Lab #3

Sanrio Stores in California Mashup for Hello Kitty Lovers!


View Sanrio Stores in California in a larger map

I made this mashup of all the Sanrio stores in California for all the Hello Kitty lovers, since I am one myself. It is interesting to see that in California alone, there are already 48 Sanrio stores. Most of the Sanrio stores are concentrated in urban areas. There are almost no Sanrio stores in the rural areas of California, for example, in Redding, or San Luis Obispo. As one can see from this mashup, many of the icons are overlapping due to the fact that each store is not far from the next one. Many of these stores are within 10 miles of each other. This mashup could be useful for users to find Sanrio stores close to them. Also, there are phone numbers provided for each store so users can call conveniently to see if a product they want is available at a certain store. Enjoy!

Commentary on Neo-geography
Neo-geography has many pitfalls despite its technological advances. First of all, neo-geographical maps are easy to create, therefore, they could be created by any average person. Although this makes neo-geographical maps easily accessible, it also makes these maps unreliable. Since they could be created by anyone, no one can guarantee that the information being exposed is true or current. Also, this leaves the professionals without anything to do. It used to be their jobs to create these geographical maps, which were reliable since they are experts in the field.
Also, there are often negative consequences that follow technological advances. In this case, there are some serious consequences with the easy accessibility of neo-geography. For example, a lot of personal information is being exposed on the internet. With neo-geography, anyone can simply expose personal information about themselves or others in a map and display it publicly on the internet. Therefore, making personal information easily accessible to others. This could lead to potential dangers for any ordinary citizen.
Despite the pitfalls and consequences, there are also many potential of neo-geography. The accessibility of these tools, like Google Maps, makes the internet more democratic. Also, since more people are using these maps on a regular basis, people are more familiar with maps and they are becoming more aware of their surroundings geographically and spatially. Since neo-geography is a new advancement in technology, just like any other technological advancement, it will always have its pros and cons.

Lab # 2

1. What is the name of the quadrangle?
The name of the quadrangle is "Beverly Hills" located in California.
2. What are the names of the adjacent quadrangles?
The names of the adjacent quadrangles are Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice and Inglewood.
3. When was the quadrangle first created?
The quadrangle was first created in 1995.
4. What datum was used to create your map?
The datums that were used to create the maps were the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) and the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).
5. What is the scale of the map?The map has a scale of 1:24,000.
6. At the above scale, answer the following:
a) 5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to how many meters on the ground?
5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to around 1,200.912 meters on the ground.
b) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to how many miles on the ground?
5 inches on the map is equivalent to 1.89 miles on the ground.
c) one mile on the ground is equivalent to how many inches on the map?
One mile on the ground is equivalent to 2.64 inches on the map.
d) three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to how many centimeters on the map?
Three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to 12.5 centimeters on the map.
7. What is the contour interval on your map?The contour interval on the map is 20 feet.
8. What are the approximate geographic coordinates in both degrees/minutes/seconds and decimal degrees of:
a) the Public Affairs Building; (34° 4' 27.6954",-118° 26' 21.516")
b) the tip of Santa Monica pier;(34° 0' 27.0714",-118° 29' 59.6754")
c) the Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir;(34° 7' 16.572",-118° 24' 35.424")
9. What is the approximate elevation in both feet and meters of:
a) Greystone Mansion (in Greystone Park); 560 feet, 170.69 meters
b) Woodlawn Cemetery; 140 feet, 42.47 meters
c) Crestwood Hills Park; 600 feet, 182.88 meters 10. What is the UTM zone of the map?
The UTM zone of the map is zone 11. 11. What are the UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of your map?(3763000, 362000)
12. How many square meters are contained within each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines?
1,000,000 square meters are contained within each cell of the UTM gridlines.
13. Obtain elevation measurements, from west to east along the UTM northing 3771000, where the eastings of the UTM grid intersect the northing. Create an elevation profile using these measurements in Excel (hint: create a line chart). Figure out how to label the elevation values to the two measurements on campus. Insert your elevation profile as a graphic in your blog.
14. What is the magnetic declination of the map?
The magnetic declination is 14°.
15. In which direction does water flow in the intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and Stone Canyon Reservoir?
The water in the intermittent stream is flowing south.
16. Crop out (i.e., cut and paste) UCLA from the map and include it as a graphic on your blog.