Maps - Maps - ResearchGuides at Western Carolina University

I Need to Make a Map

There are several ways to create maps or to overlay maps with data. See the GIS section for more information.

Where Is The Maps Area?

Maps Area

Need Specific Place Information?

Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

Contains current and historical information about physical (forests, woods, rivers, etc.) and cultural (buildings, cemeteries, etc.) geographic features in the United States and associated areas, excepting roads and highways. Each feature location contains state and county information, USGS topographic map name, and geographic coordinates.

Maps and Their Many Flavors

Maps are "diagrammatic representations of an area of land or sea showing physical features, cities, roads, etc."¹ In addition, maps can detail the spatial arrangement/distribution of a subject (ex. cime, water level, etc.) over a physical area (Jackson County, Walla Walla, etc.).

Maps come in many different varieties and serve different purposes. Below are some of the most common types of maps.

Geologic maps

Maps focused on the composition, structure, and distribution of earth materials. Geologic maps may depict bedrock formation, surficial units (deposited sediment), mineral resources, and structural hazards (faultlines, volcanoes, etc.).

Hydrologic maps

Maps that depict water resources information. This information may include the position and characteristics of bodies of water (lakes, rivers, streams), water temperature, floods/flood areas, drainage areas, water availability, and aquifer information.

Photoimage maps

Maps that are made up of aerial photographic images. There are several types of photoimage maps and the amount of relief indicated varies from area to area as well as from type to type of photoimage map. Satellite image maps are a type of photoimage map.

Topographic maps

These maps utilize countour lines to illustrate the elevation and shape of land. Topographic maps (frequently called "topos") often depict both natural and manmade features including mountains, valleys, plains, lakes, rivers, roads, boundaries, transmission lines, and major buildings.¹

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has created the best known topographic maps. These maps are the 1:24,000-scale topographic maps, also known as 7.5-minute quadrangles. The USGS also created smaller scale maps covering larger areas of the United States. These are the 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 scale maps.

Topographic-bathymetric maps

Maps that illustrate both surface contours and underwater countours (or depth countours, a.k.a. isobaths, a.k.a. bathymetric countours). The form of the land both above and below any water surface is portrayed within one map instead of two. Bathymetric maps may also show magnetic and gravity data.

¹map. (2005). In The Oxford Dictionary of English.
Retrieved from http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.wncln.wncln.org/views/Entry.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e46546

USGS information regarding map types can be found here:
http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/usgsmaps/usgsmaps.html