Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
The Role of Map Animation
for Geographic Visualization
Mark Harrower, and Sara Fabrikant
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Department of Geography, University of Zurich
4.1 Introduction
Many of today's significant research challenges, such as resource management and envi-
ronmental monitoring, depend upon capturing, analysing and representing dynamic geo-
graphic processes. The ability to recognize and track changes in complex physical systems
is essential to developing an understanding of how these systems work (Yattaw, 1999). For
thousands of years cartographers have been perfecting the representation of dynamic spatio-
temporal phenomena with static, spatial representations in the form of two-dimensional
maps (Bertin, 1983). As early as the 1930s, cartographers also experimented with adding the
time dimension to congruently representing dynamic geographic processes with animated
map displays. Dynamic cartographic representations, such as cartographic movies (Tobler,
1970), two- and three-dimensional computer animations (Moellering, 1976, 1980), as well
as interactive map animations and simulations, have become increasingly popular since
personal computers with growing graphic-processing power have become cheaper, faster
and more user-friendly (Peterson, 1995). Even though real-time three-dimensional land-
scape fly-throughs and interactive map animations of various spatial diffusion processes
have become widespread with dissemination through the Internet, it still seems that the car-
tographic community has only been scratching the surface of dynamic displays (Campbell
and Egbert, 1990; Fabrikant and Josselin, 2003) and there is the very real risk that mapping
technology is outpacing cartographic theory. This chapter explores the role of animation in
geographic visualization and outlines the challenges, both conceptual and technical, in the
creation and use of animated maps today.
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