Establishing Classification and Hierarchy in Populated Place Labeling for Multiscale Mapping for The National Map

Current standards for federal mapping call for use of the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) point layer for placement of United States populated place labels. However, this point layer contains limited classification information and hierarchy information, resulting in problems of map quality for database-driven, multi-scale, reference mapping, such as maps served by The National Map Viewer from USGS. Database-driven mapping often relies simply on what labels fit best in the map frame. Our research investigates alternative sources for labeling populated places, including polygons defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, such as incorporated place, census designated place (CDP), and economic place. Within each of these polygon layers we investigate relevant attributes from the decennial and economic censuses, such as population for incorporated places and CDPs, and the number of employees for economic places. The data selected are available for the entire country to serve national mapping requirements. This combination of data allows a more refined classification of populated places on maps that better represents relative importance. Visual importance on maps through scale should derive from more than simply residential population, but also economic importance, though comparison is made to this simpler case. We differentiate a fourth category of GNIS populated place points, essentially “neighborhoods” and related features—which are not incorporated places, CDPs, nor economic places. Populated places in this fourth class do not have federally defined boundaries, necessitating an alternative method for determining hierarchy in label presentation through scale.     

Geocollaborative Soil Boundary Mapping in an Experiential GIS Environment

Soil maps are an important and integral component of national geospatial data infrastructures. The creation of these maps involves a geovisualization exercise whereby soil scientists develop cognitive models that correlate observable landscape features to soil occurrence. This is traditionally an analog process, cognitively demanding, time consuming, and invariably non-collaborative. A new geovirtual soil mapping technique is proposed in this paper in the form of an innovative Experiential GIS (EGIS) environment. This immersive environment enables soil maps to be constructed through experiencing and interacting with spatial data through immersion in 3D geovirtual scenes. The system outlined integrates GIS, immersive geovisualization, and robust geodatabase capabilities. Four soil scientists with extensive soil mapping experience ranging from 5 to over 20 years are concurrently immersed in the same 3D geovirtual landscape which more closely mirrors the way in which we view the world around us. The soil scientists are immersed within the 3D scene where they are essentially freed from the laws of physics, and may roam anywhere across the landscape as if in a virtual helicopter. The landscape is draped with any combination of orthoimagery and GIS-derived data allowing soil scientists to interpret, digitally delineate, and attribute soil boundaries. Exploiting the EGIS technology while maintaining the centrality of the soil scientist in soil interpretation and soil map production, promises considerable resource efficiencies than those achieved in traditional soil survey. The paper lays out the nature of this potential paradigm shift in soil mapping. The results of using this technology to construct soil geographic knowledge are also discussed in terms of soil map detail, cost efficiencies, time effectiveness, system usability, geocollaborative soil mapping advantages, and the reduced cognitive workload on practicing soil scientists.     

Planetary Map Data Model for Geologic Mapping

Geologic mapping and the design of geologic (thematic) maps are nowadays supported by Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In order to gain a high degree of efficiency and to allow exchange of a common structured framework for mapping, map data models have been designed by agencies and individuals in order to support their mapping process. Only a limited number of such models are freely available and most of them are on a conceptual level. They support mappers in their work to define spatial geologic map units by integrating field and remote-sensing information and relate them to non-spatial information, in particular genetic surface types, rock composition, age and age relationships, attitude data, and other surface characteristics. All of these attributes are interrelated and require data models that depict these complex relationships without becoming too complicated for the mapper. Solutions on the basis of database management systems and server-client communication are highly efficient but they cannot be easily employed and require dedicated administration. A well-established alternative are file-based geodatabase concepts which are much more accessible but which also suffer from a number of limitations when it comes to administration and querying data.

The scope of this work is to find an accessible solution for working on and with geologic maps for planetary surfaces. We here present a planetary map data model (PMDM) design that has been implemented within Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS environment for systematic geologic and geomorphologic mapping of different planetary surfaces. The model copes with different genetic surface types, planetary stratigraphic systems, surface chronologies, specific naming conventions, and different body references. Additional and innovative assets are integrated solutions for semi-automated symbol assignments based on published standards (FGDC) and the possibility to perform topology checks on surface type features and units.     

An Artificial-Neural-Network-based,Constrained CA Model for Simulating Urban Growth

Insufficient research has been done on integrating artificial-neural-network-based cellular automata (CA) models and constrained CA models, even though both types have been studied for several years. In this paper, a constrained CA model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to simulate and forecast urban growth. Neural networks can learn from available urban land-use geospatial data and thus deal with redundancy, inaccuracy, and noise during the CA parameter calibration. In the ANN-Urban-CA model we used, a two-layer Back-Propagation (BP) neural network has been integrated into a CA model to seek suitable parameter values that match the historical data. Each cell's probability of urban transformation is determined by the neural network during simulation. A macro-scale socio-economic model was run together with the CA model to estimate demand for urban space in each period in the future. The total number of new urban cells generated by the CA model was constrained, taking such exogenous demands as population forecasts into account. Beijing urban growth between 1980 and 2000 was simulated using this model, and long-term (2001–2015) growth was forecast based on multiple socio-economic scenarios. The ANN-Urban-CA model was found capable of simulating and forecasting the complex and non-linear spatial-temporal process of urban growth in a reasonably short time, with less subjective uncertainty.     

Cartographic Rationality and the Politics of Geosurveillance and Security

This paper examines the prevalence of geosurveillance and cartographic rationality today by situating it in the age-old practice of governmental surveillance. I approach this question in a broadly Foucauldian historical framework. Foucault outlined a historical transition between a strictly disciplinary society that surveys and disciplines individuals and a "governmental" or biopolitical society that works at the level of a population and its distribution across territory. I argue that this governmental surveillance includes mapping and GIS, which, although they have taken different forms over time, have long been governmental technologies of control. I further argue that surveillance and security operate by establishing norms and statistical averages that allow assessments to be made about risk and threat. In order to illustrate the deployment of these cartographies of surveillance, and to examine their particular effects, I use a case study of crime mapping. I conclude that any assessment of mapping and GIS for surveillance and security uses must consider the genesis of cartographic rationality.     

Spatial Signatures of Mapping Expertise Among Field Geologists

Geologists consider field mapping skills necessary for the development of expertise in geology. We discuss the results of a day-long geology mapping exercise in the Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana, USA. Sixty-seven volunteer geologists, chosen specifically to represent a continuum from novice to expert, were asked to create a map of bedrock geology for approximately 70 square hectares. In order to identify and assess field mapping strategies, GPS tracks of each participant's field activities were analyzed using GIS and sequence alignment techniques. Results indicate differences in routes used during the field task by participants with varying levels of mapping expertise. To investigate this result, the field area was divided into thirty-three sub-regions based on topography, vegetation, rock outcrops, and participant traffic. Using these sub-regions, multiple variables such as amount of time spent in each sub-region and the order in which these sub-regions were visited were determined for each participant. Geologic mapping experts and others who are able to produce highly accurate maps recorded similar spatio-temporal sequences during the task, likely related to development of a reasonable structural hypothesis early in the task. These results have implications for field education and emphasize the role of working hypotheses in informing the movement of experts in the field.     

Developing Web-based Mapping Applications Through Distributed Object Technology

Emerging web-based mapping technologies use the World Wide Web (WWW) and Internet protocols to provide the ability to distribute, access, and visualize geospatial information over the Internet. Many web-based mapping applications have been developed to deliver geospatial information within and across organizations and even to the public at large. A major technological challenge is to achieve interoperability amongst web-based mapping applications so that mapping and geoprocessing resources distributed over the Internet can be shared and integrated. This paper presents an approach to the development of web-based mapping applications using distributed object technology in order to enable interoperability. Distributed object technology combines object technology, which utilizes reusable software components (called objects) that model real-world entities to build software systems, and distributed computing, which allows computing resources to be distributed and accessed over computer networks. The paper introduces a distributed object technology, the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA); proposes an architecture for web-based mapping using CORBA; and presents a prototype implementation.     

Maps and Mapping Technologies of the Persian Gulf War

Assessing the recent Persian Gulf War from a cartographic standpoint is now possible. Unlike in previous wars, which established new technologies for postwar cartographic exploitation, the gulf war is unique in having presented a proving ground for electronic cartographic technology. An analysis is given of map coverage of the war by the media, especially magazines and newspapers, and from a military perspective. From a cartographic standpoint, the winners in the war include hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, geographic information systems (GIS), workstation-based image processing and cartographic map-production systems, and radar imaging from aircraft. More fully exploiting and building on the success of these technologies in peacetime seems to be a clear mandate for academic and professional cartography.     

Integrated Mobile GIS and Wireless Internet Map Servers for Environmental Monitoring and Management

With the progress of mobile GIS technology there is a great potential for adopting wireless communications and Internet mapping services for regional environmental management programs and natural habitat conservation. This paper provides an overview of a NASA-funded research project that focuses on the development of mobile GIS tools and wireless Internet Map Server (IMS) services to facilitate environmental monitoring and management tasks. By developing and testing wireless web-based map/image servers, mobile GIS applications, and global positional systems (GPS), this research created an integrated software/hardware infrastructure for a prototype mobile GIS application. The mobile GIS prototype allows multiple resource managers and park rangers to access large-size, remotely sensed images and GIS layers from a portable web server mounted in a vehicle. Users can conduct real-time spatial data updates and/or submit changes back to the web server over the wireless local area network (WLAN). This paper discusses in general the major components of mobile GIS, their current technological limitations, and potential problems during implementation. Key research agenda for mobile GIS are identified with suggestions for future research and development.     

Using Eye-tracking and Mouse Metrics to Test Usability of Web Mapping Navigation

The growth of web-based mapping is transforming geovisualization. Use of web mapping has become ubiquitous throughout much of the world and has sparked greater public interest in GIS and mapping. Despite the rapid growth of web mapping, there has been relatively little study of the design and usability of web maps. Moreover, the design and function of popular web mapping programs are sometimes at odds with standard GIS and cartographic practices for even the simplest of functions such as zooming into a feature of interest. This study advances understanding of web mapping design via web usability testing based on mouse metrics and eye tracking technology to assess the utility of four different web map navigation schemes: pan zoom; double clicking; zoom by rectangle; and wheel zoom. We found significant differences among the various interfaces, with marked preference for the standard GIS approach of rectangle zoom, followed closely by wheel zoom. Far fewer users preferred the web mapping standard of pan zoom or click zoom. In addition to finding significant differences in usability among these approaches, this work illustrates the broader utility of usability testing and eye tracking technology for creating a better web mapping experience for users.     

Teaching Mapping for Digital Natives: New Pedagogical Ideas for Undergraduate Cartography Education

The current generation of US students engaging with cartography has always had some form of access to computing technologies. Further, this generation has always known a world with networked computer capabilities – the Internet and World Wide Web. Their experience of cartography is largely through fleeting representations shown on a variety of display screens, thereby encountering information differently than most of their instructors. Teaching cartography to these “digital natives” consequently challenges teachers to engage increasing levels of experience and knowledge of technology while assuring fundamental understanding of cartographic concepts and analysis techniques.

Although GIS is used in a vast range of fields, we believe many students are discouraged from programs and courses oriented towards educating cartographic specialists. However, general interest in mapping has never been as significant a part of American culture as it is today. In spite of accessible modes of digital mapping now widely available, introducing cartographic fundamentals retains great significance for undergraduate cartography education. In this paper we present a new pedagogical model for undergraduate cartography education that introduces students finding curiousity in mapping, but lacking desire to become cartographic specialists, to mapping. This model enables undergraduate students to learn fundamentals and begin to reflect critically on the concepts and techniques of modern cartography. Our example stems from a class that systematically addresses barriers to learning and mapping through active-learning based approaches in an interactive classroom. The active-learning approach involves significant engagements with the potentials and challenges of modern cartography in the information age by embracing inquiry-based pedagogical methods and learning with and about mapping.     

A History and Analysis of Mapping Urban Expansion in the Kathmandu Valley,Nepal

Abstract

There have been numerous efforts over many years to map or delineate urban locations and features in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. This study acquired 27 land useland cover maps for the Valley or the urban portions of the Valley. Those maps vary greatly in their mapping parameters. The objectives of this study were to first conduct a cartographic comparison of the differences in the creation and content of the maps and then do an analysis of the urban changes in the Valley based upon the maps. The maps for the Valley have differed in their source materials, the amount of field work involved, scale and minimum mapping units, classifications used, definitions of classes and coordinate systems. Source materials have included various scales and formats of aerial photography and different satellite systems. The most difficult issue in comparing the maps is the varied classification systems and definitions. The same feature will be classified differently from map to map. This is particularly an issue for institutional features such as temples, palaces, educational facilities, open public space and governmental sites. Definitions of residential areas are also not consistent. Even with the differences in mapping parameters, considerable useful information can be obtained by comparing these maps. These include a simply documentation of the urban extent and the generally resulting loss in agricultural lands. There was an increase in urban extent from 22 to 83km² between 1955 and 2000. Urban expansion has also changed from occurring on the upland river terraces or tars to the floodplains. Finally, while not directly documented in these maps, the tremendous pace of urban growth has resulted in multiple infrastructure and environmental challenges.     

The Impact on Topographic Mapping of Developments in Land and Air Survey: 1900-1939

At the beginning of the twentieth century, little of the world outside of Europe, India, and parts of North America had been covered by topographic mapping. By the end of the century there were few areas that were not covered by topographic mapping, if only at small scales. Most of the technological changes that made this extension of map coverage possible were pioneered dunng the period 1900-1939. This paper reviews the technological deveiopments in land and air survey that took place during that period and relates them to the drive to produce cost-effective mapping for civil and military purposes.     

数字测图技术及其课程教学探讨

本文对数字测图技术作为GIS前端数据采集方法中存在的一些认识及技术问题进行了探讨,并对测绘工程专业与GIS专业如何进行数字测图技术课程的教学,提出了自己的观点。     

GIS辅助下的小层对比成图系统

小层对比是油藏描述中一项十分基础且重要的工作。目前不少油田采用CorelDraw等绘图软件进行小层对比成图,图件美观,但是效率低,无法快速得到任意联井剖面的对比图。利用GIS强大的数据管理与图形可视化功能,能方便地对井的各种数据进行有效的管理。在此基础上,运用组件式开发技术,以VC为开发工具,基于SuperMap Objects控件实现了井位置与属性的双向查询及小层对比等功能。该系统能快速建立任意剖面的对比图,提高了小层对比成图的效率。     

基于掌上电脑的多功能测图系统开发

简要介绍了Windows CE及嵌入式开发技术,对基于掌上电脑的多功能测图系统进行设计,并具体分析了其实现过程中地图显示、GPS数据接收、模块通信等各个环节及其实现方法,使用eMbeded Visual C＋＋开发出了适用于电力巡检、管线复查、野外草图测绘等多种业务的数字测图系统EmSurvey,实现了电子地图、项目管理、数字测图等基本功能,对系统实际应用中存在的问题进行了分析并提出了相应的解决方案.     

测绘生产计划信息一体化管理的解决方案

分析了测绘生产计划制定与管理中所涉及的各类信息的特点及相互关系,提出了一种简单实用的空间数据与属性数据一体化管理的解决方案.通过建立空间数据表和编制空间数据引擎模块,解决了测绘计划存储、下达、上报和管理过程中相关数据的安全性问题;在SQL Anywhere关系数据库中实现了空间数据与属性数据一体化管理.该方案成功应用于测绘生产计划管理系统中.     

数字制图中的CAD与GIS

从数据本质与制图方法两个方面对CAD制图与GIS制图进行了详细的比较分析,并在此基础上对CAD与GIS联合制图方法进行了深入探讨和实践。     

Enhancing Operations with Spatial Access Methods in a Database Management System for GIS

Much attention has been devoted in the past to support classes of applications which are not well served by conventional database systems. Focusing on the application domain of geographic information systems (GIS), several architectural approaches have been proposed to implement commercial or prototype systems and satisfy the urgent needs for geographic data handling. However, those systems suffer from several limitations because they either perform much processing on an application layer, which is at the top of the database management system (DBMS), or the underlying data models are not rich enough to represent the spatial dimension of geographic entities. This study examines the spatial operations that should be provided by a DBMS for the application domain of GIS and focuses on the various techniques which may be used to support the efficient execution of both simple operations and composite procedures that involve the spatial dimension of geographic entities.     

移动目标监控系统在西部测图中的开发应用

西部测图项目是国家重点项目,该项目测绘的区域自然条件复杂,属于无人居住区,对于参加该项目野外测绘的人员的安全,是一个重要而又艰巨的任务,移动目标监控系统就是充分利用已有的卫星定位技术和网络技术,提供车辆与人员的定位、指挥中心对车辆与人员的监控,确保车辆与人员的实时监控,提供安全保证,本文详细介绍了西部测图安全监控系统的原理、架构、技术路线和功能。