Mapping: The Face of Change

Very few people give much thought to the importance of mapping unless they happen to be lost; in which case the subject of mapping becomes quite important. Above and beyond directing lost travelers, mapping plays a vital role in understand the development and change of the world around us.

Throughout the years, in fact throughout the centuries, the tracking of mapping has allowed those rare individuals who were interested a better view and understanding of the changing landscape of our topography and how these changes can affect our everyday lives.

The history of mapping, or cartography, is believed to date back as far as 500 B.C. While the ancients might have misunderstood the actual shape of the planet, that in no way prevented them from trying to better understand the layout of the land. One of the earliest maps was discovered in the form of a clay tablet located in Assyria, depicting an ancient map of portions of Mesopotamia. From that point, the history and science of mapping continued to develop and evolve; hurtling several major milestones through the years including the emergence of the knowledge that the earth was in fact; round and not flat as had previously been supposed.

One of the foremost subjects of mapping that is currently being studied is the connection between people and the changes that occur on land. It is hoped that through such study of mapping, improved ideas and insight can be gained in order to understand how to better cope with the results changes in topography bring to people around the world.

When studying mapping, it is important to understand that changes to land can be either gradual or sudden. Throughout the centuries, there has been gradual change to many portions of the Earth's surface; resulting in an entirely different appearance. In other cases, natural disasters can result in an immediate change of the landscape.

This latter type of change is currently a timely subject of study, given the recent record breaking hurricane seasons. Individuals interested in the subject of mapping are particularly interested in discovering how the effects of hurricane Katrina might change the landscape of the Gulf Coast and what ecological and environmental consequences might result from those changes.

It might be surprising to learn that despite the fact that there has been heavy criticism of the response to the Gulf Coast region following the destructive aftermath of hurricane Katrina, first responders immediately began to transmit mapping information of the effected area to EROS (Earth Resources Observation and Science) in an effort to begin understanding how relief efforts could be prioritized as well as understand the vulnerability of existing systems facing the devastating aftermath.

Unlike the paper maps that researchers relied on just a few short years ago in order to better understand and analyze such matters, experts today have a wide array of mapping devices at their disposal. Aerial footage has been in use since as early as 1939, while digital images are even now being taken of the Earth's surface from the International Space Station and to be relayed to data teams standing by to analyze the results.

These various types of aerial photographs reveal a startling number of facts and various angles of the earth's surface. Many of them are geared specifically to report data regarding elevation while others are meant to specifically report on land cover.

If is through the face of mapping, and the subtle as well as drastic changes on the Earth's surface that are revealed, that we are able to sense disasters before they even hit as well as anticipate the problems that the fallout of such disasters may create.

About The Author:
Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com