SPACE INFORMATION IN CARTOGRAPHY WORKS

A.N. Krayukhin, G.V. Pozdnyak, V.V. Sveshnikov, V.I. Ryabchikova, S.V. Krivov

MPA "Kartographia"

info-atkar@yandex.ru

 

One of the promising ways of integrating the achievements of astronautics into cartography is the use of space information in creating cartography works, which can be developed for the area of this country and its individual regions as well as for countries, continents, and the world as a whole. Space information can be widely used for upgrading and updating of the maps and atlases that have been developed and published earlier, clarifying the borders of natural and socioeconomic objects, and developing the contents of geographical and thematic maps. All of this promotes the creation of modern information technologies while solving educational, scientific, and economic problems.

Space images of the Earth surface are no longer a rarity. They are placed in large geographical works (comprehensive world, national, and regional atlases as well as thematic (branch) atlases and series of maps) more and more often. By now space images have become as common as maps (even though when space imagery being started space images featuring parts of the Earth surface were something unique). Unfortunately space images are still rarely used in large cartography works. And even if they are, most often they accompany terrestrial images. At the same time when space images are included in atlases, the quality of cartography works is improved considerably. In some cases they picture many geographic aspects better than maps, and in others they improve the interpretation of the subject much better when they are used along with maps.

Album atlases have become more widespread lately. They show possibilities and methods of using space information for solving different problems. Recently, there has been a tendency for creating space imagery atlases for the territory of separate countries and large regions. Works of this kind have been created in China, Germany, USA, Hungary, Libya, Syria, Canada, etc.

A large collection of varying domestic space images for the territories of many areas of the world and Russia has been compiled by now. New methods of processing space information for exploring natural resources and socioeconomic objects have been developed. At the same time there are no comprehensive works reflecting the modern level of space imagery in Russia as well as principles and methodological approaches to using space imagery materials for atlas cartography.

A number of cartography works have been recently developed in this country. These works provide an extensive coverage of space images. Much work has been done in terms of developing and implementing the concept of providing aerial and space images for these works. They include “World Atlas of Snow and Ice Resources”, “World Atlas. Resources and Environment”, “Our Earth” electronic atlas, volume 1 of “The National Atlas of Russia: General Characteristics of the Territory”, volume 2 “The Nature. Ecology”, of “Geographical Atlas of Russia”, etc.

Including detailed space information in «The National Atlas of Russia» showed the possibilities of using it for creating new informational documents reflecting natural and socioeconomic objects, ecological conditions of the environment, and the degree of human influence on natural complexes.

The report will be provided with space images from the abovementioned and other cartography works.