This week we discussed flow maps, network maps, spatial metaphors and cartograms. This final flush of models completes our initial survey of map types going into the week when you will create a potential entry for the bizarre map challenge.
For your post this week, pick one example of any of these four types of maps and critique it following Bertin’s theory of graphics:
- what is the invariant?
- what are the components?
- how are the components mapped to visual variables?
BP Statistical Review Year End 2004 & Energy Information Administration (2004). “Who has the oil?” Accessed 12 March 2010 from http://conservationreport.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/whohastheoil1.jpg.
Keywords: geographic spatial scaling, snapshot, unclear data collection method, GIS or graphics software, globe, definitely distorts area and scale, difficult to tell if it preserves shape, toponyms, regional variation of oil supply, fiat boundaries, proportional symbols (the symbols being the countries themselves)
This cartogram shows world oil reserves by country and distorts the size of each country based on its supply. This provides the reader with a dramatically different view of power dynamics in the world, as the US, Europe, and East Asia are some of the tiniest countries and the middle east dominates the map. The cartogram also uses color to indicate how much oil each country uses per day. This combination of color and size set up a good comparison of oil supply and use, and it is easy to see that the countries with the largest oil supplies tend to be those which use the least amount, and those who use the most oil tend to be those which have the smallest supply. This cartogram preserves the shape of each country, even though it distorts topological relations and the shape of each continent, so as to keep the countries recognizable and ease reading of the map. The invariants here are the world’s countries, oil reserves, and oil use in 2004. The components are the amount of oil each country has and uses. Other, implied components are the hierarchical relationships between those countries based on the oil supply they control and the oil they require. Because the map preserves shape of countries, the distribution of oil supply and use is represented as uniform within each country. The graticule used in this map must just be for effect, since the countries do not match to it correctly. The color ramp is confusing because it is difficult to differentiate between the slightly transparent blue and the more opaque blue, which represent dramatically different classes of oil use. It would be interesting to normalize these data by population and see how the map changes.
Thematic Map, Geographic, Lang exposure, Stationary Object, Image on a computer Screen, Primary sources, Graphics Software, Planimetric, Area, Shape, Area Reference Symbols, Fiat Boundaries, Spatial metaphor
David McCandless, “What does China Sensor Online?” V1.2 no scale, Informationisbeautiful.net, http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2010/what-does-china-censor-online/
The map employs spatial metaphor to display censorship via blocked websites, and specific search terms in China as of 2008. The map is particularly interesting because the ground is made of component blocked key words (red) and websites (black), while the only invariant is China, which is actually made up of the component key words. Spatial metaphor is critical as Red is used to signify China as is the shape of the country when projected on key words. The emphasis is clearly on online censorship and the map clearly portrays how internet in China and Chinese state action are inextricable.
http://www.jtillustration.com/maps.html
http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/map_of_humanity.jpg
James Turner (1993). Map of Humanity. 2nd edition.
Key Words: geographic spatial scaling, long exposure, thematic map, graphics software, planimetric, spatial metaphor
This map is a fantastic spatial metaphor of the landscape of human existence. Floating on the “sea of unconscious, the stormy basis of our thought:” are several landforms like “Wisdom,” “Reason,” “Fool’s Paradise,” and a continent of all the evil traits of humanity – “Hedonism,” “Hate,” and “Abomination.” The map is made up of locations from hundreds of cultural locations and characters – books, stories, films – as well as historical places and figures that fit within some larger theme. It is hard not to be captivated by this map.
The cartography itself is pretty basic, but effective – there are standard symbols for towns, roads, water features, land topography, etc. The real information lies in the place names and their spatial relationships. As a map of the most simple features on the land, albeit an imagined land, the invariant is the physical landscape, and the components are the names given to features. It could also be said that the invariant is the fact that the entire map is symbolic, and not representative of any physical reality. All of the components are built on this central assumption. It explores the data, the places and words with connotations towards our spiritually human experience. In reading the map, one cannot help but think about the choices the author made, and the opinions and sentiment it elicits. It is not a guide or dataset as much as an exploratory thought-provoking map.
Citation
Herb, Guntram (2006). Trade in Agricultural Products. Perthes World Atlas. 1:160,000,000. Germany: Klett-Perthes. 58.
Key Words
Flow map, geographic, long exposure, portable object, figure on a page, topological, toponyms, fiat boundaries, proportional symbols, networks.
Discussion
The invariant in this map is the “agricultural goods” worldwide that are being traded. Also constant are the countries that are doing the trading. The invariant in the map is kept simple and clear, allowing the different components to be shown effectively. The components are the volume of intraregional trade, exports, and imports, in billions $US per region, shown with pie charts for each major bloc, direction of flow—to each bloc from another, and volume in billions $US of that flow. The flow network is shown well, using a gradient and arrows to designate the origin and destination of each flow. The pie charts are also well designed, using size to map total volume of trade, and portion of the pie chart to show roughly the percentage each “bloc’s” intraregional trade, exports, and imports. The only other visual variable in the map is the coloring and naming of the different blocs, which is interesting. There are obvious groupings such as North America, South America, Africa, and Western Europe, and there are less obvious blocs, such as the one that includes India and South Asia, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia. On the other hand, Japan is its own bloc. I assume that there are underlying economic similarities, and likely trade and political connections between the members of each bloc, although in some cases the connection seems distant.
Citation:
US Department of Transportation. “Texas: Total Combined Truck Flow (1998)” (map). no scale. Accessed on March 12, 2010.
URL: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas/combtrk_tx_1998.jpg
Key Words:
Thematic map, tour, geographic, a long exposure, stationary object, image on a computer screen, slide in presentation, figure on a page, secondary sources, graphics software, GIS, planimetric, distance, toponyms, area reference symbols, line reference symbols, bona fide boundaries, proportional symbols, flow vectors, networks
Discussion:
This map was created by the University of Texas showing truck flow from the state to the rest of the continental United States and a few places in Canada. Thicker red flow lines means more tons of products coming from Texas in 1998. The colors of the states is unclear and called “State to State Flows (tons).” I’m assuming that means the amount of products each state gets for to year of 1998 from Texas. This map does not give us information on how truck flow has changed over the years, but does show important information on how far Texas products are traveling and which places depend on the state for imports. The invariants of this map are the location of the oceans, countries, and states, the road network highlighted by any red flow line, and totals for 1998. The components are quantities, location of origin, location of destination time period, and type of automobile flow. The components are mapped to visual variables by varying thicknesses of flow lines and the color of the states. We also can see a basic road network for the United States from the flow lines. This map effectively illustrates networks from Texas, but a lot must be known about the geography of the United States to understand this map.
Informational Architects. “Web Trend Map 4: The State of the Web Mapped on to Tokyo’s Metro System” (map). 2009. http://informationarchitects.jp/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/wtm4-final.png. Accessed on 11 March 2010.
Keywords: data exploration, spatial metaphors, wall poster, image on a computer screen, graphics software, line and point reference symbols, secondary sources, networks
This map plots popular Internet domain names (the invariants) onto the Tokyo metro system, symbolized as metro stations. These stations are organized on one of 13 different ‘rail lines’ (such as ‘knowledge,’ ‘advertising,’ ‘sharing,’ or ‘entertainment’), representing general categories of Internet sites.
This map attempts to give information on many characteristics of these internet sites. The maps’ authors identify sites’ success, stability, and hierarchical relationship to other Internet sites as the variables (or components) mapped in their graphic. (The authors note that many variables are taken into consideration in determining these characteristics. For example, they stated that a site’s traffic, revenue and media attention are all considered when determining a site’s success. However, they lump these variables into the singly component ‘success.’)
The map’s authors identify height, width and position as the visual variables used to convey information about these components. They use the height of the station symbols to convey an internet site’s success, the symbol’s width to indicate the site’s “stability as a business entity,” and location to indicate the site’s hierarchal position relative to other sites. The specifically describe a site’s position on the metro map, whether, “inside, on, or outside the main line,” as indicating whether the site, “belongs in the tech establishment, the major traffic hubs, or the online suburbs.”
Though not explicitly identified by the map’s authors, position and color are visual variables also used to indicate general relationships between Internet domains. The organization of Internet sites onto rail lines (distinguished by color), that intersect a specific sites, suggest not only these sites’ relative hierarchical importance, but also qualitative relationships between different sites.
The map authors’ also convey additional factual information about specific Internet sites, using person icons and labels to identify individuals responsible for certain sites’ success, or mapping domain names onto specific Tokyo metro stations with metaphoric characteristics. For instance, the authors write that, “Twitter is located in Shibuya, the train station with the biggest buzz,” and “Google and its network are placed around Shinjuku, the most highly trafficked station in the world.”
Citation:
The Washington Post. “Taking Apart the $810 Billon Stimulus Package”. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/02/01/GR2009020100154.html. Accessed on March 12, 2010.
Keywords:
Long Exposure, Hierarchy, Categorical, Image on a Computer Screen, Portable Object, Graphics Software, Proportional Symbols.
The title of this graphic is Taking Apart the $819 Billion Stimulus Package. The invariant is the $819 dollars appropriated by the CBO for the stimulus package. There are three bar graphs at the top of the graphic. The top two have low saturation and represent what the invariant could have been given previous forms of the bill. The $819 billion package pops out.
A smooth lattice flows down the page from the $819 billion bar. Each line represents an area of spending. Each category is eventually represented by a graduated circle. Some circles over lap, yet transparency preserves the shape of the icons. In this first class, categories are differentiated nominally and by color. Direct payments to individuals circles have a different fill color.
The next level down the graphic simply breaks up the previous categories with graduated spending circles. It is clear that these spending bubbles do not flow into each other because they float free of the flow lattice of the previous section.
This graphic uses text very well by including relevant text in open space close to where data is being presented. This creates the sense of a guided tour of the graphic.
Correct Citation: Doctors of the World. “Number of inhabitants per doctor” (map poster). No scale. http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/185-the-doctorspatients-map-of-the-world. Accessed on March 12, 2010.
Citation:
Social and Demographic Trends: PewResearchCenter (December 2008). “Net Regional U.S. Migration, 2007” (map). No scale. http://pewsocialtrends.org/maps/migration/. Accessed on March 11, 2010.
Key Words:
Data exploration, manipulable object, a snapshot, stationary object, fiat boundaries, image on a computer screen, primary sources, graphics software, planimetric, toponyms (placenames), flow vectors.
Discussion:
This map shows the net migration occurrences within the United States in the year 2007. The invariant in this map is migration occurrences in the U.S. in 2007. The components are the region in the U.S. from which people are migrating (i.e. West, South, Midwest, and Northeast), the region in the U.S. to which people are migrating, and the number of migration occurrences between each region. The visual variables are: (1) the size of the arrow indicating a certain migration movement and (2) the actual number of individual migrations from region to region and (3) the region to/from which people migrated. Although color could have been used as a visual variable to distinguish between the different migrations, it was not really necessary since only 6 major migration patterns are being mapped. Also, the size of the arrows and the labels are certainly enough to differentiate the migrations in terms of numbers.
The map is a bit deceiving in terms of its title in that the map is not actually showing the total number of migrations from region to region in just 2007; rather, according to the small textual insert on the right side of the map, the arrows represent the sum “of three one-year flows [from] 2005-2007.”
The map does a good job in terms of the arrows it uses as a result of their shape and 3-dimensionality. The fact that the lines bend (as opposed to being straight) helps the reader visualize the migration flows a bit better because none of the lines overlap. Also, the thickness of the lines helps the reader visualize the number of migrations between certain regions before actually looking at the numbers.
Citation: Doctors of the World. “Number of inhabitants per doctor” (map poster). No scale. The Netherlands: Centraal Bureau Fondsenwerving, 2007.
Key Words: thematic map, geographic, snapshot, stationary object, poster on a wall, primary source, graphics software, planimetric
Discussion: This is a mix between a proportional symbol, cartogram and choropleth map showing number of inhabitants per doctor by country. Every country shape is represented by what seems to be a random number of ratios (making it a pseudo-cartogram) and every ratio of inhabitants to doctor represents… itself (a symbol?). The invariant could be stated as ‘a country having inhabitants and doctors.’
There are two components: 1) the ratio of inhabitants to one doctor and 2) the country/location. This map is interesting because it contains many more visual variables than are necessary. The countries/locations of the ratios are given by two visual variables. The first visual variable is simple shape and location, given by the number of ratios displayed and by their rough topology, respectively. This information is not clear without use of a second visual variable, the name of the country next to its ratio. The ratios are given by three visual variables: color, size and type. The type is the ratio itself. Higher ratios are given by larger type and the color ramp goes from yellow to orange to darker red.
Despite the use of three too many visual variables to display two components, this map is uncluttered and very effective for its purpose. It was originally made as a poster to be displayed in doctor’s offices in The Netherlands. The purpose is to “let Dutch people know how privileged they are when it comes to medical care, and thus how appropriate it would be for them to help Doctors of the World help the less privileged.” The contrast between the alarming red, large type in Africa and the small, yellow type in Europe is meant to ‘send home’ the fact that parts of the world are in need and that Dutch citizens should give to its organization. So, one could say that the extra visual variables (color and size) do represent a sort of “information” to be communicated. This “information” is the argument of the map.
“Wine Consumption” Strange Maps 2009.
http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/wine_consumption_2006.jpg
Accessed on March 11, 2010
Keywords: cartogram, image on a computer screen, graphics software, proportional symbols, no spatial reference, travel publication
The image is a cartogram representing wine consumption per capita among nations. The graphic is in the form of an artistic rendering of a grape stock. While the map is in Portuguese, I assume the students of this class can interpret the little text that there is. It is in the shape of a grape stock with each grape represents a different county’s per capita red wine consumption. The visual has no spatial reference; the grapes seem to be place based on how their size fits best into the shape of the grape stock. I assume this was used for journalism purposes. The visual is meant to give a map-reader an idea of which countries consume the most amounts of red wine per capita. The simple idea is conveyed very clearly.
The invariant is nation’s red wine consumption. The components are average per capita red wine consumption in liters in 2006. The circles are proportional symbols with no spatial reference; they just represent data based on the size of the symbol. The sizes of the grapes, or circles, correspond to the amount of wine consumed per capita, but I am not sure how each size was determined exactly. Because there is no spatial reference, the diameter of the circles appear arbitrary, just a correlation with amount consumed per capita. The grapes are one of three colors, to differentiate each grape. This graphic would be suitable for a food magazine or travel publication.
Hwang, Sha (2009). NYC Subway Ridership, 1905-2006 (interactive map). http://diametunim.com/shashi/nyc_subways/. Accessed on 11 March 2010.
Key Words: thematic map, data exploration, tour, sequence, interactive object, image on a computer screen, secondary sources, graphics software, planimetric, toponyms, line reference symbols, point reference symbols, proportional symbols, networks.
This interactive map illustrates ridership of NYC subway lines from 1905 to 2006, separated by station. It offers four ways of viewing the data—with either dots or lines, and either absolutely (proportional symbols) or relatively (it’s unclear how size is calculated for the relative option). A sliding bar along the bottom controls time. Additionally, hovering over a station pops up a box with information on the name, lines served, number of riders in the year selected, and a small graph of ridership at that station over time, with a line indicating the selected year. These station-specific graphs correspond to a larger reference graph illustrating total ridership over the time period, separated by line through color.
The invariant is people entering NYC subway stations. The components are which station (and its location), which line (based on which lines go to each station), what year, and the number of people. In the proportional circle map, circle size represents station ridership, and circles are placed at the absolute location of stations. Subway lines are represented with their respective colors and have a set layering order (with the yellow line’s stations always on top)—no transparency is used to reveal hidden symbols. Zooming in, however, gives a more detailed view without symbol overlap.
One major criticism of this map (by the person who the author got the data from) is that while the representation of station ridership using lines looks nice and makes for an easier map to read at a superficial level, it deceives the reader into thinking that the line thickness illustrates actual line ridership (the network flow), not simply station entry. It is also unclear how the author differentiates between ridership on each line at stations with more than one line, as the data (http://transit.frumin.net/subway/growth/nyc-station-ridership.xls.zip) don’t provide this information.
Citation: Mechura, Michal Boleslav. (2006) “Ireland as 100 People”. (Cartogram). Web. 11 March 2010. http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/391-ireland-as-100-people/
Keywords: Data Exploration, Cartogram, Geographic, Snap Shot, 2006 Irish Census, Image on a computer screen, Primary Sources, Graphics Software, Preserves Shape, Point Reference System.
The premise of this cartogram is to represent the 4,239,848 Irish citizens recorded in the 2006 census as 100 human-like symbols which are evenly distributed in a manner that resembles the Irish island’s shape. The colors represent a dominant linguistic characterization and their placement correlates to the dominant language spoken in that geographic region.
Although the cartogram is effective in highlighting the dominance of English and some basic geographic patterns of language use, it makes several generalizations which makes the map deceiving. Population density is not factored in at all in this cartogram, as the 100 symbols (each of which represents 42,398.48 citizens) are being distributed to make the shape of Ireland. Thus, the map is a little bit confusing because language is not directly mentioned and the human symbol could initially be interpreted as having something dealing with population density. The cartogram’s attempt to correlate geographic location with the raw data is ineffective as it makes it seem that Ireland’s population is evenly distributed on the island (which is wrong since more than a third of the population is concentrated in the Dublin Metro Area).
The invariants of the cartogram are that each human-like symbol represents 42,398.48 citizens and that language patterns are being studied. The three components that are being mapped are geographic location (represented by where the specifically colored human symbols are placed) , specific linguistic tendencies of Irish citizens (expressed in an arbitrary color scheme) and the number of the total Irish that practice these linguistic tendencies (represented by which color each human symbol is).
Perhaps the cartogram could be improved by altering the visual variable system. Instead of using 100 human-symbols which each represent the same amount of citizens, a graduated symbol should be utilized which would increase in size as the population within a county is greater. Though the accuracy of Ireland’s shape would suffer, the map could still somewhat retain the island’s shape by being placed in a systematic manner.
1. Citation
World Research Institute. “World GHG Emissions Flow Chart.” No scale. http://magamaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/world-flowchartjpg.jpeg. Accessed 11 March 2010.
2. Keywords
Flow chart, scaled features, graphics software, image on computer screen
3. Discussion
This flow graphic shows world greenhouse gas emissions origins by sector. It then divides the sector into various “end uses/activities” from which the eventual greenhouse gas emission is created.
The invariant of the map is world greenhouse gas emissions created by human activities. The components include amount of GHG, represented by size of the line and an associated numeric value; type of GHG represented by final color of arrow and labeling; sector of origin represented by color and arrow (one arrow for each main sector category, then sector subcategories subdivide the arrow); and type of end use/activity that leads to GHG emission represented by another group of divisions between the input and output arrows.
Although both color and separate arrows are used to represent the differing sector types (2 visual variables for 1 component), it allows the reader to easily differentiate where sub-arrows originate once they break off from the larger arrow and begin crossing paths with other sectors. The most confusing part of this graphic was the end use/activity portion – I suppose I assumed that if the colors matched the original sector color, those were firm boundaries. However, these color-borders are not bona fide, and allows for some cross over from the other sectors (so as to prevent overlap of end use/activity categories). Overall, I think the amount of colors overwhelms the reader.
Sam Loman “Transport for the Body” (map). No Scale. (http://infosthetics.com/archives/assets_c/2010/03/human_subway_map_full_size-943.html) Accessed on 11 March 2003.
Keywords: Thematic map, vista, a snap shot, portable object, image on a computer screen, primary source, graphics software, planimetric, toponyms, point reference symbols, line reference system, proportional symbols, networks
This is the map of the human articulated in a subway aesthetic. The invariant is “parts of the body Underskin.” The components are location, bodily systems, orifices, bodily components and hierarchy of need. Location is determined by location on the body and labels. There is no figure ground relationship therefore the reader must recognize the human form. The bodily systems are distinguished by color of the lines connecting the orifices and bodily components. The orifices are distinguished from the bodily components by shape, rectangle and circle respectively. The bodily components are distinguished by hierarchy of need through size ranging from the heart, the largest circle, to the duodemdum, the smallest circle.
By visually comparing the human body to a subway system the construct of the systems and components of the body are more easily understood. This map takes liberties with location to make all components visible in two dimensions. Additionally, the there is no articulation of the shape of the components. It also may be understood from this map that the human body only has five ribs and they are located on the right side of the body. Regardless, this map is an accessible way to illustrate the complexity of the human body.
Global Emissions
Lamosca Design Studio (2009). GOOD Magazine. Las Angeles, CA http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/0911/globalemissions/flat.html Accessed on 11 March 2010.
Keywords:
Data exploration, geographic, sequence, portable object, image on a computer screen, primary sources, graphics software, planimetric, preserves topology, toponyms, area reference symbols, fiat boundaries, cartogram.
Discussion:
This map, from the magazine GOOD, is a cartogram depicting changes in global carbon emissions. As is typical for GOOD’s “infographics”, the map is very aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, this map depicting “Global Emissions”, like many of GOOD’s maps and graphics, sacrifices clarity and readability for aesthetic value. The carbon emitting nations are depicted as cartogram bubbles in a cloud of smog from a symbolized factory. Basic topological relations between the nations are preserved. There are, however, even some topological errors as the author made all nation bubbles connect within continents, despite many nations not being present (ex ~ Mexico is tangent to Venezuela). The invariant is “carbon emitting nation”. The components are the individual nations, the change in carbon emissions over the last year, and the change in rank as a global emitter.
The translation of these components into visual variables is the key weakness of this map. The different countries are each represented by cartogram bubbles. Change in emissions over the last year is depicted with both color and size of bubble. Color represents the direction of the change and size represents present change. The use of symbol size to represent percent change is problematic, as symbol size visually implies a magnitude rather than a ratio. To depict the rank of each nation in comparison with other global emitters, the map also uses two different visual variables. A small number in the center of each bubble tells the absolute rank of the country, while the direction of the line across each circle tells the movement of the nation, either up, down or the same as a global emitter. Ultimately, this map has the potential to be a very effective and graphically pleasing visualization. It is hampered, however, in its attempt to depict multiple components, and its use of multiple visual variables to depict the same component. Simplifying the scope of the map, particularly using the cartogram to depict magnitude rather than % change, would make it a far more effective and readable map.
Citation: Andy Woodruff. “AAG Party Invitation.” 2008
http://www.cartogrammar.com/images/aag_party_large.jpg
Assessed on March 11, 2010.
Keywords: reference map, typography, morphing, text, tour, portable object, flyer, graphic software, direction, toponyms
The invariant of the map, appeared in the form of a flyer, is the concept of “party invitation.” For average invitations, a reader would expect information about time, location and type of the party (which is the components of the map.) A party is a unique incidence for a particular group of audience – if I imagine the data structure for it, I would get a table of two rows (r1: the nominal categories and r2: the one value for each category.) Only a designated audience (in this case, the attendees at AAG 2008) would view the table. The shared knowledge among the attendees is important to the cartographer’s decisions, such as which reference to include.
Beyond the snazzy appearance, the graphic establishes a series of visual hierarchy. This map organized type by typeface, size, distribution, direction and color. Subjective information (who, where, when) uses the same serif font while objective features (locations, transportation) appear in the same sans serif. The serif texts then branch into more hierarchies. Keywords pop out as red, bold, big-size. Secondary information appears in gray, thinner and/or smaller type. Origin, destination and paths are highlighted in blue. They appear in serif because the specific path is defined by the cartographer.
Graphs (a street map) morph into sans-serif scripts, which aggregates into graphs again. The twist of text as a graph allows the cartographer to embed a verbal description of direction in the map. Even the neatline serves multiple functions on this map, part of which is the cartographer’s information. The same principals apply to the arrangement of texts when they become part of the graphic.
Citation:
Barrett Lyon. “Map of the Internet” (map). No scale http://blyon.cachefly.net/opte/maps/static/1105841711.LGL.2D.1024×1024.png. Accessed on 11 March 2010
http://blyon.cachefly.net/opte/maps/static/1105841711.LGL.2D.1024×1024.png
Key Words: internet, network, server, Opte project, topology, .com, .ca, .fr, .gov., information network, regional nodes, computers, geographic coordinate system, connections
I have to admit that I have a very hard time understanding how this map was produced, but I think conceptually it is a prime example of a network map that preserved relation but not topology. This map of the internet, which I believe identifies the IP addresses of all computers connected to the internet at one time and the servers in which they are connected through, is a great and simple representation of a network connected by nodes. Regional nodes connect to a larger global system. At the macro-level these smaller networks create one overall network that is the internet.
The invariant in this map is connections between IP addresses, in other words the connected network of IP addresses that make up a larger connected data network that is the internet. The components of the map are the separate IP addresses and the type of suffix used to connect to the IP address (ie .com or .fr). I don’t know enough about data networks to properly explain what exactly these suffix’s signify.
The components are mapped by providing lines that connect the different IP addresses and in doing so identifies multiple ordered systems that are also interconnected. The nodes and connections are color coded by their network suffix (?), like .com or .gov, and gives some understanding of origin of the sub network. For example .ca or .fr suffixs are most likely servers in France. So inherent in this network is spatial data, although it is not linked to a geographic coordinate system. Furthermore, all of these IP addresses have spatial data inherent in them and could potentially be mapped, other people have also done in other maps. This simple network map also gives us a sense of magnitude and hierarchy of information networks. I’ve seen this map in person with some of the major servers listed, and it is fascinating.
Citation: Extreme Green Guerrillas. “World Animal Migration Routes”. No scale. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.myportfolio.me.uk/HTML/EGG/EGG.014.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.myportfolio.me.uk/EGGs.htm&usg=__NBc7xbN0k4V_W4FAmpL0yI4HRMc=&h=525&w=700&sz=287&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=_eSK44azGxjrrM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Danimal%2Bmigration%2Bmap%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1. Accessed on 11 March 2010.
Key Words: Thematic map, Geographic, Long Exposure, Image on a Computer Screen, Unknown Sources, Graphics Software, Planimeteric, Direction, Area, Shape, Distance (at least in center of map), Area Reference Symbols, Toponyms, Animal Migration Route map, Fiat Boundaries, Bona Fide Boundaries, Flow Vectors
Discussion:
To preface, the biggest shortcoming of this map is how small and poorly digitized it is on the internet version, but it is just such a cool idea that I couldn’t help myself.
The invariant in this map is the concept that animals migrate spatially. The components are the type of animals (birds, land mammals, fish, aquatic mammals), the size of the animals, the distances they are traveling, and the direction and patterns in which they are traveling. What is not accounted for is the months during which these migrations are taking place and the raw quantity of individuals per species that are migrating along each route. As best as I can decipher, the components are mapped using three main variables: color, texture, and shape/location/distance. Color differentiates between different bird species or animal/aquatic species. Many of the same colors are used to signify particular bird and animal/aquatic species; therefore, bird routes are represented by a dashed line whereas animal/aquatic species are represented by a solid line. Lastly, the shape and location of each animal’s migration route is displayed on the map by lines of appropriate color and texture in accordance with what species they are representing. Direction of the flow is conveyed by arrowheads at the ends of each migration line. Each migration route is also labeled for extra clarification. Although Bertin might find this a bit repetitive and unnecessary, I found it very helpful when the map was presented at a size in which the labels were easily decipherable (the inset below the small scale map illustrates this idea).
As I mentioned before, I wish I could read the legend on the map because there is a fair amount of text which would likely clarify what the cartographer’s main objective is. At this point, it is unclear why each species is compared in relative size to a human. Overall, I like the map because of its bright color scheme, overall symbology, and the way in which it conveys a complicated flow of competing vectors in a simplified and reasonably straightforward manner. The map itself has nice balance and uses the figure/ground concept very effectively.
The Atlantic Monthly. “The Mexican Connection.” No scale. In print April 2007. http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/images/issues/200704/mexico-map.gif. Accessed March 11, 2010.
Keywords: thematic map, network map, long exposure, choropleth
This map examines Mexican chain migration and the associated funds returning to particular states. I think it’s interesting for the actual data it shows and the data the viewer might perceive is included. There is no mention of why each US city is linked to a Mexican state, only flows representing funds. The arrows don’t have any variation in width, meaning there isn’t any data on the actual amount of money that’s flowing from each city to its designated state, only that some connection apparently exists. The only data is found in the choropleth: Mexican population by U.S. county and total remittances per Mexican state. Even that seems unimportant given that the populations of Boston, New York, and Raleigh are left off the map.
The invariant in this map is the linkages between US cities and Mexican states. The components are the Mexican population by county and the money received in 2006 U.S. dollars by each Mexican state. These are symbolized by varying saturations of color, suggesting that these values can change over time, but the associations between U.S. cities and Mexican states will remain. The arrows display this association, representing the network between places. Much like a subway map, there is no data associated with the display other than that two places are linked. Had more data been used, it would have been interesting to examine the relative weights of flows or cities connected to multiple states.
Perry-Castañeda Map Library. “Guatemala-Internal Migration.” No scale. 1983. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/guatemala_migration_1983.jpg. Accessed 11 March 2010.
Thematic map, geographic, snap shot, figure in presentation, unknown sources, pen and ink, planimetric, line reference symbols, toponyms, migration, fiat boundaries, proportional symbols, flow vectors
This map is incredibly simple to understand: it communicates information in a very intuitive fashion. The invariant is internal migrants to Guatemala City. The components are the number of migrants, their origin, and their destination. The mapping of visual variables is very straightforward: the number of migrants is shown by the thickness of the line, explained by a legend, and their origin and destination are shown by the locations of the beginning and end of lines on the map, with direction of migration indicated by an arrow. As the migration shown was from the departamentos to the capital, all arrows point inward, and in order to avoid confusion, lines have been curved and joined together to show net migration from four different directions. The cartographer has maintained the thickness of the lines as they join, allowing the net migration from a region to be easily understood from the width of the arrowhead. The map does not use unnecessary visual variables like color or shape, which would complicate its legibility. It is well-designed and easy to read, as long as the user is familiar with the location of Guatemala and the names of its provinces. However, it does not include migration under 5000 persons, which is slightly misleading, as it appears that there was no migration from certain departamentos.
New England Journal of Medicine, Spread of a Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus via Global Airline Transportation, Massachusetts: 2009. (http://www.smartglobalhealth.org/page/-/images/Issues/H1N1%20travel%20map.png)
Keywords: data exploration, geographic, a sequence, stationary, image on a computer screen, toponyms, shaded relief, bona fide boundaries, proportional symbols.
This map depicts destination cities and corresponding volumes of passengers arriving from Mexico. The invariant in this map are the cities themselves and the component is the number of people that are travelling to these cities. The city names are marked in black or white depending on the degree of contrast they need in order to be seen. The component is identified by large yellow bars proportionate to the number of passengers arriving in that particular city. The figure is distinct from the ground, a Mercator projection set at an angle to emphasize the “3D” bars rising from its surface. The ground represents cool colors: forests as green, desert as tan, ice as white, and the ocean as varying degrees of blue depending on the depth. These colors contrast well with the brightness of the yellow bars which also appear heavier when they are given three dimensions. Specific quantities of travelers are identified below the city.
And the link:
http://www.politicalintel.com/images/KerryPcnt_w_cartogram.jpg
Caroline Grego
Conlow, Mike, and Tom Wood. Presidential Election Results by Precinct, 2004. Political Intel. . 11 March 2010.
Key words:
Cartogram, geographic, a snap shot, image on a screen, election data, GIS, choropleth
The focus on Pennsylvania for this particular cartogram is relevant presumably because Pennsylvania is one of the always-tricky swing states. This map is easy to understand; it is a population cartogram of each precinct in Pennsylvania with a choropleth map of percentage of the population who voted for John Kerry layered over it. The population cartogram therefore makes it easy to understand that though, when compared with a regular choropleth map of Pennsylvania’s election results, most of the state appears to be that vanilla color that indicates a minority voted for John Kerry, that actually the majority of Pennsylvania’s population “went” Democratic.
The invariants of the map are the year and the presidential candidate, John Kerry; the components are the percentages and the precincts. The percentages are represented through a choropleth map, with a range from vanilla to blue, from least to greatest percentage, respectively. The precincts aren’t distinguished by lines, just by shape; though when two precincts have the same range of percentage, they can’t really be told apart. All in all, a straightforward, easy to read map that makes its point. Having the “normal” choropleth map without being a cartogram makes its point especially clear. The little pie chart with the statewide results is intrusive and not very attractive, but I suppose relevant.
Map of Exisiting Vegetative and Soil Carbon Sink Capacity n the New York Metropolitan Area. Public Utility: CITY SINK exhibition at the Van Alen Institute New York City (2009)
http://www.domusweb.it/upd_architecture/article.cfm?idtipo=1&id=311
Accessed 3/10/2010
Key Words: Thematic Map, Part of and Exhibit, Graphics Software, Planimetric, Area, Shape, Line Reference Symbols, Point Reference Symbols, Architectural Sections, Proportional Symbols
This map was part of a large exhibit investigating the potential to catalyze carbon sequestration reservoirs (sinks) in an urban context. Because the original design appeared at the Van Alen Institute Gallery in New York City, I was unable to find a website showing both the full map and a legend but essentially the green dots represent % of cover vegetation and the browns represent % of cover soil with the organic content ranging from low to high. The smallest dot symbolizes 10 and the largest symbolizes 90.
The invariant in this map is the city itself, which also acts as the ground. The components are land cover type, street tree location and carbon sink potential. Both color and symbol are used to represent carbon sink capacity based on land cover type and the map provides a nice understanding of the spatial distribution of carbon sink areas in Manhattan. As a quantitative map, it is useful for urban planners, while as part of an exhibit it maintains compelling aesthetic qualities. The minimalist style works well.
Citation: Mapping Worlds. “ShowWorld.” May 2008. Web. 11 Mar 2010. http://show.mappingworlds.com/world/.
Keywords: data exploration, manipulable, sequence, image on computer, graphics software, globe, shape, area reference symbols, fiat boundaries
This website lets you choose different categories by people, planet, business, politics, and living with further subcategories in each and each time you click it creates a cartogram representing each country by the amount of for ex: population, AIDS, illiteracy, energy, minerals, etc. It also includes a ranking list on the side in case it is difficult to tell which country is bigger. While these maps give little detail (such as we do not know the values that make each country the size it is) it seems like a pretty cool reference to look generally at the size of countries in relation to the data and one another. There are lots and lots of options to search through and it would be a particularly good reference in a classroom setting, especially for middle or high school students or non-geography students who want a basic idea of distributions throughout the world. Fun!
The invariant for each of these maps is the shape of each country and the components is the data which decides the size of each country in reference to one another.
Cartograms of Olympic medals won by country
Byron, Lee, Amanda Cox and Matthew Ericson (2008). A Map of Olympic Medals (cartogram). New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/04/sports/olympics/20080804_MEDALCOUNT_MAP.html. Accessed March 11, 2010.
New York Times (2010). A Map of Winter Olympic Medals (cartogram). New York Times. http://2010games.nytimes.com/medals/map.html. Accessed March 11, 2010.
Keywords: cartogram, geographic, snap shot, sequence, interactive object, image on a computer screen, primary sources, graphics software, planimetric, scale, toponyms, color, proportional symbols, animated map.
Discussion: The invariant in the maps is medals won the components are quantity (number of medals won), country, region of the world/continent and time. The quantity of medals won is symbolized in the size of the circle and each circle represents each country. The colors of the circles correspond to the region or continent of the world in which each country belongs. The arrangement of the circles is loosely based on geographic location, although relations between countries are not maintained. Time is represented in an interactive feature, a sliding bar across the top, starting in 1896 (for the summer games) and 1924 (for the winter games), allowing the reader to see the changes in number of medals won by each country throughout the history of the Olympics, as well as seeing how the total number of medals has increased. The shape of a circle is arbitrary and does not represent an additional component.
Citation: Bailey, William B. “Apportionment of the United States”. Yale University, 1910. [http://makingmaps.net/2008/02/19/1911-cartogram-apportionment-map/ Accessed 11 March 2010 Middlebury, VT]
Key Words: cartogram, snap shot, page in a book, pen and ink, distortion, fiat boundaries
Discussion:
This interestingly simple map is pretty hard to figure out at first glance. The title and labeling do not fully convey the invariate and components, which is left to Bailey’s explanatory text. The invariate is the population of US States in 1910, with the relative size of the states on the map scaled according to their total populations.
The component of the map is the areal extent of the states. The assumption is that the population of the United States is equally distributed across the landmass, and that the size of the states is directly proportionate to population.
It is a slightly strange and, in my opinion, not terribly effective thought experiment, but it makes for an interesting map. Bailey uses dotted lines to define the proportional area of the states, but nonetheless creates a series of arbitrary fiat boundaries that do not correspond to geographic reality, confusing the purpose of the map. When taken in aggregate, these boundaries show the spatial distortion of the eastern states; their extent stretching over much of the Midwest and West.
It is easy to see on this map why authors of later cartograms have consistently chosen to more radically distort the shape and extent of boundaries to immediately convey a sense of disconnect from geographic reality and assumptions of relative size, proportion, extent, etc.
Citation: Mekong Migration (2008). “Labour Migration Flows in the Greater Mekong Subregion” Citation: http://www.mekongmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/migration-flow-map-august-2008.JPG accessed 11 March 2010
Keywords: Flow map, geographic, long exposure, planimetric, toponyms, area and line reference symbols, fiat boundaries, flow vectors
The invariant in this map is migration events from and within the Mekong subregion in 2008. The components are the country from which migration occurs, the country to which migration occurs, and the number of migration events. Both color and geographical location are used to convey the country from which migration is occurring, whereas only geographical location is used to convey the destination of the migration visually. Bertin may have disapproved of the use of color as a variable when location was already being used, but I do not think that adding that variable is excessive. I think that it is important because it makes it easy to tell the origin of an arrow without actually having to trace the line to the origin. The number of migration events is not included as a visual variable on the map, but is displayed as text in boxes with colors corresponding to the colors on the map. While it would have been nice to be able to get an idea of quantity just by looking at the map, it was probably a wise decision on the part of the map maker not try to add in another visual variable such as line width to show quantity as it would have made an already very busy map a bit overwhelming and difficult to read. Also, migration events whose destinations are beyond the extent of the map (for example to Russia, the US, and the UK) are not included in the map but are included in the text boxes. Again, while it is a shame to have information missing from the map, it would have been quite difficult to include that information without completely changing the extent of the map, which would have detracted from the purpose of focusing on the Mekong subregion.
Citation: Munroe, Randall (2009). “Movie Narrative Charts – Lord Of The Rings” (Flow
chart). . Accessed on 10 March 2010.
Key Words: Flow Map, fictional, Sequence, entertainment, image on a computer screen, unknown sources (though probably just the movies themselves), pen & ink, graphics software, direction, time, line reference
Discussion: (I am focusing solely on the Lord of the Rings map.)
This flow map is done in the same vein as Minard’s map of Napoleon’s march on Moscow, however a cartographer or geographer did not make it. The invariant is “Lives of Characters throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy,” with time represented on the horizontal axis. The vertical axis, according to the alternate text by the author, loosely corresponds to Northwest (at the top) and Southeast (at the bottom).
There are multiple, mostly nominal, components to this flow map. One component is the individual characters represented by different lines, with lines approaching each other based on character associations in the movies. Each line is also given a color based on class (to use a Dungeons and Dragon term, defined as “Dwarf,” “Elf,” “Men,” …etc.). If a character lead an army, there is a shaded bar behind the character’s line and the shading color corresponds to the class of character, except for evil armies which are black, and the size of the shading gets bigger as the army size gets bigger. Battles also make up another component, and are represented as shaded circular areas. They vary in size, so one can assume that like the army symbology, this corresponds with the number of individuals involved (making up the only two quantitative variables). Deaths are shown as points at the end of a line. Moreover, the path of the ring is given prominence through the use of yellow highlighting of the holding character’s line.