Categories of cartographic scale correspond to the selection of environmental soil predictors used to initially create historical soil maps. Paradigm shifts in soil mapping and classification can be best explained by not only their correlation to historical improvements in scientific understanding, but also by differences in purpose for mapping, and due to advancements in geographic technology. Although the hierarchy of phenomena scales observed in this study is generally known in pedology today, it also represents a new view on the evolution of soil science.
From as early as 500 BCE, humans have recognized that some things vary together in space. This is essentially correlation, but the spatial aspect sometimes adds a special twist. Also, correlation requires evaluation of quantitative data, while this concept is not limited to quantitative characteristics. For example, Diophanes of Bithynia observed that “you can judge …Continue reading “CLORPT: Spatial Association in Soil Geography”
Soil scientists like to remind everyone that “soil is not dirt.” They are of course, right, but what is the difference? I would argue that an important distinction is a question of where. Is it somewhere that it is useful, fulfilling its role as supporting life and improving environmental quality? Or has it been moved …Continue reading “The Value of Soil: A Spatial Perspective”
When you read the phrases “large scale” or “small scale,” do you know what they mean? Sometimes “large scale” describes a large area, and sometimes it describes a small area, depending on if the author was thinking about process scale or cartographic scale. This is a problem for communication. In this post, I will describe …Continue reading “Types of Scale”
In the process of creating a map, geographers often have to engage in the activity of spatial prediction. Although there are many tools we use to accomplish this task, they generally boil down to the use of one or two fundamental concepts. Waldo Tobler is credited for identifying the ‘first law of geography’, stating “Everything …Continue reading “Fundamentals of Spatial Prediction”
The scientific discipline of geography has taken on many important topics over the course of its history. From locating natural resources to understanding the intricacies of human cultures in diverse locations to predicting climate change and its impacts on society, geography has helped us better understand our world. Students in grade schools are taught basic …Continue reading “Why Geography?”
