Elements of map contents with linear (1D) reference units

Abstract

Maps with linear reference units (1D) include not only representations of elongated objects, such as roads, rivers, or Chinese Wall, but also abstractly-established borders or accepted contour lines or noise level isolines. The chapter discusses the selection of characteristic plane curves, which are integrated in cartometric methods for determining objects characteristics. The usefulness of maps in establishing the length of the road between the two villages, bendiness of a mountain stream or the direction of the route depends both on the scale and characteristics of the map projection and also on the object itself. Nowadays, the complexity of elongated objects is evaluated using fractal analysis methods. Discussion of the metric precision of general geographic maps is limited to the issue of subsequent assumption changes that related to Polish topographic maps. They apply to the terrestrial and geocentric coordinate systems and accepted map distortions. Medium-scale maps can have their modelling functions activated by broadening traditional cartometric methods by fractal analysis elements. An example of such a broadening is the application of Cauchy–Steinhaus method to cartometric determination of the river lengths. The chapter ends with isoline typologies.