Lab 3

View Geography 7 Map in a larger map


This neogeographic map is created in my cousin's home of Westminster, CA. Coming from a small agrarian city, it bewildering to see a place so completely different from my own. Cars were everywhere, the sizes of people's backyards were only a mere fraction of my own, and there were just so many people around. Here, there was no vast countryside to explore or trickling rivers to follow. Instead, there existed humongous shopping complexes that were easily to get lost in and endless boulevards that were gridlocked at all times.


Westminster was the first large city that I came to know and love. Located in Southern California, the weather was always perfect, the beach was a few blocks away, the diversity and opportunities were awe inspiring.  I have chosen to mark the places where I grew up; where my memories are most prominent. I have mapped paths that my cousins and I have taken over and over again, places that we have visited on countless occasions, and areas of great interest.


Although one may view neogeography as innovative, one must remember there may exist many pitfalls and consequences to such a nascent field.  Neogeography allows the user to create their own maps suited to their needs.  Whether it be a tour of San Francisco as shown on Google Map's "MyMaps" Tutorial (Google MyMaps) or a simple mashup of a my favorite locations in Orange County, user created maps are readily available to everybody.  No longer a field dominated by expert cartographers and government agencies, map making has been made into a simple and intuitive process to anybody with an internet connection.  Google Maps, Wikimapia, and the like are all websites in which users can manipulate their own cartographic creations with the help of a User Graphic Interface (UGI).  Programming experience is not necessary.  Click here, drag here, add information and one is on their way to making a map.


Nevertheless, one can be candid enough to say with such an unregulated process, neogeography cannot be trusted due to its flaws.  The freedom that the user is given can lead to many human errors.  Locations are not necessarily accurate in a neographic map; places that one has visited many times will carry more weight in the user's mind and will therefore lead to more acuity in the documentation of that place on a map.  Likewise, an environment that one has visited less frequently will be faint in ones mind and cause a distortion in mapping its actual location.  This can cause mistakes if one is using neographic maps to document relative distances between two or more user defined points.       


Since such maps are available to the public, tampering is possible.  Google Maps allows for maps to be collaboratively edited by many people.  This aspect, although having many potentials, can be counterintuitive to ones goal of map making.  This also brings up the question of privacy.  We live in the "age of information."  For the most part, our lives become an open book to anybody with a search engine.  Where does one draw the line in the censorship of maps?  Take for example, a website called "Prop 8 Maps" (http://www.eightmaps.com/) where an anonymous citizen has mapped all the donors who supported the banning of gay marriage in California.  Although this may be taken as merely demonstrative, one could assume that there lies a risk associated with this broadcast of information.  Politics is a cut-throat domain.  Who knows what possible retributive acts could occur with a map such as this.  


Furthermore, even with the most recent geocaching data, applications such as Google Maps and Wikimapia can present false information.  Many times the points designating known locations are imprecise--sometimes off by several hundred feet.  The magnitude; of information represented by these programs is constantly being updated, augmented, or replaced.  Recent changes to an environment may not be immediately seen.     


Neogeography is an up and coming aspect of traditional geography.  Although trivial compared to complex Geographic Information software such as ArcGIS, the everyday user has the ability to make personalized maps with great ease.  There may exist pitfalls, but one would hope that with time they may be soon be a thing of the past.     

Lab 2

1. Beverly Hills Quadrangle
   
   
2. The adjacent quadrangles are as follows:
1. Canoga Park Quadrangle
2. Van Nuys Quadrangle
3. Burbank Quadrangle
4. Topanga Quadrangle
5. Hollywood Quadrangle
6. 
   
7. Venice Quadrangle
8. Inglewood Quadrangle
   
   
3. 1966
   
   
4. The horizontal datum used to produce this map were NAD 27 and NAD 83.  The vertical datum used to produce this map was 1929.
   
   
5. 1:24 000
   
   
6. 
   
1. Using the scale, we write (1 centimeter / 24 000 centimeters) = (5 centimeters / q centimeters) where q represents the distance on the ground.  We cross multiply and receive q = 120 000 centimeters.  To convert to meters, divide by 100.
   
   5 centimeters on the map = 1 200 meters on the ground.
   
2. (1 inch / 24 000 inches) = (5 inches / r inches), where r represents the distance on the ground.  Cross multiply and receive r = 120 000 inches.  To convert to meters, note that 63 360 inches = 1 mile.  Divide by 63 360.
   
   5 inches on the map = 1.89 miles on the ground.
   
3. Using the fact that 1 mile = 63 630 inches, (1 inch / 24 000 inches)=(s inches / 63 360 inches), where s represents the distance on the map.  Cross multiply and receive s = 2.64.
   
   1 mile on the ground = 2.64 inches on the map.
   
4. Using the fact that 3 km = 300 000 cm, (1 centimeter / 24 000 centimeter)=(t inches / 300 000 inches), where t represents the distance on the map.  Cross multiply and receive t = 12.5.
   
   3 km on the ground = 12.5 centimeters on the map.
       
   
7. 20 feet
   
   
8. 
   
1. 
   Longitude:  The quadrangle measures approximately 18.65 centimeters horizontally.  The centroid of the Public Affairs Building is approximately 9.20 centimeters from the western border of the quadrangle.  Using the fact that the quadrangle is 7.50 degrees by 7.50 degrees, we can write (x minutes/ 7.50 minutes) = (9.20 centimeters / 18.65 centimeters).  Cross multiply to receive x = 3.6997 minutes.
   
   This value is equal to 00º 03' 42".
   
   The left most longitude as written on the map is 118º 30' 00".
   
   Therefore, the longitudinal coordinate of the building is 118º 30' 00" - 00º 3' 42" = 118º 26' 18".  We convert this to decimal degrees, and receive 118.4383 decimal degrees.
   
   Latitude:  The quadrangle measures approximately 22.40 centimeters vertically.  The centroid of the Public Affairs building is approximately 13.25 centimeters measured from the southern border of the quadrangle.  Using the fact that the quadrangle is 7.5 degrees by 7.5 degrees, we can write (y minutes/ 7.5 minutes) = (13.25 centimeters / 22.40 centimeters).  Cross multiply to receive y = 4.4363 minutes.
   
   This value is equal to 00º 4' 26".
   
   The lowest latitude as written on the map is 34º 00' 00".
   
   Therefore, the latitudinal coordinate of the building is expressed as 34º 00' + 00º 04' 26" = 34º 04' 26".  Converted to decimal degrees, we receive 34.0738 decimal degrees.
   
   
   The geographic coordinates of the Public Affairs Building is approximately 118º 26' 18" West, 34º 04' 26" North and 118.4383 decimal degrees West, 34.0738 decimal degrees North.
        
2. 
   Longitude:  The Santa Monica Pier is 0.15 cm from the western border of the quadrangle.  (x minutes/ 7.50 minutes) = (0.15 centimeters / 18.65 centimeters).  x = 0.0603 minutes.  
   
   0.0603 minutes = 00º 00' 03"
   
   The left most longitude given is 118º 30" 00'.
   
   The longitudinal coordinate of the pier is 118º 30' 00" - 00º 00' 03" = 118º 29' 57".  This value in decimal degrees is 118.4992.
   
   Latitude:  The Pier is 1.30 cm from the southern border of the quadrangle.  We write (y minutes/ 7.50 minutes) = (1.30 centimeters / 22.40 centimeters).  Cross multiply to receive y = 0.4353 minutes.
   
   0.4353 minutes = 00º 00' 26"
   
   Therefore, the latitudinal coordinate of the building is expressed as 34º 00' + 00º 00' 26" = 34º 00' 26".  Converted to decimal degrees, we receive 34.0072 decimal degrees.
   
   
   The geographic coordinates of the Santa Monica Pier is approximately 118º 29' 57" West, 34º 00' 26" North and 118.4992 decimal degrees West, 34.0072 decimal degrees North.   
   
3. 
   Longitude:  The Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir is approximately 5.10 cm from the eastern border of the quadrangle.  (x minutes/ 7.50 minutes) = (5.10 centimeters / 18.65 centimeters).  x = 2.0509 minutes.
   
   2.0509 minutes = 00º 02' 03"
   
   The right most longitudinal coordinate as written on the map is 118º 22' 30".
   
   The longitudinal coordinate of the pier is 118º 22' 30" + 00º 02' 03" = 118º 24' 33".  This value in decimal degrees is 118.4092.
   
   Latitude:  The centroid of the Reservoir is 0.90 cm from the northern border of the quadrangle.  We write (y minutes/ 7.50 minutes) = (0.90 centimeters / 22.40 centimeters).  Cross multiply to receive y = 0.3013 minutes.
   
   0.3013 minutes = 00º 00' 18"
   
   The northern most latitude as written on the map is 34º 07' 30".
   
   Therefore, the latitudinal coordinate of the building is expressed as 34º 07' 30" - 00º 00' 18" = 34º 07' 12".  Converted to decimal degrees, we receive 34.1200 decimal degrees.
   
   
   The geographic coordinates of the Santa Monica Pier is approximately 118º 24' 33" West, 34º 07' 12" North and 118.4092 decimal degrees West, 34.1200 decimal degrees North
   
9. 
   
1. 560 feet
   170.68 meters
   
   
2. 140 feet
   42.67 meters
   
   
3. 700 feet
   213.63 meters
   
   
10. Zone 11
    
    
11. 3 763 000 Northing; 361 500 Easting
    
    
12. 1 000 meters x 1 000 meters = 1 000 000 square meters
    
    
13. 
    
    
    
14. +14º
    
    
15. The stream flows from North to South.  The elevation of the northern part of the river is higher than the elevation of the southern part.  Thus, the water must flow downward in this direction.
     
16.