has long been interested in the person, what is on the horizon - a new territory or region of the earth.Centuries passed, civilization accumulated knowledge.The time has come that time when scientists who have never been in distant lands, many of them knew.In this they were helped by the sources of geographic information.
This article will tell you that it is, as well as their varieties.
General concepts
As you might guess, so-called all sources of information from which a person can get information of interest to him.Which considering the sources of geographic information Grade 5 (in secondary schools)?Let's list them:
- All maps, atlases, and a variety of topographical plans, including the military.
- diverse geographic description of the specific areas.
- Directories encyclopedic articles, and reports the results of various expeditions.
- Aerial photographs and satellite imagery areas.
- GIS and GPS / GLONASS.
Here are aware sources of geographic information Grade 5 in an average comprehensive school.We try to consider the characteristics of some of them a little more detail.
Modern technology
In recent years, more and more sources are transferred from paper to digital form.This is not surprising.Almost all 5 sources of geographic information, which we have just spoken, today you can find it in digital form.Even professional scientists in recent years, prefer to work with a "number".
With the same GIS work much more convenient than with a pile of books.And now discuss some more sources of geographic information.
Maps
card is called a generalized schematic image of the surface of the land, the whole planet or celestial bodies.It is built on the principle of scaling, that is used for this mathematical methods.It depends on the scale of all the cards can be subdivided into three major groups:
- Global.Medium-
- .Small-scale
- .
If we talk about the first category, then the ratio of these documents can be 1: 200 000 and larger.This includes almost all topographical plans.Small-scale considered all the cards, the ratio is less than 1: 1 000 000. The usual atlas includes or small-scale or medium-scale plans that are best suited for the study of a particular locality.
Sort cartographic information
should know that long before the creation of the card experts make a rigorous selection of what will be shown on it.This process is called as follows: cartographic generalization.Naturally, the most rigorous selection exists for small-scale maps, because they are needed to accommodate the maximum amount of useful information with the minimum footprint of the document.The generalization of the crucial role played by the direct appointment of the card, as well as the wishes of its customers.
site plans
So called drawing area that are carried out on a large scale (1: 5000 or more), and to hell with the use of special symbols.In this they resemble a school atlas.Construction of these plans is based on the visual, instrumental measurements, aerial or combined method.
As indicated on the plans are relatively small areas of the earth's surface when creating the planet's curvature may be neglected.It should be clearly understood that these sources of geographic information, which we have just described, are fundamentally different from each other.
main differences from the plan maps
- in centimeters plan seldom laid more than five kilometers to the actual terrain.They are much more cards in one millimeter which can be laid down hundreds of kilometers of the earth's surface.
- All objects on the ground plans are shown as detailed as possible.In principle, at an average figure marked more or less important areas.Thus, topographical plans of the General Staff of Russia (and the Soviet Union, of course) can be displayed even trees and small streams.On the map it is impossible to get all the information.Actually, therefore, carried out generalization, which we discussed above.Even the precise outlines of the continents on many maps can not be displayed, but because they are often applied with considerable distortions.In addition, the above additional literature on geography scaleless uses symbols.
- emphasize once again that the construction plan for the curvature of the earth's surface is neglected.Maps, especially on a small scale, consider it mandatory.
- on plans never degree grid.At the same time there are parallels and meridians on each of them.
- plan is always simple in terms of orientation.The top of the document - the north, bottom, respectively - south.On the cards is determined by the direction of the parallels.
Methods images of objects on the plans and maps
conventional signs in this case are common variants in which the characteristics of the image is encoded on a map or plan of the facility.They can be displayed as something specific (mountain, for example), and something quite abstract, conditional (population density in the city, village, and so on. N.).Of course, they are all essentially make life easier for the person who knows the basics of cartography and know how to read these drawings.
How long the map remains relevant?
this question at least einozhdy set almost all geographers and geologists.The specific answer depends on the purpose, scope, the author of the plan.Thus, medieval scholars often draw a map literally "on the knee", so to talk about their accuracy is not necessary.But the map of the General Staff, despite the time, still affect its accuracy.
Do not forget that the cards of the Far North are reasonably high stability, while the plans of the Amazon and the Nile can be safely disposed of fifty years after their publication.Rivers such as efficiently and quickly change the topography of the Earth, from the older documents are only in the sense of historical perspective.
geographical description, opening
All sources of geographic information discussed above, some boring, uninteresting.To read the fascinating description of a region, area or even continent, written by the man who discovered it all!
Joking aside, but the description and reports on the geographic (geodetic and biological) studies can sometimes give a lot more information than the most detailed topographic map terrain.Especially in the latter does not display some of the unpleasant features of a particular area (malaria occurring in some areas of central Africa, at every step, for example).
That list of literature on geography, which is issued to students at the school (eg Nikolina VV geography, job development; Samkova VA We are studying the forest; Forest Encyclopedia: 2 m. / Sec. Ed. D. And. Vorobiev), as time and is formed thanks to the efforts of researchers at one time contains all the information on the card, being in the thick of things.
Brief information about the opening of Africa
Tell us a little about the history of the discovery of the Black Continent.Of course, the word "discovery" is not entirely correct: that's Australia - yes, it had to suffer.In the case of Africa we were well studied coastal areas where black slaves were caught and bought from Arab traders ivory, but that is going on in the depths of the continent, almost no one knew.
all changed in the XIX century, when Africa came the legendary David Livingstone.To him belongs the honor of opening the source of the Nile and the beautiful Lake Victoria.Few people know, but the study of Central Africa at the time was engaged in a Russian scientist VV Juncker (in years 1876-1886).
for the indigenous population of the continent it ended sadly, the main sources of geographic information (ie maps), data for which are so hard and constant danger to life collected all these brave scientists have been actively used by slavers ...
So with maps andthe plans we had actually finished.Geography Atlases belong to the same category.And what is the role of the modern sources of geographic information?To answer this question, consider the principle of sharing of the old paper maps and navigation, which is now being actively used even professional geographers and geologists.
GPS / GLONASS + card
It should be noted that this method is great for determining the accuracy of maps, atlases and topographical plans.In addition, this technique udovletovryaet needs of historians, since they can see firsthand how the area has changed a lot, which is described in historical chronicles contemporaries of certain events.However, the literature on the geography often contains plans, which have not been updated since the beginning of the last century.
To take advantage of such a precise, but rather time-consuming and somewhat extravagant technique, you will have to perform a triple bind (three different cards) to the same terrain:
- Please find more or less modern map or topographic map.
- It is advisable to carry a fresh snapshot of Aerospace investigated terrain with topographical reference to the coordinate system.
- Finally, we need that card, and details that you are going to check.
meaning of this operation is to add to the memory of the navigator of the drawing, all three areas.Current models of these devices have a fairly powerful processor and impressive memory capacity, so you can switch between cards will instantly.
Determining the route
routing is best done using modern topographical map or plan.We do not advise to use for this old documents.It is possible that in place of the marsh is now traversed the area, but on the edge of the once rare young forest, you will not be able to pass, since the terrain has changed dramatically geography.Map - it's good, that's just in the majority of cases such documents are not too accurate.
Why aerial photography and satellite imagery is preferred card?
But why paper drawings so inferior products of modern technology?The point in the following two reasons:
- First, the relevance of satellite imagery or aerial photo in most cases is much higher.When cartographers still vouchsafed to hold another generalization of new data and the current release plans for the area?
- The pictures you are literally in real time will be able to determine the characteristics of a particular locality.On the map or topographic plan tree species in the forest will be shown only schematically and only in general terms.Simply put, to stumble on a thick spruce prolesok middle of birch is quite possible, and in a thick pine forest to get lost much easier.
choose the route and check the new pictures are advised to refer to the old map.What is so difficult?Imagine that you are a biologist at the field output.You need to determine how much forest has grown, which were new species of trees, many forest types changed over the years.Ideally suited to handle all these tasks simple imposition of a new card to its old counterpart.Thus, everything is seen most clearly.
Here are some sources it uses geography.Map - perhaps the most important of them, but we should not forget that over the past decade, science and technology have made tremendous strides, and therefore foolish not to take advantage of all the modern achievements.
Conclusion
So you know what sources of geographic information currently the most relevant.Oddly enough, but we still use all the same plans and maps, which were invented before our era.Of course, adjusted to their modern look.
