Assignment 3

View JJ's Grand Canyon Trip in a larger map

about the pitfalls, potential and consequences of neogeography.

          Neogeography allows everyone to be considered geographers to some degree. It allows people with a limited understanding of geographic principles the ability to map out their vacations, share location information of their experiences, or convey understanding of any random information they might want to share. For the more technologically saavy, several neogeographic programs have the capability to allow the user to program mash-ups that map out geographically based data.  This leads to the new statistics, metrics, frequencies and trends that no-one might've discovered before.  This also eliminates the need for the average layperson to purchase and invest time learning expensive and complex GIS programs.  Neogeography also supplements GIS and the field of geography as a whole, getting a bigger mass interested in the study and investing in it's development. 


          However, nothing is perfect, just like neogeography is not short of pitfalls.  The notion that it is accessible by everyone is both a boon and a hindrance.  This leads to a lack on consistency, accuracy and reliability on a good number of maps.  A map-maker's vision might not be able to be fully transposed into a map using neogeography, because he pretty much working with a template from a certain program. GIS, on the other hand allows the user to create coordinates, terrain and other dynamic features using his perception.  However, given the recent exponential development of neogeography, I am certain that programs will soon emerge with in-depth programming capabilities that your that average Joe could use.

Assignment 2

1. What is the name of the quadrangle? 
Beverly Hills 

2. What are the names of the adjacent quadrangles?
Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice, Inglewood

3. When was the quadrangle first created?
1966

4. What datum was used to create your map?  
 North American Datum of 1923, North American Datum of  1983, National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929

5. What is the scale of the map?  
 1:24,000

6. At the above scale, answer the following:

  a) 5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to how many meters on the ground? 
  1200 meters

  b) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to how many miles on the ground? 
  1.89 miles

  c) one mile on the ground is equivalent to how many inches on the map? 
  2.64 inches

  d) three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to how many centimeters on the map? 
  12.5 centimeters

7. What is the contour interval on your map? 
20 feet

8. What are the approximate geographic coordinates in both degrees/minutes/seconds and decimal degrees of:

  a) the Public Affairs Building
  34°4’30’’N , 118°26’45’’ W       DD=34.068° N , 118.4425° W

  b) the tip of Santa Monica pier
  34°30’’ N,  118°30’ W      DD= 34.008° N  , 118.5, 34°  W

  c) the Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir
  34°7’15’’ N , 118°24’30’’ W      DD=   34.121° N , 118.408° W

9. What is the approximate elevation in both feet and meters of:

  a) Greystone Mansion (in Greystone Park)
  560 feet, 170.69 meters

  b) Woodlawn Cemetery
  140 feet, 42.67 meters,

  c) Crestwood Hills Park
  800 feet, 243.84 meters

10. What is the UTM zone of the map? 
UTM zone 11

11. What are the UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of your map? 
3763000 N and 362000 E

12. How many square meters are contained within each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines? 
92,903 square meters

13. Obtain elevation measurements, from west to east along the UTM northing 3771000, where the eastings of the UTM grid intersect the northing. Create an elevation profile using these measurements in Excel (hint: create a line chart). Figure out how to label the elevation values to the two measurements on campus. Insert your elevation profile as a graphic in your blog. 
See below.

14. What is the magnetic declination of the map?   
14 degrees east

15. In which direction does water flow in the intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and Stone Canyon Reservoir? South

16. Crop out (i.e., cut and paste) UCLA from the map and include it as a graphic on your blog.

X-axis	Longitude
1	362000
2	363000
3	364000
4	365000
5	366000
6	367000
7	368000
8	369000
9	370000
10	371000
11	372000
12	373000