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Outside the Neatline
An amazing video created by the Geospatial Revolution Project of The Pennsylvania State University that clearly outlines the importance of geospatial technology and location.
I especially enjoy the quote “The location of anything is becoming everything”.
The discussion about global warming and climate change has largely focused on the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere. But how do we know this? One of the major carbon dioxide monitoring stations is located in an unlikely place; near the top of a 14,000 foot volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
Mauna Loa Observatory is found on the Mauna Loa volcano at an elevation of about 11,000 feet. Why collect data about carbon dioxide levels on top of one of the largest volcanoes in the world? Mauna Loa’s remote location and high elevation ensures that carbon dioxide measurements are the most accurate possible since they are not greatly affected by major sources of air pollution in Asia, America, and Europe.
Carbon dioxide measurements were first taken by Charles Keeling in 1958. Since then, the amount of the gas in the atmosphere has steadily increased from 315 parts per million to 385 parts per million.
NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory
The tall tower takes carbon dioxide measurements at the observatory
Keeling’s graph of carbon dioxide levels, often called the Keeling Curve. The curve’s annual fluctuations are due to plants in the northern hemisphere absorbing carbon dioxide in the summer and then releasing it during the winter as deciduous trees lose their leaves.
Ever wonder how all the street and address information makes it onto Google Maps or your GPS unit? Check out this article and video from CNN on how the company Tele Atlas provides valuable geographic information.
In our first “How in the World” we showed you how a paper map is scanned and converted into a digital image. The map has geographic information drawn on it, but once it’s scanned it’s still just a picture. How can we place the image so that its extent is defined in physical or geographical space? We georeference it, that’s how!
Remember our Map of the Week featuring Sachemdoms, villages and trails? It began as a paper map, now it’s a digital masterpiece! All it took was:
Basically, we display both images on the computer screen and stretch them so the boundaries match and then tack them in place. When we tell the software to save the original paper map image, it also saves the latitude and longitude information with it. This information allows us to use it in other GIS programs or Google Maps! Watch this video to see how we georeference a paper map!
IT’S MAGIC!
~Jeff
The term for “soft drink” varies significantly across the United States. “Pop” is most often used in the Midwest and Northwest. People who use the word “soda” are most often found in the Northeast, Arizona, and California. Finally, “Coke” is commonly used to describe a soft drink in the South.
On this map made in 1930 we can see 19 Native American Sachemdoms of 1625 delineated in, and around the state of Connecticut. What exactly is a Sachemdom? It’s the territory of a Sachem. OK, so what exactly is a Sachem? A Sachem is the title of leadership in a Native American Tribe…so tying it all together a Sachemdom is the territory of a particular Native American Tribe under the leadership of Sachem. Got it?
So which 19 Sachemdoms are featured on our map? Here’s a list with links to informational websites. These sites are by no means the singular authorities on each tribe but it should make it easier for you to get a head start when gathering your own information!
Mohicans
Paugussetts
Siwanogs
Agawams
Massacoes
Tunxis
Quinnipiacs
Menunkatucks
Wangunks
Sicaogs
Poquonocks
Podunks
Hammonassets
Nehantics
Uncas
Mohegans
Nipmucks
Pequots
Wutcheken
Along with the tribe names listed above you will notice that there are major trails and pathways delineated on the map as well. What kind of impact do these trails and pathways have today? Examine the following map, toggle on the railroad layer located on the right. Do any of the railroad tracks line up with the trails? What other modern day features do you think would follow these trails?
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| Click the above image to View Interactive Map Mash-up |
Thanks to Benjamin Spaulding for the education and assistance in creating this mash-up!
Also of interest is the following related reading material:
Trumbull, James H. Indian Names of Places, etc. In and On the Borders of Connecticut: With Interpretations of some of them. Hartford : Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1881
Use the search tool to find instances of the tribes or villages that are featured in the map in the text of James H. Trumbull’s book!
James Hammond Trumbull was born in Stonington, Connecticut in 1821 and died in Hartford, Connecticut in 1897. He was the Assistant Secretary of State for Connecticut, the Connecticut State Librarian, President of the Connecticut Historical Society and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
For more information on James Hammond Trumbull, try this link to the National Academies Press.
OK, one map, lots of information. Thanks for stopping by!
~Jeff
How in the world can the average person access GIS data just as easily as mapping professionals?
In the last “Did You Know?” We introduced GIS (Geographic Information Systems), how it works and what it is used for. Today we would like to show you how to retrieve and view GIS data. You might ask yourself how you can do this without specialized GIS software. No worries, we’ll show you how. All you need is your internet browser!
First, navigate a separate internet browser window to http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/ , once there click on GIS Data located on the top navigation bar
On the next page you will see several icons shaped like the state of Connecticut with categories listed beneath. Today we’re not interested in roads or political boundaries, Brandon and Jeff are going fishing! Jeff knows there are lots of boat launches on the coast but he can’t remember if there is one near Point Bluff State Park. To find out if there is a boat launch click on the Places data category on the right hand side:
This will take you to the places data on the GIS Data page where you’ll find a GIS data layer for Boat Launches! Listed information includes the date, the source (in this case the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection), and data formats. Today lets preview this data in Google Maps, so on the right hand side of the screen click on the map preview icon:
Your internet browser will now display all of Connecticut’s boat launches in Google Maps:
Let’s check out if Bluff Pont State Park has a boat launch, look at the listing of boat launches on the left, Click on Bluff Point Boat Launch. A balloon will appear on the map giving the location of the boat launch. So we’re done right? We now know that there is a boat launch at Point Bluff State Park. But what if we need bait or fishing tackle while we’re out fishing? Let’s use Google Maps to find out.
On the Bluff Point Boat Launch Balloon, click search nearby. In the text box type Tackle Shop then click the search button.
Google Maps will now display all the tackle shops in the vicinity of the Bluff Point Boat Launch. By clicking on any of the markers a balloon will display the tackle shops name, address, and phone number. You’ll also have the option to get driving directions!
Congratulations, you are now an experienced GIS user! In this exercise you have loaded, queried, and analyzed a GIS data layer! Now you can experiment with MAGIC’s other data layers and have fun making maps. Now you can love geography as much as Brandon and Jeff do!
First the map is selected and brought back to Brandon’s work station
Brandon carefully aligns the map in the scanner so it is nice and straight
After the map has been loaded into the scanner, Brandon tells the computer to scan the image
The scanner sends the digital information to his computer screen where an identical image of the paper map is created
Using software designed to adjust photos and images Brandon makes sure the image is straight and readable. The image is then saved and able to be viewed on computer screens.
In the next “How in the World?” we’ll show you how we give the scanned map geographic reference data so that it can be used in a GIS.
What is GIS an acronym for?
GIS can mean Geographic Information System or Geographic Information Science and both are correct. GIS is a powerful tool that enables geographers and other researchers to:
View
Store,
Manage
And analyze geographically referenced information (maps, imagery, and tables).
The individual components of a GIS that perform the above jobs are:
Computer Hardware, 
Computer Software,
Data,
Methods,
And People.
GIS is an essential tool that allows the graduate students and staff at MAGIC to bring you maps, google mash-ups, and other geographic data.
Jeff and Brandon interpret aerial photography using GIS at MAGIC’s GeoCommons
For more information about GIS visit http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/ or http://www.gis.com/
The University of Connecticut also offers a certificate program in GIS
