Lab 3

View Visiting Oxnard in a larger map

Even though Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has become an ubiquitous tool, it still requires highly trained professionals.  In addition, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be quite expensive and complicated to operate if not properly trained.  Now with Neogeography anybody can create maps for their use and express their knowledge on specific locations.   Best of all, no cartography background is necessary, because the user is using tools they know such as Google Maps and YouTube.  Neogeography allows anybody the joy of making maps and express their knowledge of local terrain to their friends and peers.  However, with many maps being posted online it can have pitfalls with consequences.

Although Neogeography allows anybody to create maps, the dissemination of information can cause sources to lose its credibility.  Besides losing credibility, it also diminishes the value of maps and work put in by professionals.  The dissemination of maps causes information to expand; thus, leading to unreliability.  Neogeography has its potentials, but it also has some pitfalls.  Anyone can create maps, but only a skilled technician can convey a strong message through one map.

Lab 2

1.)  Beverly Hills Quadrangle

2.)  Adjacent Quadrangles: 1. Canoga Park; 2. Van Nuys; 3. Burbank; 4. Topanga; 5. Hollywood; 6.       Beverly Hills; 7. Venice; 8. Inglewood.

3.)  1966

4.)  North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) and North American Datum 1984 (NAD83)

5.)  1:24000

6.)  At the above scale:

       a.) 0.05meters/in x 24000in = 1200 meters

       b.) 12in x 1 foot x 5280 feet= 63,360 inches/mile

             5in x 24,000in / 63,360 in/miles = 1.89 miles

       c.) 63,360 in/mile / 24,000in = 2.64 inches to the mile

       d.) 3km x 1000 meters= 3,000 meters

             3,000 / 24,000 inches x 100cm = 12.5 cm

7.)  20 feet

8.)  Approximate Geographic Coordinates:

       a.) Public Affairs Bldg: 118°25ʹ30ʺ, 118.425 (calculator) Longitude

                                              34°05ʹ, 34.083 Latitude

       b.) Santa Monica Pier (tip): 118°30ʹ, 118.5 Longitude

                                                     34°00ʹ, 34.0 Latitude

       c.)  Upper Franklin Canyon Pier: 118°24ʹ30ʺ, 118.4083 Longitude

                                                              34°07ʹ30ʺ, 34.4083 Latitude

9.)  Approximate Elevation:

       a.) Greystone Mansion: 560ft x .3048 = 170.688 meters

       b.) Woodlawn Cemetery: 140ft x .3048 = 42.672 meters

       c.) Crestwood Hills Park: 700ft x .3048 = 213.36 meters

10.) UTM Zone 11

11.) ˄37/63 Northing, ˄3/62 Easting

12.) 1000 meter²

13.)

14.)  1999 Magnetic North 14°/ 249 MILS

15.)  Flows from North to South.  Elevation is higher at the headwaters (1100 ft).

16.)

Los Angeles County Ethnic Enclaves

source: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/adams/old305/morphology/305lect26a.htm  

Los Angeles County is one of the most populated counties in America.  In addition, Los Angeles County is also highly diverse.  Even though its a multicultural county, ethnic minorities are not all evenly distributed across the county.  Thus, there are ethnic enclaves found in the south central region of Los Angeles, where the majority of the Black population live.  From the map, ethnic enclaves exist in the Downtown area of Los Angeles and Vermon, which are predominately Hispanic.  Towards east of East Los Angeles, a good portion of Asian/Pacific Islander are located.  What I found interesting about the map, it highlights Los Angeles County from the surrounding counties.  Orange County and Ventura county have a dull color, while Los Angeles County is emphasize as the center stage.  Also, it shows where the majority of the minorities live in 1980s.

Wet or Dry

source: http://library.humboldt.edu/~rls/geospatial/calmaps.htm

Southern California is known for its sunny weather; however, this is not the case for the rest of California.  In some parts of California, areas receive 0-5 inches of rain from 1961-1990, while others areas received more than 70 inches of rain.  The two colors that stand out are the color red, which distinguishes areas with little to no rainfall, and blue where rain can accumulate over a vast period of time.  What I found interesting about the map, it shows different climates in southern California.  For example, Los Angeles County has three major distinctions.  One, near the Pacific Ocean is represented by a light orange color (Mediterrenean climate), then it goes into a light green near the San Gabriel Mountains (perfect for snowboarding conditions), follow by red for the desert region.

Population Map of Asia

source:http://www.stratfor.com/; Strategic Forecasting Inc. 2008

This is a population density map of Asia, which I found on Google images.  In this map, the areas shaded red represents densely populated locations, while areas colored tan represents either remote or less populated.  After observing the map, the areas shaded red are located near major rivers or are near a water body.  For example, the Ganges River in northern India and Red River in Vietnam.  What I found interesting from the map, the two most populated nations (China and India) their populations are not evenly distributed across their countries, but instead their populations are concentrated in specific areas.  In addition, the colors chosen for this map emphasize Asia's dense population concentrations.