One of the greatest research problems in GIS is the fascinating phenomenon of map generalisation, where maps lose information dependent on their source scale. Generalisation effects are an inherent characteristic of all digital maps and, since they can introduce serious errors it is imperative to know what these effects are and how large they can be. This is the first book to focus on the precise measurement of generalisation. Using a series of localised maps in Europe, and a new method, the effects of generalisation locked into maps are uncovered.
This book is an authoritative account of a subject of significant interest and importance for cartographers and GIS professionals.
Joao (geography and environment, London School of Economics) treats perhaps the greatest remaining research problem in Geographical Information Systems (GIS): map generalization, where maps for the same region diverge dependent on their scale. In this perhaps first text to focus on the precise quantification of this phenomenon, the author presents a new method of locking generalization into maps (derived from her doctoral thesis research). The measurement of displacement proves to be the key indicator of cartographic generalization. Includes sample monochrome copies of the Ordnance Project European study area maps, and raw data for each feature per scale. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
