Using maps

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Satellite images and maps
•Satellites use electronic
signals to create an image,
using true or false colour.
•The Global Positioning
System uses satellite signals
to pinpoint the precise
location of a receiver.
– A vehicle can track its position.
– Surveyors can prepare maps.
– Recent changes in rivers,
beaches or volcanoes can be
monitored.
– Stolen cars can be traced.
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Geographic Information Systems
– A GIS stores and
organises geographical
data in a digital form.
– Rainfall, crops, traffic
flows, relief or any
other data may be
mapped.
– Many data sources may
be used, such as a
population census or a
map.
– Maps can be adapted
quickly for special
purposes, or updated.
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Google Maps and the Jamaican iMap
– There are Google Maps
and iMap exercises
throughout this book.
– Google maps can show:
• images at many scales
• satellite or map view
• a route planner
• terrain view with hill
shading or contours
• earth view, as from an
aircraft
• street view in many
countries.
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Latitude and longitude can pinpoint any location

Lines of latitude are parallel to the Equator and run E-W; 1° of latitude is 111 km. Lines of longitude converge at
the poles.

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There are 24 time zones: E or W from 0 ° longitude

For every 15° E, it is one hour later. For each 15° W it is one hour earlier. Jamaica is 5 hours earlier than GMT.

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Caribbean time zones are GMT -3, -4, -5, or -6 hours

Mexico, USA and the Bahamas use daylight saving time. Venezuela is GMT -4.5 hours.
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Some symbols used on 1:50 000 maps of Jamaica

Each island and map scale has a slightly different set of symbols.

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 Large and small-scale maps
Kingston and Portmore: Downtown Kingston:
1:250 000 1:10 000

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A six-figure reference locates a 100-metre square

Eastings show how far East you have travelled. Northings show how far North you have travelled.

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What is the 6-fig. grid ref. of the Ruined Tower?

The left margin of the map is Easting 08. Next are 09, 10, 11 and 12. The printed Eastings and Northings are 1
km apart.

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You can use the linear scale to measure distances

Use a ruler to measure straight-line distance. Mark off sections using the a paper strip to measure the distance
along a road.

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Use the grid squares to help estimate areas

On most maps, each grid square measures 1 sq km.

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Spot heights and contours can show relief

Recognise contour patterns for hills, valleys and depressions.

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Contour patterns: slopes
– Gentle slopes are suited
to agriculture and
settlement.
– Use of sloping land
creates difficulties.
– On a concave slope,
gradient increases uphill.
– A convex slope may lead
to a plateau.
– The inland cliffs and coral
terraces of Barbados form
stepped slopes.

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Contour patterns: valleys
– A river which erodes
downwards cuts a V-
shaped valley.
– Rivers often have a
wide flood plain along
their lower course.
– A spur of high ground
may extend onto a flat
plain.

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Contour patterns: hills, ridges and escarpments
– Conical and round-
topped hills have
distinctive contour
patterns.
– A ridge is an elongated
feature, steep on each
side. It may separate
two drainage basins.
– An escarpment is steep
on one side, and has a
gentle ‘dip’ slope on the
other.
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Contour patterns: plateau, pass and spur
– A plateau has a wide,
flat summit and steep
sides. This example
contains a depression.
– A col, pass or saddle
separates two areas of
high ground.
– A V-shaped valley may
zig-zag between
interlocking spurs.

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Drawing a cross-section
– Mark off the contour
points on a strip of paper.
– Choose a vertical scale to
fit the contour interval.
– Make a frame, and mark
off the contour points at
the base.
– Make a dot at the right
height for each contour
point.
– Join the dots with a
smooth curve.

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Use grid lines to help measure a compass bearing

Start from 0° (which is North) and measure clockwise.

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Petit Martinique: 1:10 000
•Petit Martinique is a volcanic
island in the Grenadines, 40
km NE of Grenada.
•It has 825 people, and
measures only 2.3 sq km.

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Tucker Valley: 1:25 000
•This is a rift valley, running
N-S through the western part
of Trinidad’s Northern Range.
•The buildings at the SW of
the map extract were once
part of a US military base.
•To the SE is the settlement
of Carenage, which has a
trans-shipment facility for
bauxite.

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Grenville: 1:25 000
•Grenville is the main
business centre for the
eastern side of Grenada.
•Much of the surrounding
land is used for small-scale
farming.
•The volcanic landscape has
been greatly altered by
erosion.

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Holetown, Barbados
•This area was historically
used for commercial
cultivation of sugar cane.
•There are hotels along the
coast, and planned
settlements have been
developed for tourism.
•There are two steep-sided
gullies in this limestone
landscape, an inland cliff and
small dolines.

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Queen of Spain’s Valley, Jamaica
•Queen of Spain’s Valley is a
polje, formed by downward
faulting of a block of
limestone.
•Much of the land is used to
grow sugar cane for the
Hampden sugar factory.
•To the north of the polje,
there are limestone hills.
•A fringing reef runs parallel
to the coast.

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