Development of a Field Navigation Map

Introduction:

In order to navigate around the Priory (the study area), we need to know some type of location system, coordinate system, and some type of projection. The issue is that coordinate systems can confuse people depending on what scale they are working with. For example, State Plane and UTM are two popular coordinate systems, yet they are very different. UTM is measured in meters whereas State Plane is measured in decimal degrees. UTM is a popular coordinate system because it is universal and can be used anywhere. A projected coordinate system provides various mechanisms to project maps of the earth's spherical surface onto a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate plane. A geographic coordinate systems use latitude and longitude. A UTM is more accurate because it is a coordinate system altered to better fit the area of interest. For this lab, we will be creating two maps for navigation around the Priory, one that utilizes the UTM coordinate system and another coordinate system that uses decimal degrees.

 

Methods:

Before we created our maps in ArcGIS, we formatted the paper so the dimensions were 11X17 and the paper was in landscape format. The maps had to include the following: north arrow, a scale bar, what projection it is in, the coordinate system of the map, a labeled grid, data sources, a background, and a watermark.

Results:

In order to create a map that is useful in helping find points via GPS points, a grid drawn across the background image is very important. Figure 1 below is a map of the UWEC Priory. The coordinate system is UTM, so the grid is measured in meters. It is clear that the grid is meters because there are no coordinates, but rather measurements by meters. After placing the grid, I used the contour tool located under raster surface in ArcMap to create 25 and 10 meter contour lines.

Figure 1: A map of the Priory using the UTM coordinate system

 Figure2 below is the same map as above, except is in a geographic coordinate system that uses decimal degrees. This is where the latitude and longitude come into play. They are used instead of measurements around the grid. I used the same contour lines in figure 1 as I did in figure 2.

Figure 2: A map of the Priory using a coordinate system that uses decimal degrees

Conclusion:

The two maps created for this lab required a lot of initial thought process to create a usable map. This was the first time I created a map that I will use in the field. Many people have issues with coordinate systems depending on what scale they are working with, and it can really confuse people. I think that the UTM map will be easier to read, but I will find out on Wednesday. Overall, creating these maps has really clarified the use of coordinate systems versus latitude and longitude for me. I am excited to see how it goes in the field.