on the map.

• Each time you travel through a time zone, you gain or lose time until at some point, you gain or lose an entire day!

• The International Date Line is located at 180o E/W of the Prime Meridian. When you cross this line, you either advance or go back one day.

• If you are traveling west, you advance your calendar one day. If you are traveling east, you go back.

Memory Clue… “we Want to stay ahead, but it is Easy to fall behind.” (Note the “W” stands for west and the “E” stands for

east.)

Section 2.2 Types of Maps

Maps are flat models of a three-dimensional object, Earth.

As the Earth is curved, it is difficult to represent on a piece of paper.

Thus, all flat maps distort the shapes or landmasses to some degree.

Layout of a MapMAP LEGENDS

MAP SCALES

Most maps include both human-made and natural features that are located on the Earth’s surface.

These features are represented by symbols.

A map legend simply explains what these symbols mean.

When using a map, it is imperative that you understand how to measure distances.

The map scale is a tool used to detail the ratio between distances on a map and actual distances on the Earth’s surface.

There are three types: 1. Verbal Scales 2. Graphic Scales 3. Fractional Scales

Mercator Projections A map that has

parallel lines of latitude and longitude.

On a mercator projection, the shapes of landmasses are correct but their areas are distorted.

Used for navigation of ships and planes and automobile road maps.

Conic Projections Made by projecting points

and lines from a globe onto a cone.

The cone touches the globe at a particular line of latitude.

There is little distortion in the areas or shapes of landmasses that fall along this line of latitude; however, distortion occurs near the top and bottom of the projection.

Used to make weather maps.

Gnomic Projections

Made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a piece of paper that touches the globe at a single point, mainly over the poles.

Accurate shapes of landmasses, but distorted direction and distance between landmasses.

Useful in plotting long-distance trips by air and by sea.

Topographic Maps Show the changes in elevation of the Earth’s surface,

allowing you to determine how steep slopes or depressions of a land area are.

Topographic, or Topo, maps use contour lines to connect areas that have the same elevations. Distances between these lines are referred to as the contour interval and allow you to determine how steep a slope is.

Rules to remember… Contour lines are closer around hills and basins or depressions Hachures (dash marks around a circular region) designate a

depression. Contour lines never cross, as one point cannot have two

elevations. Contour lines form upward V’s, which tell you that there is a

stream present in that location.

Section 2.3Remote Sensing

Until recently, mapmakers had to go on-site to collect data needed to make maps.

Today, advanced technology has changed this – enabling data to be collected by satellites from far above the Earth’s surface.

This process is referred to as remote sensing.

Remote Sensing (cont.)

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

SATELLITES

•The arrangement of electromagnetic radiation according to wavelength.

•An electromagnetic wave also can be described according to its frequency, which refers to the number of waves that pass a particular point each second.

Landsat Topex / Poseidon

•Use visible light and infrared radiation to map the Earth.•Features on the Earth’s surface radiate warmth at different frequencies (such as rivers and forests) and show up as different colors.

•Use radar to map ocean floor features.•Based on data received, computers are able to create maps of ocean-floor features.•Also used to study tidal changes and global ocean currents.

Seabeam TechnologySeabeam technology is used to map the ocean floor using the bottom of different ships.

Seabeam technology relies on sonar, which is the use of sound waves to detect and measure objects underwater.

Basically, a sound wave is sent from a ship to the ocean floor. It is then received by a specific device, and ship computers then calculate the distance to the bottom based on the speed of sound.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS is a satellite based navigation system to pinpoint your exact location on Earth.

GPS utilizes at least 24 different satellites to ensure accuracy.

GPS technology is used extensively for navigation by ships and airplanes and can also be used to detect earthquakes, create maps, and track wildlife.

Lately, GPS has increased in popularity among all travelers.

CompassA compass is used to determine direction

On a compass, the red needle should always be pointing North; however, this does not mean that it is pointing to the North Pole as there is a geographic north and a magnetic north

To determine the difference, the magnetic declination must be determined, which is the difference between geographic north and magnetic north

Depending on your location, the angle of declination will be different