Introduction:
For this week's field activity, the Geography 336 class at UW-Eau Claire was asked to make two separate maps for the purpose of using in the field in a later activity. These two maps were to be examples of different of coordinate systems. The two coordinate system types were:
- UTM coordinate system
- GCS Decimal Degrees
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| Figure 3.1: UTM zones http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/coordsys/images/utm_mgrs_images/universal_grid_basics_20070319.pdf |
Whereas a geographical coordinate system is a grid expressed by a specific unit (feet, meters, miles etc) as a decimal amount. To express a coordination, the location is found using 2 separate sets of numbers that are defined by latitude and longitude.
Methods and Results:
To get the desired maps, data pertaining to a specific location, the Priory, was provided in a pre-established geodatabase. The class was asked to play with the data to create a desired map and then to overlay a coordinate system over them, for the purpose of future navigation. To better assist in navigation, a specific coodinate system had to be chosen to project the map from. Since one of the maps was looking at UTM, it was then determined to use NAD 1983 UTM Zone 15 N, which is the zone that our area of interest (AOI) falls into.
From this data Figure 3.2 and 3.3 were created. The first figure, 3.2, shows the desired AOI and a UTM coordinate grid system that overlays it. Then the second map, figure 3.3, is the same AOI but with a traditional decimal degree, mapping scale incorporated into the map.
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| Figure 3.2: A map of the Priory, using a UTM grid system for navigational purposes. |
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| Figure 3.3: A map of the Priory, using a GCS grid pattern for navigational purposes. |
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