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Three Interrelated Issues:: Spatial Dimensions

1. When creating maps, cartographers must use appropriate symbols to represent features based on three interrelated issues: the spatial dimensions, level of measurement of the data, and graphic primitives used. 2. The spatial dimensions of features can be points, lines, areas or volumes, and are scale dependent. Levels of measurement include categorical (nominal and ordinal) and numerical (interval and ratio) data. 3. Graphic primitives used to symbolize features include properties like size, shape, texture and orientation. Choropleth maps overlay statistical data onto a base map using an area symbolization scheme of colors, shading or hatch patterns for each distinctive area.

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26 views

Three Interrelated Issues:: Spatial Dimensions

1. When creating maps, cartographers must use appropriate symbols to represent features based on three interrelated issues: the spatial dimensions, level of measurement of the data, and graphic primitives used. 2. The spatial dimensions of features can be points, lines, areas or volumes, and are scale dependent. Levels of measurement include categorical (nominal and ordinal) and numerical (interval and ratio) data. 3. Graphic primitives used to symbolize features include properties like size, shape, texture and orientation. Choropleth maps overlay statistical data onto a base map using an area symbolization scheme of colors, shading or hatch patterns for each distinctive area.

Uploaded by

Angel Tsui
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lecture 4

MAP COMMUNICATION PROCESS


Cartographer has to use the right kind of symbols to represent features
Three interrelated issues:
1. Spatial dimensions of the features mapped

4 dimensions: point, line, area and volume


THUS, dimensions are scale dependent.
eg. A city is represented as a point on the world map but covers the entire
sheet of a 1:100000 map

2. Level of measurements on which data are collected

a. Categorical data
(i) Nominal – Distinctions in kinds of things eg. Road vs river, forest vs
open field
(ii) Ordinal – Have an implied sequence/order but no numerically values
eg high, medium, low

b. Numerical or continuous data


(i) Interval – Any value within a relevant range of scale and an arbitrary
zero (can be both negative and positive when measured eg. Temperature C
and F)
(ii) Ratio – Can be arranged along the scale but it must begin at a non-
arbitrary zero point (population, elevation above sea level and temperature
in K = ABOVE 0)

3. Graphic primitives used to represent the features (eg size, shape, texture,
orientation)

CHOROPLETH MAPS
Consists of two components: Base map and statistical data

Symbolization scheme: Area symbol (distinctive


color, shading or hatch pattern) is assigned to each
distinctive area

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