Analytical Cartography

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to present analytical methods applied in cartography. Specifically, the course consists of several sections, including basic principles of cartographic projections, geometrical transformations, cartometry methods, hill shading and relief representation methods, and principles of cartographic generalization. The course combines both the theoretical and the practical knowledge required towards the understanding and the application of the aforementioned sections, using (among others) modern digital tools for the implementation of mathematical computations as well as computer programming and automatization techniques. The course includes both theoretical lectures and lab exercises aiming at the complete under-standing of the mathematical tools which are used in Cartography and consist the basis for the support of the contemporary cartographic applications and systems. The acquired knowledge helps students to be fully aware regarding the geometric/mathematical principles connected to map utilization process, enhancing substantially at the same time their back-ground in one of the most fundamental fields (Cartography) in the science of surveying and geoinformatics engineering. Based on the sections designed for the support of the course, the theoretical and the practical elements, which are comprehended in the framework of the course, are related to:
a. basic principles of cartographic projections
b. map projection systems
c. basic geometric transformations
d. traditional and probabilistic methods in cartometry
e. analytical relief representation and hill shading methods
f. geometrical operators and algorithms for cartographic visualization

After the successful completions of the course, students acquire a set of knowledge and skills that allow them to understand the function and apply analytical cartography methods, in both digital and analog environment. At the same time, the theoretical approaches and the practical implementation of analytical cartography methods taught in the course help students in the upcoming academic semesters, as well as for the elaboration of diploma theses in the fields of Cartography and Geographic Information Systems.

 

General Competences

• Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information, with the use of the necessary technology
• Adapting to new situations
• Decision-making
• Working independently
• Team work
• Criticism and self-criticism
• Production of free, creative and inductive thinking

 

SYLLABUS

Theoretical part of the Course

1. Basic principles of cartographic projections:
   • Cartographic reference systems
   • Coordinate systems
   • Distortions of basic measures
   • Linear distortion scales
   • Areal distortion scales
   • Ellipse of distortion
   • Tissot’s theorem
2. Map projection systems:
   • Basic principles of systems
   • Developable surfaces (cylinder, cone, & plane)
   • Basic classification of map projections (normal, transverse, & oblique)
   • Map projections classification based on distortions (conformal, equal-area, & equidistant)
   • Normal projections
   • Transverse projections
   • Oblique projections
   • Map projections applications
   • Map projection systems in Greece
3. Basic geometric transformations:
   • Translation
   • Rotation
   • Scale
   • Similarity
   • Affine
   • Projective
   • Basic applications in cartography
   • Conversions among projection systems
4. Elements of Cartometry:
   • Basic classification of cartometry methods (traditional & probabilistic)
   • Lengths measurements
   • Areas measurements
   • Analytical methods for areas calculation
   • Methods for volumes calculation
   • Error estimation methods and errors propagation law
   • Basic applications in cartography
5. Relief representation and hill shading:
   • Hypsometric cartographic information representation
   • Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN)-based Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)
   • Grid-based DEMs
   • Basic principles of hill shading
   • shading algorithms
   • applications of relief representation and hill shading methods
6. Cartographic generalization:
   • Basic principles of cartographic generalization
   • Geometrical operators of cartographic generalization
   • Analytical algorithms of cartographic generalization (independent points, local, & global processing) Lab Part of the Course
   • Practical exercises on the computations, automatizations (using both mathematical software and computer programming techniques) and representation methods applied in analytical cartography (computations of distortion scales, generation of cartographic projections, applications of geometric transformations, & applications of cartometry methods)
   • Literature review exercises (based on both the theoretical and the practical parts of the course)

 

STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Language of evaluation: Greek
Methods of evaluation:
• Written exam at the end of the semester (multiple choice questionnaires, short-answer questions, & problem-solving questions)
• Homework (practical exercises on both theoretical and practical objectives related to the course)

 

ATTACHED BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Bugayevskiy, L. M., & Snyder, J. P. (1995). Map projections: a reference manual, London: Taylor and Francis.
2. Grafarend, E. W., & Krumm, F. W. (2014). Map projections. Berlin–Heidelberg: Springe.
3. Karras G., (1995). Linear coordinates transformations in Photogrammetry, Lectures notes, Department of Rural & Surveying Engineering, National Technical University of Athens.
4. Maling D.H., (1989). Measurements from Maps: Principles and Methods of Cartometry. New York: Pergamon Press.
5. Nakos, B., (2015). Analytical Cartography (In Greek). [ebook] Athens:Hellenic Academic Libraries Link. Available Online at: http://hdl.handle.net/11419/2233
6. Robinson, A.H., Morrison, J.L., Muehrcke, P.C., Kimerling, A.J. & Guptill, S.C. (2002). Elements of cartography (In Greek.) (Kavouras, M., Nakos, B., Tsoulos, L., Filippakopoulou V., & Tomai E. trans.), Zographos: NTUA publications.
7. Snyder, J. P., & Voxland, P. M. (1989). An album of map projections (No. 1453). US Government Printing Office.
8. Tsoulos, L., Skopeliti, A., & Stamou, L. (2015). Cartographic composition and production in digital environment (In Greek). [ebook] Athens:Hellenic Academic Libraries Link. Available Online at: http://hdl.handle.net/11419/2506.