Google Maps shows "terrain"
Google Maps has a new "terrain" option that shows topography in a shadowed-relief style (light source in the W/NW by the looks of it). The level of detail is pretty good: I was able to pick out the main phsyiographic provinces of the Mid-Atlantic on it. Use the upper map to guesstimate physiographic boundaries, and then use the lower map to see if you're right.
3 Comments:
I've really been admiring all of your annotated maps and photos and have been thinking about how to incorporate more of this sort of thing into my teaching. Are you using Photoshop or some other program to do your annotations? Also, are you aware of any tutorials (web or otherwise) or journal articles (JGE, perhaps?) that discusses the efficacy of using annotated figures and images such as these?
Hi Ron,
I use CorelDraw to make my images. Sometimes I do adjust the image quality first in Photoshop, but the real annotating magic happens in CorelDraw. It's a vector-drawing program where you get to control everything -- almost an infinite variety of lines, fonts, colors, shapes, and effects. It took me about a year & a half (and one master's thesis) to learn the details, but now I'm a regular CorelDrawer. (I hear that Adobe Illustrater does essentially the same thing, but I don't speak that language.)
No, unfortunately I'm not aware of any online tutorials for the software --I'm self taught-- or journal articles. But, I agree with your implication -- that annotations like these are really effective at bringing out patterns in photos & maps. On that note, I would recommend the works of , the ex-Yale design guru who writes extensively about annotation in his newest book about design, Beautiful Evidence. His point of view is that the best graphics are like annotated maps -- calling your attention to key points while simultaneously establishing a "baseline" context. Check him out. He's a prickly bear, but he writes some great books.
--Callan
Okay, evidently I shouldn't try to get fancy with coding in these comments. The words missing in my previous (2) attempt(s) to comment on this post are: Edward Tufte, and the URL is http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/
Sorry for that gobbledygook in the previous comment. :(
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