This week we’ve begun our pivot from principles of traditional cartography to the influence of digital methods on spatial representations. In some cases, digital methods can be seen as facilitating methods of representation that were previously only within the reach of masters, like Raisz and Imhof. In other cases, digital methods are changing the rules of representation, moving from abstraction to realism.

For Friday, please find an example of a terrain map and comment on the following:

• describe the map with respect to abstraction versus realism
• how are visual variables used?
• how does the purpose and/or audience of the map influence the above?