Topographic Map Series Research Articles

A comparative study of existing multi-scale maps: what content at which scale?

GIScience 2016 Short Paper Proceedings A comparative study of existing multi-scale maps: what content at which scale? Marion Dumont 1 , Guillaume Touya 1 , Cecile Duchene 1 Laboratoire COGIT, IGN, 73 avenue de Paris, 94165 Saint-Mande Cedex, France Email: {marion.dumont; guillaume.touya; cecile.duchene}@ign.fr Abstract This paper presents a comparative study of existing topographic multi-scale maps, regarding relations between display scale and level of abstraction (LoA) of the map content. The general trends in zoom levels distribution across scale and the original patterns in transitions between LoAs are especially highlighted. 1. Objectives Multi-scale maps are displayed in mapping applications, i.e. websites where a multi-scale navigation in topographic maps is available. Each producer chooses the display scale and the map content for each zoom level. When users zoom in or out, they actually change the displayed zoom level in the multi-scale map. In some multi-scale maps, the difference of content between two consecutive zoom levels can be strong, partly due to the change of scale. Mackaness (2007) explains that map scale also relates to a level of abstraction (LoA) of the map. It represents the amount of complexity of the map content: which geographic phenomena are represented, and with how much detail? Due to these changes, we believe that general users may have difficulties to recognize the depicted location or the different representations of a same object across zoom levels. Figure 1. Zoom levels of this multi-scale map (IGN France) present large differences To build knowledge from multi-scale maps specifications, we study sixteen existing multi-scale maps, provided by national mapping agencies, private companies or collaborative communities. In this paper, we study the correlation between zoom levels, display scale and level of abstraction of the map content, in general (section 2), then focusing on a particular geographic theme: the settlement areas (section 3). 2. How Zoom Levels, Display Scale and Map Content Are Related? To compare the distribution of zoom levels across scale between multi-scale maps, we first need to define and measure the scale of each zoom level. Besides, most national mapping agencies build their multi-scale map from their topographic paper map series, where each map is designed for a specific printing scale. This map can then be displayed at one or more

AUTOMATIC MAPPING OF FOREST DENSITY FROM AIRBORNE LIDAR DATA

This paper presents new methods for the automatic mapping of vegetation from airborne lidar data. The methods are developed specifically for orienteering maps, which are detailed maps in scale 1:15,000 or 1:10,000 of forested areas. However, the methods may be modified to be used for automatic mapping of vegetation for national topographic map series in various scales, e.g., 1:25,000 or 1:50,000. We introduce the normalized difference vegetation density (NDVD) as an indicator of vegetation density in airborne lidar data. A modified version of NDVD is used for reduced runability mapping. By comparing pixel-by-pixel the automatic mapping with the manual survey in four different forest areas in Oslo, Norway, the correct classification rate varies from 71% to 75%. However, close investigation reveals that the automatic mapping is better than manual survey for open areas. On the other hand, the automatic mapping of reduced runability remains a difficult problem. In many cases, the automatic method is able to identify the major areas of reduced runability, while in other areas the correspondence is low between the automatic mapping and manual survey of reduced runability. Still, the automatic method may be used to quickly produce an initial mapping of reduced runability, or in the production of orienteering maps in remote areas where a full manual survey cannot be afforded.

A Pedological Tale IV: Conversations with Turtle, Bear, and Eagle

A Pedological Tale IV: Conversations with Turtle, Bear, and Eagle

Late-Holocene to recent evolution of Lake Patria, South Italy: An example of a coastal lagoon within a Mediterranean delta system

Lake Patria is a mesoaline coastal lagoon that develops along the coastal zone of the Volturno River plain (Campania, South Italy). The lagoon is a saline to brackish water body, ca. 2.0 long, and 1.5km wide, with an average water depth of 1.5m, reaching a maximum of ca. 3.0m. The freshwater input into the lagoon is provided by a series of fresh to brackish water channels and small springs, landwards, while a permanent connection with the Tyrrhenian Sea is provided by a channel, 1.5km long and a few meters wide.Drilling data from 12 boreholes acquired in the study area indicate that Lake Patria is a man-modified remnant of a larger lagoonal area that developed during the last millennia along the Campania coastal zone within an alluvial delta system at the mouth of the paleo-Volturno River. Sedimentological and stratigraphic analyses of drill cores suggest that the lower Volturno delta plain developed in the last 6000years. Depositional conditions during this period were dominated by flood-plain and alluvial plain settings, with transition to coastal bars and associated back-barrier coastal lagoons.Lake Patria started evolving at an early stage of the Volturno delta plain formation as a consequence of foreshore deposits damming-up by littoral drift. The first marine layers display a radiocarbon age of ca. 4.8kaBP and overlie a substrate represented by volcaniclastic deposits, originated by the Campi Flegrei, and associated paleosols. The lagoonal succession cored at Lake Patria may be interpreted as the result of a dynamic equilibrium between marine influence and riverine input into the lagoonal system through time, and has been tentatively correlated with the major climatic changes that occurred during Mid–Late Holocene.Insights into the recentmost evolution of the coastal lagoon of Lake Patria are provided by the GIS-based analysis of the physiographic changes of the region conducted on a series of historical topographic maps dating back to the early XVII century. Particularly, the superposition of historical cartography reveals the secular trends in the change of coastal environments and the role of human modification of natural habitats over the last 400years.

Designing Effective Legends and Layouts with a Focus on Nigerian Topographic Maps

Most mapping research efforts currently focus on the content of maps and the platform used. By examining layout (the spatial arrangement of various map elements) and legends (an example of marginal map information) in topographic maps, this study complements other studies on map content and use. A map's legend, sometimes known as a “key,” enables the reader to decipher the meanings of the marks and forms that make up the map's content. The layout style and legend used in many topographic map series in Africa were adopted from colonial maps – for example, Nigeria's topographic maps are reminiscent of British colonial maps – and thus post-independence topographic maps reflect the legacies of colonial mapping. This article describes the design of a layout and legend created, using a digital workflow based on the existing analogue legend, for the Nigerian 1:50,000 topographic map series. Classes of vegetation and transportation features depicted on both the old legend and the proposed new legend were compared to illustrate the enhancements achieved in the latter.

As vicissitudes das séries topográficas e temáticas: um retrato da cartografia portuguesa contemporânea

VICISSITUDES OF THE TOPOGRAPHIC AND THEMATIC SERIES: A PICTURE OF THE CONTEMPORARY PORTUGUESE CARTOGRAPHY - This paper is concerned with the present state of the map series and with the production rhythm of the most relevent topographic and thematic map series in Portugal, at the scale 1:25,000and 1:50,000. The obsolescence of most of the topographic sheets, the non-existence of any complete thematic series, and the irregular always decreasing production rhythm of the six series mentioned herein do show the extremely difficult situation of the Portuguese Cartography at the end of this century.

Temporal and spatial changes in the distribution of heaths within the city of Toruń according to analysis of cartographic and remote-sensing materials, and field exploration

The paper describes changes in the distribution and the surface area of heaths during the last, nearly 120 years at two research sites located in the city of Toruń. The first site "JAR" is a former land of military manoeuvres in the northern part of the city, where a unit of the Soviet Army had been stationed after the 2nd World War till 1991. The second site "Glinki", situated at the south-western end of the city, was also exploited as a military land. During the 2nd World War, a German prisoner-of-war camp was located here, and after the war some industrial plants were built and allotment gardens were established, whereas part of the area was treated as a wasteland. The history of both areas and the vegetation changes were reconstructed from the series of temporal topographic maps and aerial photos, as well as a high-resolution Ikonos satellite image. The aforementioned source materials were analysed with the technology of Geographical Information Systems, applying the software Arc-GIS ArcView 9.3. For both sites, the range was determined, as well as the number of patches with common heather and the total area of heaths in particular years of land cover and land use mapping. The present state of heaths was defined based on the direct field exploration carried out with the use of GPS navigational devices. It was found that at present 22 heather patches occur at the site JAR, with the total area of11.7328 ha. Within the Glinki district, also 22 heather patches occur with the total area of 3.5701 ha. And thus, these are the largest sites of heaths located within the administrative boundaries of Toruń. Data collected through the field exploration of the site JAR were superimposed on the spatial development plan of the future housing estate. At an intersection of both information layers, fragments of the area were outlined where heaths can be preserved after the construction of a housing estate is completed. Their area is small. In the area of the Glinki district, the rate of expansion of industrial areas was determined for the last several years, as well as future changes in the land use were discussed, which will arise due to a housing estate scheduled for building here. The aforementioned analyses enabled to evaluate the present developmental state of both research areas, as well as to determine the future of low shrub communities, which occur here and which constitute a type of an ecological system listed among the UE protected habitats. The obtained results increase our knowledge on heaths in Toruń, and at the same time - also in Poland and in Europe.

Dynamics of saline-alkali land and its ecological regionalization in western Songnen Plain, China

As the important reserve land resources for food production, saline-alkali land should play a significant role to ensure the national food security in the context of global food crisis. The western Songnen Plain is one of main distribution regions of saline-alkali land in China, with great potential in agricultural development. In this study, the extent, transformation, spatial distribution and temporal change of saline-alkali land in the western Songnen Plain during 1954–2005 were investigated by using remote sensing and GIS spatial analysis methods. Saline-alkali land change was detected from a temporal series of topographic maps in 1954, satellite images of Landsat MSS in 1976, Landsat TM/ETM in 1988, 2000 and 2005 through artificial visual interpretation. The results indicated a significant expansion in saline-alkali land area and aggravation in salinization. The area of saline-alkali land had increased from 401.48×103 ha in 1954 to 1 097.45×103 ha in 2005. While the ratio of light, moderate and serious salinized land areas changed from 6.72:2.92:1.00 to 1.25:1.06:1.00 in the study period. Grassland, cropland, swampland and water body were the major land use and land cover types from which saline-alkali land transformed. And the secondary salinization occured mainly in Da’an City, Tongyu County, Changling County, Daqing City, Dorbod Mongolian Autonomous County and Zhaoyuan County. Finally, seven large ecoregions and 14 corresponding sub-ecoregions were delineated out based on spatio-temopral dynamic characteristics of saline-alkali land and geo-relational environmental attributes. According to the results, measures of amelioration and ways of development of saline-alkali land in the western Songnen Plain were put forward.

Rectification of the Romanian 1:75 000 map series, prior to World War I

The labelling system, the projection and the datum parameters of the sheets of the 1:75 000 scale Romanian topographic map series completed prior to World War I, are described in order to integrate them to GIS databases. The series has two zones, eastern and western, both on the Bonne projection with different parameters. The sheets from each zone should be handled in a slightly different way in order to rectify them. The eastern sheets can be rectified using the grid coordinates computed from the sheet labels of the corner points. In the case of the western zone sheets, the geographic coordinates are computed from the sheet labels or directly from the graticule corners reprojected on the respective Bonne projection. The abridged Molodensky-parameters for the datums of the two zones are also given. The rectified sheets integrated to a GIS database provide an interesting source of the natural and built environment of the early 20th century Romania.

Shrinkage and fragmentation of grasslands in the West Songnen Plain, China

In the past century, especially the past five decades, the grasslands of the West Songnen Plain, Northeast China, were rapidly converted into croplands and salinized wasteland, and experienced a fragmentation process that is still ongoing. Almost no information is available on the spatial-temporal changes of grasslands in this area. In this study, grassland cover change, agricultural reclamation and salinized wasteland expansion were investigated during the past five decades. Grassland fragmentation was studied based on four landscape metrics. The grassland cover change was detected from a time series of topographic maps from 1954, satellite images of Landsat TM in 1986, 1995, and 2000 using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). In addition, the land use changes were analyzed using a transition matrix of land use types, while the driving forces were explored according to climatic changes and socioeconomic developments. The results indicated a significant decrease in grassland area. Of the 1 418 945 ha of native grassland in 1954, approximately 64% was removed by 2000, while the number of patches (NP) increased from 865 to 2035 and the mean patch size (MPS) decreased from 1640 ha to 252 ha. During the whole study period, the average annual decrease rate of grassland was 34 894 ha/year. Cropland and salinized wasteland were the two main land use types into which grassland converted. During the past decades, obvious climatic changes occurred, which supplied a favorable potential environment for agricultural development but damaged grassland productivity. On the other hand, population, GDP and livestock number increased significantly as grassland quality decreased. According to the results, the shrinkage and fragmentation of grasslands may well be explained by socioeconomic development and aided by changing climatic conditions.

Measuring rice paddy persistence spanning a century with Japan's oldest topographic maps: georeferencing the Rapid Survey Maps for GIS analysis

The Rapid Survey Maps, or Jinsoku Sokuzu, are the first series of topographic maps covering a large region drawn by modern surveying methods in Japan. These maps have no projection or map grid. To incorporate them into a historical GIS, analysts need to identify valid ground control points to georeference these maps, and identify features that are more likely to be distorted than other features. We studied the internal distortion in Rapid Survey Maps while carrying out an overlay analysis for rice paddies between them and a modern land use map. An irregular overall pattern of distortion implied that most were due to local surveying errors. In particular, long, thin rice paddy branches were distorted, leading to mismatches between rice paddies in the older maps with those in the newer map. This mismatch tended to exaggerate the area of rice paddies lost to non‐paddy land uses in the overlay analysis with a modern land use map.

Glacier geometry and elevation changes on Svalbard (1936–90): a baseline dataset

AbstractThis study uses older topographic maps made from high-oblique aerial photographs for glacier elevation change studies. We compare the 1936/38 topographic map series of Svalbard (Norwegian Polar Institute) to a modern digital elevation model from 1990. Both systematic and random components of elevation error are examined by analyzing non-glacier elevation difference points. The 1936/38 photographic aerial survey is examined to identify areas with poor data coverage over glaciers. Elevation changes are analyzed for seven regions in Svalbard (~5000 km2), where significant thinning was found at glacier fronts, and elevation increases in the upper parts of the accumulation areas. All regions experience volume losses and negative geodetic balances, although regional variability exists relating to both climate and topography. Many surges are apparent within the elevation change maps. Estimated volume change for the regions is –1.59±0.07km3 a–1 (ice equivalent) for a geodetic annual balance of –0.30ma–1w.e., and the glaciated area has decreased by 16% in the 54 year time interval. The 1936–90 data are compared to modern elevation change estimates in the southern regions, to show that the rate of thinning has increased dramatically since 1990.

In the Critical Zone: Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey

Geography is again becoming an integral part of the premier natural-science agency of the federal government. Geographic research emphasizes the surface of the earth, a portion of the earth system that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defines as the “critical zone.” Although geography was part of the USGS from the creation of the agency, in recent years geography in the agency has largely been limited to topographic mapping. Recently, the USGS and an advisory committee of the National Research Council (NRC) reviewed the role of geography at the Survey. The committee's report, along with ongoing decision-making in the federal government, is likely to reshape geography in the USGS. The newly defined USGS has a regional structure and four disciplines: geology, hydrology, biology, and geography. The NRC report emphasizes the need for the creation of a spatial database called the National Map to replace the existing series of paper topographic maps. The report also outlines the need for geographic research in geographic information science (GIScience), nature-society connections, and bridging of science to decision-making. The NRC report has been briefed throughout the USGS, in the federal executive branch, and in Congress. The changing role for geography in the USGS requires change in the agency culture, revised budgetary decisions, and the establishment of a long-term core agenda for research. Academic geographers will need to prepare a new generation of geographers for participation in the USGS and similar agencies.

Experiments in the Design of 1:100 000 Scale Topographic Mapping for Great Britain

Most European countries have a national topographic map series at 1:100 000 scale, but currently Great Britain does not. The history of mapping at or around 1:100 000 in Britain is described briefly and consideration given as to why such a scale would be appropriate for a national series of mapping aimed at tourist and leisure users. The main focus of the article is to review a series of 1:100 000 scale maps of two sample areas of Great Britain, produced in the style of various western European medium scale topographic maps. Two further design examples are produced combining desirable characteristics of the maps examined. The results show both that many of the designs translate well to 1:100 000 scale maps of the British landscape and that there is considerable potential for a topographic base at this scale providing a basis for a national series aimed at tourist and leisure users.

GIS Modeling of Impacts of an Accelerated Rate of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal Inlets and Deeply Embayed Shorelines

Abstract Scientific evidence suggests that an accelerated sea level rise will have a significant impact on shorelines over the next 50–100 years. Hence, coastal management and planning in the near future needs to evaluate the physical impacts on vulnerable coastlines. In Australia, the need to estimate potential coastal erosion and potential coastal property damage is acute, because >80% of the Australian population live in coastal areas. However, a limitation that has to be considered in Australia and in many other parts of the world is the lack of data for the coastal zone. Principles drawn from presently available coastal process models are used in this study to identify the potential physical impacts of sea level rise on barrier inlets and deeply embayed shorelines, including estuaries. The models (Hybrid-Bruun, Aggradation, and Translation Models) are implemented into a geographic information system (GIS) environment as a set of equations, which are then applied to the terrain data. In principle, these are data that exist in the public domain, such as the 1:25,000 topographic map series and bathymetric maps at various scales. Changing parameter values in the models (such as the rate of sea level rise, depth of closure, dune height, the size of the flood-tide delta, sediment input from outside the embayment, or the rate of flood-tide delta translation) allows the user to run a number of impact scenarios for each model and locality. Output maps of these scenarios typically present the spatial distribution of hazards caused by rising sea level in a grading triage of risk classes: a definite risk, an uncertain risk, and a negligible risk according to each model. These modeling results can then be used by local government authorities for further detailed studies of individual sites potentially at risk.

Measurements of Glacier Variation in the Tibetan Plateau Using Landsat Data

Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau play an important role in the Earth's climate system. Because of high altitude and difficulties in access, regular, systematic surveys of glacier variation are almost impossible in some regions of the Tibetan Plateau. As a result, remote sensing is at present the primary, in many cases the only way to measure the state of glaciers. In combination with Geographic Information System (GIS), it provides an efficient tool to analyze the current state and changes in glaciers. We used a technique of integrated remote sensing and GIS to map and measure changes in glaciers using a 21-year series of Landsat images (from 1973 to 1994) and topographic maps of a study site on the Tibetan Plateau. The details of glacier fluctuation, such as area of glaciers and changes in the magnitude of recession or advance of a glacier terminus on different dates, are described based on the results of image analysis, including coregistration, classification, vector analysis, and area calculation. Within the study area, during the 21 years, it was determined that the northern glaciers advanced and the southern glaciers retreated, the average rate of change was 50 m a −1 to 105 m a −1. The results show that Landsat data provide an important source of information for studies of glacier variation.

Change detection of the northeastern Nile Delta of Egypt: Shoreline changes, Spit evolution, margin changes of Manzala lagoon and its islands

Rapid changes, natural and anthropogenic, across the Damietta promontory of the Nile delta have been analyzed by undertaking comparisons of Landsat satellite image data, acquired in 1978, 1983, 1990, 1993 and 1995. These images were utilized together with a series of topographic maps dated 1909, 1922, 1944 and 1955 to cover a 86-year monitoring period. Changes documented in this study include: areas of shoreline erosion and accretion, evolution of Damietta coastal spit and changes in the lagoon margin and contiguous islands. The analysis describes areas of erosion along the promontory tip adjacent to the river mouth (-0.51 km2 yr-1) reverted to downcoast accretion along the promontory flank (0.30 km2 yr-1). Part of this sand is carried south-west along the shoreline as a seaward sand spit. This spit is actively migrating to the south-east (0.17 km yr-1) and is accompanied by changes in width (0.06km yr-1). Local areas of erosion and accretions are also detected along the Manzala lagoon sand barrier. The pattern of erosion versus accretion along the coast of the Damietta promontory is attributed to the construction of dams on the upper Nile River, first the Aswan Low Dam in 1909 and particularly the Aswan High Dam in 1964 that cut-off almost all water discharge from the river and the delivery of sediments to the coast. In the absence of a sediment supply, the continued transport of beach sand by waves and currents toward the east has resulted in beach erosion of the promontory close to the river mouth, while shoreline accretion has continued further to the east. An analysis of changes of the total area of Manzala lagoon has indicated that the lagoon has progressively shrunk in size with an average rate of 5.2km2 yr-1, while its embeded islands have accreted at 2.93km2 yr-1. The changes in the lagoon area and islands have resulted from extensive reclamation of the lagoon margin, weed growth and siltation processes.

Acquisition of Procedural Cartographic Knowledge by Reverse Engineering

Successful implementation of an intelligent system for automated map generalization requires formalization of cartographic principles that are, in many cases, only intuitively understood. Formalizing these principles requires acquisition and re-expression in the form of semantic nets, frames, production rules, or similar formalization methods. The various techniques for cartographic knowledge acquisition have been discussed on a theoretical basis; however, little empirical research has been conducted. This paper reports on empirical acquisition of cartographic knowledge by reverse engineering; that is, on trying to recapitulate decisions made on published documents or maps. The work is based on a computer-assisted multi-scale inventory of the Austrian National Topographic Map Series. Queries of the relational database, within which inventory data are stored, lead to the formulation of prototype production rules for modifying map symbols during automatic scale changes. Components of map generalization expr...

Spatiotemporal properties of the fetal magnetocardiogram

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the spatiotemporal properties of the fetal magnetocardiogram. STUDY DESIGN: Fetal magnetocardiogram maps were measured for the first time in 20 subjects from 22 to 39 weeks' gestation. Waveform and topographic maps were used to display the data. RESULTS: The maps showed spatiotemporal properties consistent with simple volume conductor theory: topography was closely related to the presentation of the fetus, Q-wave sources were dipolar and localized, the magnetic heart vector rotated extensively during the QRS complex, and close correspondence was observed between fetal and neonatal maps. Ventricular depolarization and events in the cardiac cycle could be visualized in considerable detail by means of a time series of topographic maps. CONCLUSION: Fetal magnetocardiogram shows excellent spatiotemporal properties and is well suited for in utero studies of fetal heart activity. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1994;170:770-6.)

The Atlas Of India 1823-1947/The Natural History Of A Topographic Map Series

The Atlas of India was the principal topographic map series of British India. Copperengraved at four miles to an inch, new sheets were produced for almost eight decades, from 1827 to 1906. This paper follows its history, with an emphasis upon the earlier decades. It starts with the shift in the East India Company's policy between 1800 and 1823 from restricting access to openly distributing geographic information. It continues with a discussion of the ties between the Company and commercial cartographers, notably Aaron Arrowsmith and John Walker. Of significance in this respect is the conflict over the responsibility for map compilation and production between the commercial cartographers in London and the surveyors in India. Finally, with the transfer of production to India in 1870, this paper discusses the compromises made by the Survey of India as the Atlas competed for limited resources with other (lithographed) topographic map series at larger scales, until the Atlas' formal demise in 1905. However, Atlas sheets continued as the basis for many new maps until the Second World War and Independence in 1947.