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other than the Roman script, transformation of the script (together with translation)
may still be needed. In the maps using translated names, more visual or other
emphasis should be given to identify features without descriptor terms. If the
original Latin nomenclature is used, more emphasis should be given to the expla-
nation of the nature of the fully named features. In both cases, the true nature of
features with no terrestrial equivalents should be explained together with those
features and characteristics of the surface that can't have names because they are
not individual features but commonly found or are common properties of the whole
surface. It is a rule that “official names will not be given to features whose longest
dimensions are less than 100 m” (USGS 2011 ). But such features may give a basic
characteristic of a particular planetary surface.
The goal of a cartographer is therefore to make the following types of informa-
tion noticeable even for the non expert map reader:
(a) Previous, correct concepts not displayed on a general map (desert, rocky,
buttes, soil, dust)
(b) Characteristics that are lost because of the name: craters (not noticed because
they have no generic), volcanoes (named “mountains”), fossae (nor the descrip-
tor term, nor the visual representation helps it interpretation as tectonic graben),
etc., and
(c) Other, planet-specific special information, in the case of Mars, the differentia-
tion of upland versus lowland versus basin (which are also plains at the same
time).
Amongst the possible solutions are the use individual symbols, textures, mar-
ginal text or in-map annotations. In the case of maps for the general public, these
elements could be designed individually for a specific map and do not necessarily
have to—but may—follow the standardized representational methods used in
planetary geology or morphology (Nass et al. 2010).
The set of colors used for planetary topographic maps also affects the reader's
concept of the surface. We have used white to brown color scheme for Mars, to
avoid bluish hues that may be associated with water bodies. For the same reason,
Lazarev and Rodionova ( 2011 ) developed a color scale for Venus in which they
used purple to represent areas below 0 height level (mostly large basins).
A consensual solution to this problem may be to include both nomenclature
variants together with additional symbols and explanatory texts. In the virtual
reality we have the option of turning off the nomenclature layers which would
provide a view without any “diverting” textual description, interpretation or pre-
conception. This variable view can be realized using online maps.
It should also be noted, that independently from the results of this research, the
standardization (or, alternatively, a complete elimination) of the already existing
locally used language variants of the planetary nomenclature remains a problem
awaiting solution.
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