Demographic Transition: Threat to Developing Nations

Abstract

As computers become commonplace in the nation's schools, interactive maps are finding their way into the geography classroom. Students can use electronic atlases to access information as well as use authoring software to produce their own interactive maps. Does this change in media correspond to better geography education for our children? This article addresses whether using interactive maps for gathering and presenting information can have a positive influence on learning geography content. A two-week experiment was conducted in five 7th grade classrooms. Students in four of the classes researched and produced map products using both traditional and computer-assisted techniques. The fifth class was a control group. A pretest and two post-tests were given to quantitatively assess student learning after each project. Also, students were given a qualitative questionnaire to determine their attitude towards the different techniques. Quantitative results of the study indicate that there was no significant difference in student post-test performance after using each of the techniques, but qualitative results suggest that students prefer using the computer techniques over the traditional methods for gathering and presenting information.     

基于VB.NET的地形图编号查询与面积计算程序

主要介绍利用Microsoft Visual Basic.NET编写的地形图分幅编号查询与面积计算程序。通过该程序,根据经纬度坐标或高斯坐标,可查询该点所在各种基本比例尺下的图幅编号、西南图廓点的经纬度坐标以及在不同坐标系下的图幅面积。     

广州市第二次全国土地调查1：2000土地利用现状图输出

标准分幅土地利用现状图制作与输出是广州市第二次全国土地调查的一项重要工作。由于国家、省没有1：2000土地利用现状图的标准或技术规程,根据我市作业模式、数据特点,制定了技术要求,开发了由建库数据到制图数据的转换程序,依据上交给国家、省的数据库成果,完成了全市十区两市10225幅图的电子数据制作,并打印纸质图件归档。     

Digging into Google Earth: An analysis of “Crisis in Darfur”

Google publicists have suggested the Crisis in Darfur is an example of the Google Earth software’s “success at tangibly impacting what is happening on the ground.” Yet whether or not Google Earth’s interface, along with a medley of other media representations of the conflict, have impacted events on the ground or led to coherent policies of humanitarian intervention remains open to debate. This article draws upon critical approaches from media studies—namely discourse analysis—to analyze several aspects of the Google Earth/USHMM Crisis in Darfur project. While this project was no doubt developed with the noble intention of generating international awareness about widespread violence that has recently occurred in the Darfur region, it is important to evaluate how representations of global conflicts are changing with uses of new information technologies and whether such representations can actually achieve their desired impacts or effects. The article begins with a discussion of the Crisis in Darfur project’s history, proceeds to analyze some of the press coverage of the project and then moves to a critique of the layer using four categories of analysis: (1) the shifting role of satellite image; (2) the temporality of the interface; (3) the practice of conflict branding; and (4) the practice of “information intervention.” Throughout the article, I explore how the presentation of Darfur-related materials through Google Earth reproduces problematic Western tropes of African tragedy and misses an opportunity to generate public literacy around satellite images. I also consider how humanitarianism is intertwined with digital and disaster capitalism, and suggest that this instance of “information intervention” makes patently clear that high visual capital alone cannot resolve global conflicts.     

Anthropogenic relief changes in a long-lasting lignite mining area (‘Ville’, Germany) derived from historic maps and digital elevation models

Humans constitute one of the main geomorphological agents in modern times. As an example, post-mining regions represent a typical landscape of the Anthropocene. Strong relief modifications are particularly obvious with open pit mining. However, many existing mining areas are lacking detailed pre-mining information for the quantification of anthropogenic relief changes, which is a considerable challenge in regions with historic mining activities. Here, the Ville (Rhenish lignite district, Germany) is used to quantify surface mining induced relief changes in one of the oldest and currently largest lignite districts in Europe. Historical maps from first geodetic mapping in 1893 enabled construction of a historic digital elevation model to quantify the relief changes in comparison to elevation data from 2000 and 2015. The vertical accuracy of the historic data is remarkably high, with relief differences < 2 m in areas not affected by mining. In total, 49.2% of the investigated area (184 km²) shows a relief deficit and 14.5% has positive relief differences. Absolute changes account for more than 80 m heightening (dumpsites of overburden) and lowering of the natural relief (pits). Besides these altitudinal changes, overall steeper slopes are significant for the new topography, but levelling exists likewise. The spatial variabilities are discussed in the context of the regional geology and the mining techniques. Undoubtedly, such large-scale anthropogenic relief changes persist for a very long time and will last as a human legacy far into the future. Only the detailed reconstruction of the pre-mining relief offers the ability to clarify the dimension of humans as geomorphological agents and to understand landscape perception. Due to the fact that the impact of open pit mining has such a large vertical and horizontal extension, their consideration as part of anthropogeomorphology can significantly contribute to support future Critical Zone research in the Anthropocene.     

Tectonic cycles of the New England Orogen,eastern Australia: A Review

The New England Orogen (NEO), the youngest of the orogens of the Tasmanides of eastern Australia, is defined by two main cycles of compression–extension. The compression component involves thrust tectonics and advance of the arc towards the continental plate, while extension is characterised by rifting, basin formation, thermal relaxation and retreat of the arc towards the oceanic plate. A compilation of 623 records of U–Pb zircon geochronology rock ages from Geoscience Australia, the geological surveys of Queensland and New South Wales and other published research throughout the orogen, has helped to clarify its complex tectonic history. This contribution focuses on the entire NEO and is aimed at those who are unfamiliar with the details of the orogen and who could benefit from a summary of current knowledge. It aims to fill a gap in recent literature between broad-scale overviews of the orogen incorporated as part of wider research on the Tasmanides and detailed studies usually specific to either the northern or southern parts of the orogen. Within the two main cycles of compression–extension, six accepted and distinct tectonic phases are defined and reviewed. Maps of geological processes active during each phase reveal the centres of activity during each tectonic phase, and the range in U–Pb zircon ages highlights the degree of diachronicity along the length of the NEO. In addition, remnants of the early Permian offshore arc formed during extensive slab rollback, are identified by the available geochronology. Estimates of the beginning of the Hunter-Bowen phase of compression, generally thought to commence around 265?Ma are complicated by the presence of extensional-type magmatism in eastern Queensland that occurred between 270 and 260?Ma.     

科马提岩与苦橄岩的区别及对若干晚古生代“科马提岩”的质疑

以往学术界更多的关注科马提岩和苦橄岩的相似性,忽略其差异。通过全数据模式,采集数据库内全球的太古宙科马提岩、后太古宙低/高钛苦橄岩数据,对比三者之间的差异发现,科马提岩更富MgO、Cr、Ni、Cs、Pb、Co和Zn,其次为低钛苦橄岩(除Co和Zn),其余主量、微量元素的含量由高至低依次为高钛苦橄岩、低钛苦橄岩、科马提岩。依据元素间的差异(如Cr/Ga、MgO/Ga、MnO/Zr、Cr/Zr等),采用密度分布函数(Density Distribution)在Matlab软件中绘制出可有效区分3类岩石的等密度判别图,并用该图对若干晚古生代"科马提岩"的岩性重新厘定。结合岩相学和地球化学特征研究表明,晚古生代"科马提岩"中,印度东部为高钛苦橄岩,越南为化学成分与科马提岩类似的低钛苦橄岩,印度拉达克地区为低钛苦橄岩。     

电子地图的可视化

电子地图是传统纸质地图的模拟与发展,是可交互的多功能的可视化集成地图,可以直观、生动、形象地表达地理要素实体。本文从电子地图的定义、特点及制作流程入手,介绍电子地图的可视化设计表达,给出一些电子地图的可视化表达的原则与经验。     

Point grid map: a new type of thematic map for statistical data associated with geographic points

ABSTRACT

Social, economic, and environmental statistical data associated with geographic points are currently globally available in large amounts. When conventional thematic maps, such as proportional symbol maps or point diagram maps, are used to represent these data, the maps appear cluttered if the point data volumes are relatively large or cover a relatively dense region. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new type of thematic map for statistical data associated with geographic points: the point grid map. In a point grid map, an input point data set is transformed into a grid in which each point is represented by a square grid cell of equal size while preserving the relative position of each point, which leads to a clear and uncluttered appearance, and the grid cells can be shaded or patterned with symbols or diagrams according to the attributes of the points. We present an algorithm to construct a point grid map and test it with several simulated and real data sets. Furthermore, we present some variants of the point grid map.