Basic tools of geography and there uses

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Steve Mon, Jan 17, 2022 11:31 PM UTC

This booklet shares knowledge about the basic tools of geography by which different requirements can be fulfilled. Different tools have their different uses which can be used as per their requirement.

1. GEOGRAPHY TOOLS:
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOOLS GEOGRAPHERS USE?
BEFORE THE OUTBREAK: PROJECT 01 - LESSON 01
Geographers use all sorts of tools to help them investigate their questions.
They commonly use maps, globes, atlases, aerial photographs, satellite
photographs, information graphics, and a computer program called GIS.
Read below to learn about different tools.
SOME TOOLS GEOGRAPHERS USE
MAPS
A map is a flat
representation of a part of
Earth.
Geographers use many
different types of maps.
Maps can show lots of
different information
including the location of
places on the world.
Maps use projection to try
and display a round object
(Earth) on a flat surface (a
map). Cartographers
(map-makers) have long
struggled with trying to find
© Wikimedia Commons, File:1-12_Political_Color_Map_World.png, CC BY-SA the most accurate projection
to make maps with.
ATLAS
An atlas is a book of maps.
An atlas contains maps of
the world or a region of the
world. Some atlases also
include more information
about the places they
include in the maps.
Atlases can be very helpful
for traveling. Instead of
brining many maps, you can
bring one atlas.
This image is in the public domain. Map by Anselmo Banduri 1675-1743
www.ZombieBased.com © 2012 Zombie-Based Learning

2. GLOBE
A globe is a model of the
Earth, used to avoid
distortions in spatial
relations on the world.
Maps of the world are
distorted from trying to
make a round object fit on a
flat surface. The globe is
round, so it remains
accurate.
The globe provides an
accurate scale of how far
apart locations are. You can
also use a globe to get a
comparison of the size of
different locations.
© Wikimedia Commons, File:GEO_Globe.jpg, CC BY-SA
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
Aerial photographs are
photographs taken from the
sky and used to take
measurements or create
maps.
Aerial photographs can be
taken from airplanes,
balloons, or even kites.
The image on the left is an
aerial photo of South
Boston, MA. It was taken in
1978. You can download
aerial photos at:
http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov
This image is in the public domain. Provided by the U.S. Geological Survey
SATELLITE
PHOTOGRAPHS
Satellite photographs are
like aerial photographs, but
they are taken from space.
Satellite photographs can
capture large areas of the
Earth, but they can also
zoom in pretty close.
The image on the left is a
satellite photo of Marion
Island, South Africa.
Marion Island is a protected
land and is only inhabited
by researchers studying the
island.
NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1
team and the United States Geological Survey
www.ZombieBased.com © 2012 Zombie-Based Learning

3. INFORMATION GRAPHICS
Information Graphics or
Infographics are visual
symbols of data. They are
images that show
information using pictures or
symbols.
Information graphics can be
as simple as a bar graph or
as complex as the image to
the left.
The infographic on the left is
a display of land cover
change in the Mid-Atlantic
between 1996-2006. This
graphic shows that over 10
years, forests and wetlands
have decreased, while other
types of land cover,
including developments
have increased. The graphic
does not represent actual
locations of land cover, just
This image is in the public domain. Provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
numbers representing it.
GIS (Geographic
Information System)
GIS is a computer based
program used to store,
manage, and analyze data
A GIS map is more than a
map because it can pull up
a lot of information.
Geographers use GIS to
help make decisions.
Imagine that you wanted to
make sure schools were not
near any factories that
might pollute the air. With a
GIS map, geographers can
use the database (place
that stores information) to
show where all the schools
are. They can then use the
database to also show
where all the factories are.
The GIS helps geographers
see all kinds of information
and how it relates to
locations.
The image to the left is an
example of how GIS layers
This image provided by the San Bernardino County Information Services Department information.
www.ZombieBased.com © 2012 Zombie-Based Learning

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