Comparing historical and contemporary maps - a methodological framework for a cartographic map comparison applied to Swiss maps

Topographic maps are powerful tools for the purpose of identifying land use and cover change (LUCC) as they are among the most reliable representations of past landscapes for the time prior to the existence of aerial photography. In light of the increased availability of historical maps, we argue that there is a need for a standardized process to assess map comparability in a systematic way in order to avoid, or at least minimize, the detection of spurious landscape changes due to incompatible map series. A full understanding of map quality, background and error distributions is fundamental to attain reliable LUCC results. The conceptual framework presented in this study considers the context, distortion and cartographic generalization of topographic maps. Furthermore, it includes an approach to homogenize the level of generalization of landscape elements (e.g. forests) from maps with different scales. To demonstrate its application, we assessed the comparability of seven topographic maps from Canton Zurich covering a time span of 336 years (1664–2000). Overall, for the maps of Canton Zurich, a wall-to-wall comparison of forest cover based on the topographic maps presented here can be problematic for the oldest map from 1664. Based on the results, a wall-to-wall comparison with the later maps is not recommended, due to its substantial distortion. Yet, after re-generalization of natural landscape elements, such as forests, a comparison based on landscape indices is possible, even for the oldest map. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that maps from the mid-19^th century onward possess an acceptable level of accuracy. This framework can be applied to a wide range of maps at regional, national, or global levels, providing the opportunity to look at land cover history over multiple centuries.     

Detecting arbitrarily shaped clusters in origin-destination flows using ant colony optimization

An origin-destination (OD) flow can be defined as the movement of objects between two locations. These movements must be determined for a range of purposes, and strong interactions can be visually represented via clustering of OD flows. Identification of such clusters may be useful in urban planning, traffic planning and logistics management research. However, few methods can identify arbitrarily shaped flow clusters. Here, we present a spatial scan statistical approach based on ant colony optimization (ACO) for detecting arbitrarily shaped clusters of OD flows (AntScan_flow). In this study, an OD flow cluster is defined as a regional pair with significant log likelihood ratio (LLR), and the ACO is employed to detect the clusters with maximum LLRs in the search space. Simulation experiments based on AntScan_flow and SaTScan_flow show that AntScan_flow yields better performance based on accuracy but requires a large computational demand. Finally, a case study of the morning commuting flows of Beijing residents was conducted. The AntScan_flow results show that the regions associated with moderate- and long-distance commuting OD flow clusters are highly consistent with subway lines and highways in the city. Additionally, the regions of short-distance commuting OD flow clusters are more likely to exhibit ‘residential-area to work-area’ patterns.     

The heritage and cultural values of ancient Chinese maps

Ancient Chinese cartography dates back to the Western Jin Dynasty in the third century. Cartography was initiated during this period by Pei Xiu, a minister and cartographic expert, who suggested six principles of cartography. Pei Xiu, who is known as the father of Chinese cartography, oversaw the completion of the “Yu Gong Regional Maps”, along with 18 articles and the “Terrain Fangzhang Map” (AD 224–271). This led to a number of subsequent cartographic initiatives including the “Wooden Fangzhang Map” (an administrative map) which was completed by Xie Zhuang, a minister during the Southern Dynasties (AD 502–557), “Haineihuayi Tu” (Map of China and its neighbouring countries) (AD 730–805), drawn by Jia Dan, a cartographer of the Tang Dynasty, and “Shouling Tu” (an administrative map, AD 1031–1095), drawn by Shen Kuo, a scientist during the Northern Song Dynasty. Throughout the 16th century, ancient Chinese cartography developed continuously and cumulatively, and formed the specific characteristics of China ancient cartography. Although Western latitude- based and longitude-based mapping techniques introduced to China in AD 1460, the theories and methods of Chinese and Western mapping systems co-existed for over 400 years. The cultural heritage of Chinese cartography can be seen in many famous ancient Chinese maps, including astronomical figures and atlases (world, Chinese, regional, military, water conservancy, historical, and educational maps), charts, and maps of scenic spots. These have hitherto been kept in well-known archives and institutions across the world. They form an important part of the global cultural heritage of ancient maps and cartography. Given their high cultural value, these maps remain an important point of study. This paper provides a preliminary discussion on the rarity, application, and the historical, scientific, and artistic value of ancient Chinese maps.     

Integrating general principles into mixed-integer programming to optimize schematic network maps

ABSTRACT

Schematic maps are popular for the representation of transport networks. Many automated methods have been developed to generate such maps. In these methods, optimization techniques work with various sets of constraints. Most of these constraints govern geometric properties of individual features. A few constraints address relationships among features, but none explicitly deal with the main structure of an entire network. We believe that preservation of main structure is the most important and preservation of relative relations is helpful. This is because human perception follows a global-to-local process. These constraints have recently been formed into four general principles, with two for global structure and two for relativity of features. This study develops an automated method by integrating these principles into the mixed-integer programming (MIP) framework. Experimental evaluations have been conducted with two sets of real-world transit networks. In comparison to the existing method, the proposed method has smaller fractal dimensions, better computational performance and higher scores in terms of clarity, recognition of major lines, visual simplicity and satisfaction. Therefore, it is concluded that the proposed method can generate schematic maps with improved clarity and aesthetics. The idea in this study is also helpful for the design of other visual representations.     

Comparison of thematic maps using symbolic entropy

Comparison of thematic maps is an important task in a number of disciplines. Map comparison has traditionally been conducted using cell-by-cell agreement indicators. More recently, other methods have been proposed that take into account not only spatially coincident cells in two maps, but also their surroundings or the spatial structure of their differences. The objective of this article is to propose a framework for map comparison that considers (1) the patterns of spatial association in two maps, in other words, the map elements in their surroundings; (2) the equivalence of those patterns; and (3) the independence of patterns between maps. Two new statistics for the spatial analysis of qualitative data are introduced that are based on the symbolic entropy of the maps. As well, all inferential elements to conduct hypothesis testing are developed. The framework is illustrated using real and simulated maps.     

Automatic alignment of contemporary vector data and georeferenced historical maps using reinforcement learning

ABSTRACT

With large amounts of digital map archives becoming available, automatically extracting information from scanned historical maps is needed for many domains that require long-term historical geographic data. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are powerful techniques that can be used for extracting locations of geographic features from scanned maps if sufficient representative training data are available. Existing spatial data can provide the approximate locations of corresponding geographic features in historical maps and thus be useful to annotate training data automatically. However, the feature representations, publication date, production scales, and spatial reference systems of contemporary vector data are typically very different from those of historical maps. Hence, such auxiliary data cannot be directly used for annotation of the precise locations of the features of interest in the scanned historical maps. This research introduces an automatic vector-to-raster alignment algorithm based on reinforcement learning to annotate precise locations of geographic features on scanned maps. This paper models the alignment problem using the reinforcement learning framework, which enables informed, efficient searches for matching features without pre-processing steps, such as extracting specific feature signatures (e.g. road intersections). The experimental results show that our algorithm can be applied to various features (roads, water lines, and railroads) and achieve high accuracy.     

Automation and evaluation of graduated dot maps

Dot mapping is a traditional method for visualizing quantitative data, but current automated dot mapping techniques are limited. The most common automated method places dots pseudo-randomly within enumeration areas, which can result in overlapping dots and very dense dot clusters for areas with large values. These issues affect users’ ability to estimate values. Graduated dot maps use dots with different sizes that represent different values. With graduated dot maps the number of dots on a map is smaller, reducing the likelihood of overlapping dots. This research introduces an automated method of generating graduated dot maps that arranges dots with blue-noise patterns to avoid overlap and uses clustering algorithms to replace densely packed dots with those of larger sizes. A user study comparing graduated dot maps, pseudo-random dot maps, blue-noise dot maps and proportional circle maps with almost 300 participants was conducted. Results indicate that map users can more accurately extract values from graduated dot maps than from the other map types. This is likely due to the smaller number of dots per enumeration area in graduated dot maps. Map users also appear to prefer graduated dot maps over other map types.     

Identifying strengths and limitations of pan-European forest cover maps through spatial comparison

Detailed and harmonized information on spatial forest distribution is an essential input for forest-related environmental assessments, in particular, for biomass and growing stock modeling. In the last years, several mapping approaches have been developed in order to provide such information for Europe in a harmonized way. Each of these maps exhibits particular properties and varies in accuracy. Yet, they are often used in parallel for different modeling purposes. A detailed spatial comparison seemed necessary in order to provide information on the advantages and limitations of each of these forest cover maps in order to facilitate their selection for modeling purposes.

This article confronts the high-resolution forest cover map recently developed by the Joint Research Centre for the year 2000 (FMAP2000) with previously existing maps for the same time period: the CORINE Land Cover 2000 (CLC2000) and the Calibrated European Forest Map 1996 (CEFM1996). The spatial comparison of these three maps was carried out based on forest proportion maps of 1 km derived from the original maps. To characterize differences according to biogeographic regions, two criteria were used: detail of thematic content within each map and local spatial agreement.

Concerning thematic content, CLC2000 displayed a surfeit of non-forested areas at the cost of low forest proportions, while FMAP2000 showed a more balanced distribution likely to preserve more detail in forest spatial pattern. Good spatial agreement was found for CLC2000 and FMAP2000 within about 70% of the study area, while only 50% agreement was found when compared with CEFM1996. The largest spatial differences between all maps were found in the Alpine and Mediterranean regions. Reasons for these might be different input data and classification techniques and, in particular, the calibration of CEFM1996 to reported national statistics.     

认知地图的空间句法研究

将意识层面的空间意象外化为可被度量及分析的对象,一直是行为学、地理学、旅游学等学科关注的重要课题。本文主要从构建空间意象的结构而非意义入手,对该领域研究中的两种重要方法,即认知地图法和空间句法进行了比较,意图找到两种方法在空间结构性认知方面的相关性。基于句法空间结构的表达模型,分别就长沙太平街历史街区集成度及其认知地图的调研结果进行了比对,通过真实地图句法集成度与579 份认知地图意象要素出现频率等指标的比较,发现集成度指标与意象出现频率等指标存在较好的相关性。在对认知地图样本进行轴线化转换并比照真实地图的轴线索引后,对真实地图句法集成度与579 份认知地图平均句法集成度进行比较,发现认知地图与真实地图的句法分析在结果上仍有较好的相关性,且节点、标志物两要素的出现频次等指标也与所在街道的集成度存在较为明显的对应性。结论说明空间构形对人们结构性意象的形成有着重要的影响力,认知地图的句法分析对揭示人们空间知识的形成机制具有一定的参考价值,两种方法有相互补充的可能性。     

基于多源地图信息重组的土壤侵蚀背景值图编制

对土地利用图进行信息的挖掘,结合岛状地的界定,提取了其中的岛状地信息;与天然性程度的信息源进行融合,得到了天然岛状地信息;再与土壤侵蚀图、地貌图信息重组,最终得到了土壤侵蚀背景值信息,生成土壤侵蚀背景值图。通过在内蒙古农牧交错带内的试验研究,说明基于土地利用图、土壤侵蚀图和地貌图的多源地图信息重组,编制土壤侵蚀背景值图的方法是可行的。     

中国古地图遗产与文化价值

中国古地图学创于公元三世纪《西晋·裴秀传》提出的“制图之体有六焉”,被西方誉为中国地图学之父的裴秀（西晋司空）,领衔制作了《禹贡地域图》十八篇和《地形方丈图》（公元224-271年）。其后的1600年间,先后完成了一批著名的中国古地图,例如南朝大臣谢庄领衔完成的”木方丈图”（公元502-557年）、隋炀帝命学者崔绩（550-618年）撰《区宇图志》（公元581-600年）、唐朝宰相贾耽领衔绘制《海内华夷图》（公元730-805年）、北宋科学家沈括领衔绘制《守令图》（公元1031-1095年）、南宋礼部尚书黄裳绘制《苏州石刻天文图》原图（公元1190年）、元代玄教宗师朱思本制作《舆地图》（公元1273-1333年）、明代航海家郑和领衔完成《郑和航海图》与地理学家罗洪先领衔制作《广舆图》（公元1504-1564年）、明代天文学家徐光启等完成的《恒星屏障图》、清代高邮知州魏源受林则徐委托编撰《海国图志》（公元1842-1852年）等,继承与发展了独特的中国古代地图学,即使西方经纬度制图技术于公元1584-1600年前后传至中国,启动了中西地图融合发展,中西两种制图理论和方法并行地使用了400余年。闻名中外的中国古地图,包括古天文图、世界图、中国图、航海图、区域图、水利图、军事图、风景名胜图、历史图、教育图等,迄今仍被国内外著名藏图机构分散地保存着,构成了世界古地图文化遗产中的重要组成部分,具有十分珍贵的文化价值,值得进一步深入探讨、挖掘和利用。本文最后初步地探讨了中国古地图的稀有价值、应用价值、历史价值、科学价值和艺术价值。     

A stroke-based method for automated generation of schematic network maps

This article deals with the graphic simplification of a network by schematization. A new method employing a stroke-based and progressive strategy is proposed to generate schematic network maps. This method treats a stroke (which is a long line with segments concatenated together) as a basic unit for the implementation. The procedure is as follows: (a) strokes are formed from line segments, (b) the strokes are re-orientated along grid lines and/or diagonals, and (c) two endpoints and all intersection points on (sub-)strokes are projected onto re-oriented straight lines, and (d) spatial inconsistency is detected and resolved. A methodology for each of these steps is described. This new method has been tested with a set of real-life road network data and evaluated by fractal analysis and empirical study. Experimental results show that this new method is more effective than segment-based methods and is able to produce graphics with great simplicity and clarity. Based on the results obtained, the stroke-based schematization with four primary directions is recommended.     

Generation of schematic network maps with automated detection and enlargement of congested areas

Nowadays, the design of the London Tube map (as a kind of schematic map) has been popularly adopted for transport network maps worldwide because of its great clarity of representation. In such types of map, the shape of the network is simplified and the topology between lines is preserved while the congested areas are enlarged to a desirable scale. Efforts have also been made to automate the production of such maps. However, to our best knowledge, no existing methods have explicitly taken into consideration the automated enlargement of congested areas. As such an enlargement is vital to the improvement of clarity, this paper proposes a new automated method to generate schematic network maps, consisting of (a) automated detection of congested areas, (b) automated enlargement of congested areas to a desirable scale and (c) automated generation of the schematic representation of the deformed network maps using a stroke-based approach. The new method has been tested with two real-life network data sets, i.e. the London Tube and Hong Kong metro data sets, and evaluated by fractal analysis and experimental studies. The results of the evaluation indicate that the new method is able to automatically generate the schematic maps with improved clarity and aesthetics.     

城市社区微观空间意象研究——基于南京居民250份手绘草图的比较

选取南京封闭社区与开放社区相互邻近的4个对比组共8个居住社区,对其居民的社会属性、生活习惯和社区空间感知特征进行了问卷调查,并从250份手绘草图中提取和统计相关数据,据此分析城市居民社区空间意象地图的主要类型与构成要素.研究发现,居民的社会属性是影响人们社区空间意象的决定性因素,性别、年龄、收入和居住时间的差异导致居民...     

Interpreting maps through the eyes of expert and novice users

The experiments described in this article combine response time measurements and eye movement data to gain insight into the users' cognitive processes while working with dynamic and interactive maps. Experts and novices participated in a user study with a ‘between user’ design. Twenty screen maps were presented in a random order to each participant, on which he had to execute a visual search. The combined information of the button actions and eye tracker reveals that both user groups showed a similar pattern in the time intervals needed to locate the subsequent names. From this pattern, information about the users' cognitive load could be derived: use of working memory, learning effect and so on. Moreover, the response times also showed that experts were significantly faster in finding the names in the map image. This is further explained by the eye movement metrics: experts had significantly shorter fixations and more fixations per second meaning that they could interpret a larger part of the map in the same amount of time. As a consequence, they could locate objects in the map image more efficiently and thus faster.     

Annual Mass-balance Series of a Temperate Glacier in the Caucasus, Reconstructed from an Ice Core

Identification of annual layers in a firn/ice core provides a possibility to reconstruct the mass-balance sequence for glaciers where no direct observations have been carried out. A number of cores is obtained from the boreholes drilled on the Djantugan firn plateau in the crest zone (3620 m a.s.l.) of the Main Caucasus Ridge. A geophysical radar survey shows ice thickness here being equal to 212 m, close to the maximum value within the plateau (235 m). The deepest layer achieved, c .93 m below the surface, is dated back to 1937. Annual layers are identified by visual and textural petrographic analysis in situ . Geochemical and isotope methods are also applied. Ambiguities in discerning annual boundaries due to epigenetic firn/ice homogenization can be eliminated by means of complex methods. Since the probability of complete melting of an annual layer is estimated as negligible, the reconstructed continuous mass-balance time series, after inserting rheological and inclinometrical amendments, describe the character of glacier evolution. It is corroborated with indirect calculation using data from the nearest weather station and with mass-balance series of the neighbouring Djankuat Glacier, one of 10 reference glaciers in the world. Located south of the meganticlinorium axis, the boring site is characterized by glacier budget improvement during the last decades similar to the northern slope – less rapidly until the 1980s and more rapidly since.     

Using maps of continuous variation in species compositional turnover to supplement uniform polygon species range maps

Species ranges are often represented using polygons, with the attendant issues that they show uniform ranges with abrupt boundaries and can overestimate species ranges. We demonstrate that such uniform species ranges can be supplemented by mapping the gradational variation in species turnover across a landscape. Directional variation in species turnover for 15 skink species (Reptilia: Scincidae) and topographic and climatic turnover in south-eastern Australia were measured using directional moving window analyses, rotated through 360°. The resultant species turnover maps were compared with published polygon range maps for two species within the group (Liopholis whitii and L. inornata). We also assessed how the relationships between species and environmental turnover varied in areas of low or high species turnover. Continuous transitions between distinct areas of low and high species turnover were mapped. Low turnover comprised only 19% of the L. whitii polygon species range within the study area extent. These low turnover areas were more densely populated by L. whitii (67% of observations), whereas areas of medium to high turnover contained substantially fewer observations (25%). Regions with the highest species turnover contained only 6% of observations. L. inornata observations were also clustered in low species turnover areas. Averaged climatic and elevation values were higher in low-turnover areas despite their close adjacency to high-turnover zones. The environmental turnover in low species turnover regions was also lower than in high-turnover areas. Correlations between environmental turnover and low species turnover areas were positive, whereas the opposite relationship applied in high species turnover areas. We identified both abrupt and gradual distributional breaks between separate reptile assemblages; an example of the latter is located in the Hunter Valley in the south-eastern coastal region. This break has been mapped using solid, uniform lines in species ranges and thus implicitly as an abrupt break. Environmental conditions may be more favourable to skinks in low-turnover areas. Since L. whitii and other skink species have very large populations in low-turnover areas, other squamate species may also be more likely to occur in these areas. This has potential implications for conservation prioritisation. The turnover maps used here can supplement the information provided about reptile distributions by the equivalent polygon ranges. This approach can be applied to point occurrence data for any taxonomic group or any similar georeferenced diversity data set.     

The Use of Environmental Features on Tactile Maps by Navigators Who Are Blind

Maps designed for and used by sighted audiences benefit from map symbol standardization and convention but, with very limited exception (most notably two European projects), neither standardization nor convention guides the design and use of symbols for tactile maps. In this project, we developed and field tested symbolization for and use of tactile street maps. The development process included consultation with the literature as well as with field experts (orientation and mobility teachers, Braillists, and teachers working with students who are blind or have low vision). Following development, we undertook a three-year field testing and validation phase, in which we conducted pilot testing and formal testing with travelers who are blind or have low vision. Research results reveal not only a discriminable and useful tactile symbol set but also environmental feature use by travelers who are blind or have low vision.     

Mass Balance of Vernagtferner, Austria, From 1964/65 to 1996/97: Results for Three Sections and the Entire Glacier

In the centre of the highly glacierized Oetztal valley, mass balance is determined for the three neighbouring glaciers Hintereisferner, Kesselwandferner and Vernagtferner, applying the direct glaciological method, related to the 'fixed date' system. The diverging behaviour of the three glaciers due to slightly varying local climatic conditions as well as to different topoclimatological and physiographic features gave reason to analyse the Vernagtferner mass balance separately for three easily discernible sections, i.e. Schwarzwand, Taschachjoch and Brochkogel, each showing characteristic aspect and elevational distributions of area respectively.
The cumulative mass balance of the Vernagtferner for the period 1968/69, when separate mass balance computations for the three sections were started, until 1996/97 amounted to −8.7 m water equivalent (w.e.). The mass loss of the western Schwarzwand section as the part with the largest share of low elevation area was −13.3 m w.e., in contrast to the central Taschachjoch section which lost only −6.6 m w.e. The remaining eastern Brochkogel section with a loss of −8.5 m w.e. fits best the mass balance of the total Vernagtferner although its physiographic characteristics differ markedly from those of the entire glacier. The equilibrium line altitude (ELA) dependence on specific net mass balance ( b ) is slightly different for the three sections, whereas the dependence of the accumulation area–total area ratio (AAR) on b is characterized by nearly identical sensitivities. Moreover, AAR correlates better with b than ELA, therefore AAR is regarded as a more representative parameter for the Vernagtferner than ELA.     

The fractal nature of maps and mapping

A fractal can be simply understood as a set or pattern in which there are far more small things than large ones, for example, far more small geographic features than large ones on the earth surface, or far more large-scale maps than small-scale maps for a geographic region. This article attempts to argue and provide evidence for the fractal nature of maps and mapping. It is the underlying fractal structure of geographic features, either natural or man-made, that make reality mappable, large-scale maps generalizable, and cities imageable. The fractal nature is also what underlies the beauty of maps. After introducing some key fractal concepts such as recursion, self-similarity, scaling ratio, and scaling exponent, this article demonstrates that fractal thought is rooted in long-standing map-making practices such as series maps subdivision, visual hierarchy, and Töpfer’s radical law. Drawing on previous studies on head/tail breaks, mapping can be considered a head/tail breaks process; that is to divide things around an average, according to their geometric, topological and/or semantic properties, into the head (for those above the average) and the tail (for those below the average), and recursively continue the dividing process for the head for map generalization, statistical mapping, and cognitive mapping. Given the fractal nature of maps and mapping, cartography should be considered a perfect combination of science and art, and scaling must be formulated as a law of cartography or that of geography in general.