The Geographer’s Tools

The Geographer’s Tools Eratosthenes- calculated the circumference of the earth around 255 B.C.

Geographer’s Tools: Maps and Globes Globe- a three-dimensional representation of the earth A way to view the earth as it travels through space Not always practical because they are not easily portable Maps- two-dimensional graphic representations of selected parts of the earth’s surface Easily portable, can be drawn to any scale needed Distortion occurs as the earth’s surface is flattened to create the map

Geographer’s Tools: Maps and Globes Cartographer- a mapmaker Map projection- a way of drawing Earth’s surface by presenting a round Earth on flat paper Types of maps General reference maps, thematic maps, and navigational maps

Who was the first person to calculate the circumference of the earth? Empedocies Eratosthenes Protagoras [Default] [MC Any] [MC All]

A globe is a two-dimensional graphic representation of selected parts of the earth’s surface. True False

Mapmaking Surveying: observe, measure, and record what is seen in a specific area (mostly done by aerial photography or by satellites) Satellites- provide geographic date Landsat: a series of satellites that orbit more than 100 miles above Earth Geostationary Operation Environment Satellite (GOES): a weather satellite, flies in orbit in sync with Earth’s rotation http://youtu.be/Ezn1ne2Fj6Y

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) A geographic information system (GIS) lets us visualize, question, analyze, interpret, and understand data to reveal relationships, patterns, and trends

Global Positioning System (GPS) Uses a series of satellites called Navstars, which beam information to the earth The exact position-latitude, longitude, latitude, and time is then displayed on a hand-held receiver http://youtu.be/fpPwMu3foGg

Geography Skills Finding location Magnetic compasses: introduced by the Chinese around the 1100s helped to accurately determine direction Theodolite: a type of surveying instrument that precisely measures angles and distances on the earth

Geography Skills Scale: the relationship between distance on a map and on the earth’s surface (a scale shows distance!) Small scale- shows a large area but without much detail; used to see relative location in a region or between regions Large scale- shows a small area with much more detail; used to see relative location within a region

Is this a large scale or small scale map? [Default] [MC Any] [MC All]

Geography Skills- Types of Maps Physical Maps- maps that help you see the types of landforms and bodies of water found in a specific area Color, shading, or contour lines are used to indicate elevation or altitude Political Maps-show features on the earth’s surface that humans created May include cities, states, provinces, territories, or countries

What type of map is this? Political Physical [Default] [MC Any] [MC All]

Geography Skills-Types of Maps Thematic Maps- focuses on specific types of information Climate, vegetation, natural resources, population density, and economic activities