THEMATIC MAPPING OF PLANETS: CURRENT SITUATION AND PROSPECTS

Various editorial decisions made during the cartographic design process may lead to different interpretations of the same phenomena, potentially emphasizing one phenomenon at the expense of another. Such decisions occur at different stages of map development, including the selection of enumeration units, a form of data representation (map type), and map graphics, including color scales. This article presents the results of a user study examining the impact of selected map design choices – specifically: a level of spatial unit aggregation, a type of color scale, and a form of data presentation (a qualitative area map, a choropleth map, a cartogram, graduated symbols with choropleth colors) – on the accuracy of perceiving the dominance of a phenomenon shown on thematic maps. The study employed thematic maps visualizing two socially relevant topics: ethnonational diversity and presidential election results, each displaying two categories. The survey, conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) method, involved 151 participants. Respondents were asked to identify which of the two categories was dominant on a given map. Response accuracy (identification of the actual dominant phenomenon), the perceived difficulty of the tasks, and the perceived magnitude of dominance were measured. Participants were also asked to describe the spatial distribution of the dominant phenomenon and indicate a map design preferred by them. Based on the collected responses, the analysis revealed statistically significant differences in metrics depending on the map designs tested. The tested map designs, therefore, vary in their degree of persuasiveness in portraying dominance. The article concludes by identifying the techniques that more or less effectively distort the information conveyed by thematic maps.

Summary Thematic maps and atlases, as complex production, can be compiled in different ways to reach the optimal quality of the product. It is possible to define the basic principles, which have to be applied developing thematic cartography projects. Main paradigms have to be also implemented before creating the information system for the first National atlas of Lithuania. Three models for creating a thematic map are defined (Fig 1). 1. Object based model. Object oriented design is time and resource saving technology which should be applied for thematic map design, seeking better efficiency and quality of maps in response to their users (Fig 2). This model is the most convenient for the complex thematic mapping, when multidimensional systems of conventional signs are used. From the point of traditional thinking in thematic cartography, “disadvantages” of this model are: high level of standardisation and relatively big cost in the design stage of the project. 2. Evolutionary model. In this model several dr...

This research investigates how the inclusion of attribute certainty in map displays influences GIS modeling and spatial decision support. The goal is to establish empirical evidence documenting graphical guidelines that can be incorporated as GIS system defaults for mapping attribute certainty. Value, texture, and saturation appear as visual variables associated with the depiction of attribute certainty. These three variables, in addition to the level of map detail, are explored in this research. A hypermedia document has been developed to simulate decision makers' use of certainty information for two locational siting tasks: the siting of a park and the siting of an airport. The experiment has been designed to observe the correctness, time, and confidence of both siting decisions. The experiment further determines how variations in symbolizing attribute certainty (by value, saturation, or texture) affect the three variables of correctness, time, and confidence. A third goal focuses on whether the difficulty of the task affects the decision. On a theoretical level, this research uncovers new information about assimilating data quality information into spatial decision support. On a practical level, it establishes symbolization schemes for representing attribute certainty on thematic maps. These should be incorporated as GIS graphical defaults in anticipation of digital data sets that include data quality information. This research is a continuation of a long-standing tradition of empirical research in map design as a paradigm for eliciting and formalizing cartographic knowledge.

In Chapter 2, we introduced a series of examples of how cartography selects and depicts terrestrial, celestial, and human biological features of physical phenomena. Geographic and oceanographic maps help us to find our way on land and sea. Star maps help us to explore the universe. In this chapter, we turn our attention inwards and explore the design of mind maps, maps that represent our thought, our experience, and our knowledge. In traditional cartography, a thematic map always has a base map and a thematic overlay. For many physical phenomena, a geographic map is probably the best base map we may ever have: intuitive, solid, and real. Now we want to produce a map of the mind. In this category of phenomena, a geographic connection may no longer be valid. A geographic base map cannot be taken for granted. What metaphor do we use to hold something as fluid as our thought together? What are the design principles in constructing a metaphoric base map that can adequately represent what is by its nature invisible, intangible, and intractable?

The Godawari-Purna sub basin is located between 76°36' to 77059' E and 19°07' to 19°17' N with an area of 34413.87 ha falls in assured rainfall region. Majority of the area under basin is used for agricultural purpose. The basin boundary is updated using the updated drainage and terrain information from high resolution satellite data of LISS-IV using GIS tool. Based on the derived thematic maps of land use and land capability class, the GP sub basin is divided into 11 sub catchments. Thematic maps viz., land use cover, has been interpreted using the visual interpretation techniques by heads-on digitization in the GIS environment using the enhanced high-resolution satellite imagery. Slope map has been generated from CartoDEM using the surface tools of the spatial analyst toolbox in ArcGIS. Land use mapping indicated that 85.68 per cent land is under cultivation with cropped area indicating a good vegetative cover in basin area. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) indicated that majority of the area of basin is having a slope in the range of 0 to 3 per cent. Majority of the area was found to be under class III and class IV category. All the generated thematic maps of Godawari-Purna sub basin will be useful for land resources planning.

Objectives: Patient-centered care, in which health services are customized on the basis of patients’ needs and values, is seen as a critical factor in a high-performance health care system. This project seeks to characterize patients’ needs and values for specific features of health care delivery systems. Methods: Quantitative data were obtained by means of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) using a logit model. Alternatives were described by 21 specific attributes that described certain features of a health care delivery system. Each set included six attributes with three specific levels. The DCE was divided into four blocks based on thematic mapping (DCE 1, patient involvement; DCE 2, point of care; DCE 3, personnel; DCE 4, organization). Each DCE included six attributes with three specific levels. Respondents were randomly assigned to an DCE. Results: N=3900 respondents (patients) have completed the survey at Duke HealthView. The feature “out-of-pocket costs” was of high importance across all 4 DCEs (DCE-1coefficient: 0.7050; DCE-2coefficient: 0.9057; DCE-3coefficient, 0.7330; DCE-4coefficient: 0.8384). In DCE 1 regarding patient involvement, “trust and respect” (0.6538) and “attention to personal situation” (0.4732) were of greatest importance. In DCE 2 addressing preferences at the point of care, “shared decision making” (0.7441) and “access to patient record” (0.4576) were nearly equally valuable to patients but of highest relevance. In DCE 3 focusing on personnel in health care delivery systems, “multidisciplinary care” (0.7308) was ranked highest. Lastly, in DCE 4 analyzing features of the organization of health care delivery systems, “medical devices and furnishings” (0.4082) and “treatment guidelines” (0.4702) were of almost equal value to patients.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the spatial pattern of low birth weight infants in the city of Taubaté, São Paulo, Southeast Brazil. METHODS: Ecological and exploratory study, developed with the data acquired from the Health Department of Taubaté, regarding the period from January 1st 2006 and December 31st 2010. Birth certificates were used to obtain the data from infants weighing less than 2500g. A digital basis of census tracts was applied and the Global Moran index (IM) was estimated. Thematic maps were built for the distribution of low birth weight, health centers and tracts, according to the priority care (Moran map). The adopted statistical significance was α=5% and TerraView software conducted the spatial analysis. RESULTS: There were 18,915 live births during the study period, with 1,817 low birth weight infants (9.6%). The low birth weight infants' prevalence during the period ranged from 9.3 to 9.8%. A total of 1,185 infants with known addresses, compatible with the digital base (65.2% of low birth weight infants), were included. The IM for low birth weight was 0.12, with p<0.01; regarding the health centers distribution, IM was -0.07, with p=0.01. The Moran map identified 11 census tracts with high priority for intervention by health managers, located in the outskirts of the city. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial analysis identified the low birth weight distribution by census tracts and the sectors with a high priority for intervention.

A review of the last 50 years finds that the traditional breakdown of Soviet cartography into its specialized research disciplines no longer conforms to current needs. Soviet cartography has been divided historically into mathematical cartography, map science (the study of maps and their uses), map compilation and editing, map design and production. A growing specialization in cartography by thematic disciplines (geomorphic mapping, agricultural mapping, etc.) with widely differing requirements and principles of compilation and editing suggests the need for a restructuring of the research disciplines. In addition to mathematical cartography, concerned with map projections and map measurements, the new structure would include: technical cartography (the study of source materials, map design and production); natural-historic cartography (principles of compilation and editing of maps of the physical environment), and socioeconomic cartography (concerned with the mapping of human phenomena).

Aerial photography interpretation is the most common mapping technique in the world. However, unlike an algorithm-based classification of satellite imagery, accuracy of aerial photography interpretation generated maps is rarely assessed. Vegetation communities covering an area of 530 km2 on Bullo River Station, Northern Territory, Australia, were mapped using an interpretation of 1:50,000 color aerial photography. Manual stereoscopic line-work was delineated at 1:10,000 and thematic maps generated at 1:25,000 and 1:100,000. Multivariate and intuitive analysis techniques were employed to identify 22 vegetation communities within the study area. The accuracy assessment was based on 50% of a field dataset collected over a 4 year period (2006 to 2009) and the remaining 50% of sites were used for map attribution. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient for both thematic maps was 66.67% and 0.63, respectively, calculated from standard error matrices. Our findings highlight the need for appropriate scales of mapping and accuracy assessment of aerial photography interpretation generated vegetation community maps.

The start of the first systematic geological works in Georgia dates back to 1841, and the results of field geological studies and the first geological reports were published in 1843.Since 1841, systematic geological studies have already originated in Georgia.Among the geological maps, the 1:200,000 scale geological map and the set of specialized maps for various purposes based on it are one of the important ones.Almost all branches of the country's industrial-economic complex (industry, construction, energy, agriculture, environmental protection, medicine, tourism, oil and gas pipelines, railways and highways, tunnels, reservoirs, construction of melioration systems and others) and services of an economic profile are users of the information provided in the mentioned maps and their explanation cards (geological reports).Regional geological surveys of the territory of Georgia, which include the compilation and publication of different thematic geological maps, were last conducted in the 70-80s of the last century and need to be compiled/updated with modern approaches and methodologies.After a gap of ten years, since 2014, a Division of Geological Survey was established in the Department of Geology of the National Environment Agency of Georgia, the main activity of which is the compilation/update of state geological maps of various themes and preparation of geological reports.

The results of a large-scale engineering geological zoning of Moscow territory are given. The work was carried out according to the order of the Moscow Government “On the Compilation of Thematic Geological Large-Scale Maps of Moscow Territory.” The map of engineering geological zoning is based on the integration of data on the structural-geodynamic, geomorphologic, and geological structure, hydrogeological conditions, and the occurrence of hazardous natural and human-induced processes and phenomena. The basic principle of map compilation was the successive typological division of the territory into four taxonomic levels with the use of an index method of denotation of taxa with different ranks.

The Institute of geological and Mineral Exploration of Greece (I.G.M.E.), the frame of CSF 2000-2006 (Community Support Framework 2000-2006), has been implementing the pilot project titled Collection, Codification and Documentation of geothematic information for urban and suburban areas Greece - pilot applications. Geological, geochemical, geophysical, geotechnical, hydrogeological and other data concerning the urban and surrounding areas of Drama (North Greece), Nafplio & Sparti (Peloponnesus) and Thrakomakedones (Attica) is collected. Drillings, geological and geotectonic mapping (scale 1:5.000) and other in situ measurements and field works are taking place. The contours of the 1:5.000 topographic maps are digitized and a high detail DEM is created. The DEM and ground control points collected with GPS are used for the Orthorectification of very high-resolution satellite data. Then, the orthorectified satellite data is used for the land use classification and the urban area mapping. All initial and derived analogical and digital data is compiled and processed specially designed geo-databases GIS Environment. The final results will be presented geothematic maps of different scales (1:5.000, 1:10.000 etc). Thematic maps (geological, geotechnical, geochemical, geophysical etc) and other digital data such as geodatabases, DEMs will be available to all, public or private sector, concerning geological environment urban and suburban areas. All these data will constitute the essential base for land use planning and environmental protection specific urban areas. Through this pilot project, new scientific approaches, methodologies and standards will be developed and improved order to be applied to other future projects concerning capital centers of the country.

1. The status of a Posidonia oceanica meadow in front of the town of Sanremo, Italy, was studied through a combined use of benthic mapping and synthetic indices. 2. Mapping was accomplished by integrating side scan sonar imagery and data collected by scuba diving along transects placed perpendicularly to the coastline. A thematic map (scale 1:5000) was produced. Extent of the meadow, occurrence of dead matte areas, and morphology of the lower limit (with new definition) are all described. 3. Two synthetic environmental indices were applied to transect data in order to quantify the status of the meadow: the Conservation Index and the Substitution Index. The former is related to the proportion of dead matte; the latter is a novel index measuring the amount of replacement of the ‘constructional’ seagrass P. oceanica by the ‘non-constructional’ seagrass Cymodocea nodosa. The potential of a ‘phase shift’ in Ligurian Sea seagrass meadows is discussed. 4. The approach here proposed, based on detailed mapping plus synthetic indices, may provide immediate information to evaluate the state of Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica for monitoring and management. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Accessibility to tactile maps is limited due to their expensive and time-consuming development. Acceleration of their production requires standardized design guidelines that consider symbol design and production methods. In this paper, based on a review of research and best practice, we summarize knowledge on how to design tactile maps properly and provide a selection of highly legible, recommended symbols for the compilation of tactile maps. We also examine generalization constraints and other design parameters that are necessary for the standardization of tactile mapping. Finally, we explore differences in tactile map design depending upon the selected production method. Over the years, many useful guidelines have been developed although they remain unknown to the wider audience. There is still a long way to go in creating a global standard for the design of tactile maps.

The urban thermal distribution characteristics and its variation are dynamically monitored and synthetically analyzed by using GIS technology. The meteorological satellite data serve as main information source, assisted as auxiliary information sources by the landsat satellite TM data, land use thematic maps and meteorological observed data. A correlated pattern on the ground surface brightness temperatures and air temperatures has been studied and established with good performance of application.