What is the difference between thematic and reference maps

I hope you will find it useful. Thematic maps aim to communicate data about space and distribution to people. A thematic map explains a topic that you want to know more about in a geographic context. GIS has expanded the use and utility of thematic maps. Each layer in the program can combine a different theme to the user. In this one could look at income over a political map showing boundaries to see where rich and poor people live.

Then add in a layer of topography if you suspect poor people live in areas that flood. Often, a map will have characteristics of both reference and thematic maps. Weather maps will focus on the theme of weather events, like temperatures and wind. However, they also show physical and political features to enhance readability.

When people find their town or county on the map they are better able to interpret how the weather will affect them. Here is a great video that discusses the difference between reference and thematic maps. We will discuss 18 commonly used map types.

Seven are reference maps and 11 are thematic maps. Although I have them separated, each category will blend with the other. Can you find reference ideas in thematic maps — and vice-versa.

Reference maps show the reader what is where. They once illustrated qualities that do not change, or that change very slowly, but with GIS they can more often represent changing or fluctuating data points like the flood stages of a river.

Thematic maps help us ask questions across an area of space. They focus on one topic to make a point, or multiple ideas to help support analysis. Thematic mapping sits at the heart of GIS, which allows us to use thematic maps to analyze and understand complex interactions of data.

Reference vs thematic maps is an everyday question for a GIS student, analyst, or programmer. Reference maps are used to communicate location on more static data points.

Thematic maps communicate information in a geographic display where the map part is essential, but not the main idea that the map communicates.

For a quick review on reference vs thematic maps, check out this video. You can also check my article discusses the best laptops for running GIS systems here.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Reference and thematic maps Knowing the different map types and the purposes they serve is important when selecting or creating a map.

A map showing cold across Wisconsin in different shades of blue works against the background of a physical or political map Reference maps are maps that help us determine features of the world in which we live. Differences between reference and thematic maps Often, a map will have characteristics of both reference and thematic maps.

Reference Maps Reference maps show the reader what is where. Political maps display a selection of human-made features such as borders and cities. They also show some physical features, such as rivers, but do not show topological features.

For project maps, they can be used to:. Measurements are actually a type of map annotation, but can be considered separately as their application is quite specific. GIS data comes in a dizzying array of formats. What is GIS? GIS Mapping. GIS mapping is a process that helps users manage, organize, and analyze location-based data.

GIS mapping adds meaning to raw data. Click any of the topics to jump there directly. Mapping basics Thematic vs. Reference Mapping can be divided into two general categories: reference and thematic.

That said, most thematic maps do use reference maps as their base. Creating thematic maps is where GIS shines. People can and have written entire textbooks on the subject of GIS. Legacy GIS maps. Category maps Category maps visualize data categories, as related to specific areas on your map. Quantity map Quantity maps, otherwise known as choropleth maps , illustrate variations across a defined geographical or political region.

Often confused with heat maps, quantity maps chart density over non-standard location-based units. Heat maps Similar to quantity maps, heat maps illustrate density over a given area. Inspection maps Physical asset inspections occur over large, dispersed territories - making data organization difficult. Take utility pipeline inspection as an example: There are over million miles of utility pipeline in the United States alone.

Using GIS, utility companies can turn a list of addresses into a digital inspection map. Hazard maps Hazard maps are used to illuminate areas vulnerable to natural disasters: earthquakes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, etc. Make several different types of maps available to the class during this lesson. These maps could include political maps of different places, road maps, physical maps that include political demarcations, etc. As a class, look over the wall maps and the legends on reference maps.

What are some of the colors or symbols that are the same on these maps? What do these colors and symbols stand for? Together, list these characteristics and discuss why we usually use the same colors and symbols on maps. Working in pairs, provide the students with a variety of reference maps or use maps in the student atlases that are of different places. Pairs should create a list of the different features on their map, for. Next, compare the different lists in pairs and, as a class, discuss what is not shown on the maps.

Unlike a reference map, a thematic map usually presents only one topic. Display on an overhead one of the first 33 black line maps from Food for Thought.

Do not show the map title or legend. Discuss what the map is trying to show and list the student guesses. Why are there different shades of one color? What does the darker color stand for? Give the students hints — tell them that this map shows an agricultural product, production plant, or other topic related to agriculture in Minnesota; continue their guessing. Show the map title and legend. Discuss the use of shading. However, the publisher has asked for the customary Creative Commons attribution to the original publisher, authors, title, and book URI to be removed.

Additionally, per the publisher's request, their name has been removed in some passages. More information is available on this project's attribution page. For more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page. You can browse or download additional books there. To download a. Maps are among the most compelling forms of information for several reasons. Maps are artistic.

Maps are scientific. Maps preserve history. Maps clarify. Maps reveal the invisible. Maps inform the future. Regardless of the reason, maps capture the imagination of people around the world. As one of the most trusted forms of information, map makers and geographic information system GIS practitioners hold a considerable amount of power and influence Wood ; Monmonier Wood, D. The Power of Maps. New York: Guilford. How to Lie with Maps.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Therefore, understanding and appreciating maps and how maps convey information are important aspects of GISs.