Types of Maps
Compiled by Mark Francek (more info) at Carleton College (more info) (SERC) and Central Michigan University (more info)
Find animations showing various types of maps, including topographic maps, aerial photo maps, raised relief, and remote sensing image maps.
Time Series Imaging, Exploring Earth ( This site may be offline. ) This Flash animation shows how Landsat remote sensing can illustrate temporal change from Shenzhen, China from 1988 to 1996. Vegetation appears red in the images and buildings are generally white. Note how roads bring new construction and an increase in bay turbidity due to construction related soil erosion. The animation can be paused and rewound to stress important points.
Showing Topography on Maps, Exploring Earth ( This site may be offline. ) This Flash animation exhibits an area near Tucson, Arizona, displaying an aerial photograph, a topographic map, and an overlay of a topographic map on an aerial image. This is a good opportunity to distinguish the properties of topographic maps and aerial photographs and how these different data sources can be combined in overlays to highlight new spatial patterns like hills and streambeds. Switch between these modes by clicking on buttons located on the right hand side of the image.
Total Sediment Thickness of the Worlds Oceans and Marginal Seas (more info) This annotated global map show the total sediment thickness of the world's ocean basins. It may be useful in a discussion about how sedimentary transport processes and tectonics interact to create areas of high sediment thickness, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico and the Indian Ocean.
