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- The following exercises
consider the nature of geospatial data:
(a) Find a paper map of the
area where you live and produce a simple metadata
record of it using the downloadable
table and the discussion of map
characteristics in Chapter 6 as
a guide.
(b) How does far does your record
satisfy current metadata standards? You can
find out more about these from the following
websites:
i)
UK
metadata
ii) US
metadata
(c) Using the resources from the
above sites, consider some reasons for producing
an international metadata standard.
- Go to the NASA
Earth Observation website and access their data
listing tool and
carry out the following tasks:
(a)
Compare and contrast the images of 4km2 fires for 1998 and the
first half
of 2002.
What differences are there
and how might these be explained?
(b)
What environmental problems might you be able to investigate through
analysis of these and other
geospatial data on the NASA Earth Observation website?
(c)
Another interesting set of data is at the UNEP
geo data portal. What other dimensions
of your environmental problems might the data on this site help
you to investigate?
- Explore the relative
advantages and disadvantages of paper maps, satellite images
and aerial photographs for the following tasks:
(a)
Mapping vegetation cover within a 1km radius of where you live.
(b)
Assessing the rate of change of forest coverage across the globe.
- Produce a short review
of the use of GIS in the broad area of one of the
environmental syndromes covered in Physical
Geography: A Human Perspective.
You can use journal search engines, your local library or
the Internet to help
you.
Two useful web-based resources are the archives
of the GeoWorld magazine
and the map
books produced by the GIS vendors ESRI (for example, one of
their map books looks at the use of GIS for supporting sustainable
development.
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