Glosario de términos cartográficos

Perry-Castañeda Library

Map Collection

Glossary of Cartographic Terms

From: Maps for America. Third Edition.

Biblioteca Perry-Castañeda

Colección de mapas

Glosario de términos cartográficos

De: Mapas de América. Tercera edición.

accuracy

Degree of conformity with a standard. Accuracy relates to the quality of a result and is distinguished from precision which relates to the quality of the operation by which the result is obtained. precisión

Grado de conformidad con una norma. Precisión se refiere a la calidad del resultado y se distingue de la precisión porque esta se refiere a la calidad de la operación por la que se obtiene el resultado.

adjustment

Process designed to remove inconsistencies in measured or computed quantities by applying derived corrections to compensate for random or accidental errors. ajuste

Proceso diseñado para eliminar las inconsistencias en las cantidades medidas o calculadas por la aplicación de las correcciones derivadas de compensar los errores aleatorios o accidentales.

adjustment, land- line

Positioning land lines on a map to indicate their true, theoretical, or approximate location relative to the adjacent terrain and culture, by reconciling the information shown on Bureau of Land Management plats and field records with the ground evidence of the location of the lines. ajuste de línea fija

Colocación de las líneas de tierra en un mapa para indicar su ubicación verdadera, teórica, o aproximada en relación con el terreno y la cultura adyacentes, mediante la conciliación de la información mostrada en la Oficina de Manejo de Tierras planos y registros de campo con las pruebas de tierra de la ubicación de las líneas.

adjustment, standard accuracy

Adjustment of a survey resulting in values for positions and (or) elevations that comply with the National Map Accuracy Standards. ajuste, precisión estándar

Ajuste de una medición que resulta en valores para las posiciones y (o) las elevaciones que cumplan con los Estándares Nacionales de Precisión de Mapas.

aerotriangulation

The process of developing a network of horizontal and or vertical positions from a group of known positions using direct or indirect measurements from aerial photographs and mathematical computations. aerotriangulación

El proceso de desarrollo de una red de posiciones horizontales y verticales a partir de un grupo de posiciones conocidas utilizando mediciones directas o indirectas a partir de fotografías aéreas y de cálculos matemáticos.

alidade

Instrument, or part of an instrument , for determining direction , either horizontal or vertical . In its simplest form, a peepsight or telescope mounted on a straightedge and used for plotting directions graphically. In such instruments as transits and theodolites, the alidade is the part containing the telescope and its attachments.

altimeter

Instrument for measuring altitudes or elevations with respect to a reference level, usually mean sea level. The most common type is an aneroid barometer. A radar altimeter determines the height of an aircraft above the terrain by measuring the time required for an electromagnetic pulse to travel from aircraft to the ground and back.

azimuth

Horizontal direction reckoned clockwise from the meridian plane.

backshore

Part of a beach that is usually dry and is reached only by the highest tides; by extension, a narrow strip of relatively flat coast bordering the sea.

base map

See: map, base.

bathymetric map

See: map, bathymetric

bathymetry

Science of measuring water depths (usually in the ocean) to determine bottom topography.

beach (seabeach)

Zone of unconsolidated material that extends landward from the low water line to the place where there is marked change in material or physiographic form, or to the line of permanent vegetation (usually the effective lint of storm waves).

bench mark

Relatively permanent material object, natural or artificial, bearing a marked point whose elevation above or below an adopted datum is known.

boundary monument

Material object placed on or near a boundary line to preserve and identify the location of the boundary line on the ground

boundary survey

Survey made to establish or to reestablish a boundary line on the ground, or to obtain data for constructing a map or plat showing a boundary line.

cadastral map

See: map, cadastral.

cadastral survey

Survey relating to land boundaries, made to create units suitable for title transfer or to define the limitations of title. Derived from "cadastre" meaning a register of land quantities, values, and ownership used levying taxes, the term may properly be applied to surveys of a similar nature outside the public lands, such surveys are more commonly called "land surveys" or "property surveys."

cartography

Science and art of making maps and charts. The term may be taken broadly as comprising all the steps needed to produce a map: planning, aerial photography, field surveys, photogrammetry, editing, color separation, and multicolor printing. Mapmakers, however, tend to limit use of the term to the map-finishing operations, in which the master manuscript is edited and color separation plates are prepared for lithographic printing.

chain

Unit of length equal to 66 feet, used especially in the U.S. public land surveys. The original measuring instrument (Gunter's chain) was literally a chain consisting of 100 iron links, each 7.92 inches long. Steel-ribbon tapes began to supersede chains around 1900, but surveying tapes are often still called "chains" and measuring with a tape is often called "chaining." The chain is a convenient unit in cadastral surveys because 10 square chains equal 1 acre.

chart

Special-purpose map designed for navigation or to present specific data or information. The term "chart" is applied chiefly to maps made primarily for nautical and aeronautical navigation, and to maps of the heavens, although the term is sometimes used to describe other special-purpose maps.

chart, aeronautical

Charts designed to meet requirements of aerial navigating, produced in several series, each on a specified map projection and differing in scale, format, and content, for use as dictated by type of aircraft and whether flight is to be conducted under visual or instrument flight rules.

chart, bathymetric

See: map, bathymetric

chart, nautical

Representation of a portion of the navigable waters of the Earth and adjacent coastal areas on a specified map projection and designed specifically to meet requirements for marine navigation. Included on most nautical charts are depths of water, characteristics of the bottom, elevations of selected topographic features, general configurations and characteristics of the coast, the shoreline (usually the mean high water line), dangers, obstructions and aids to navigation limited tidal data, and information about magnetic variation in the charted area.

choropleth map

See: map, choropleth

clinometric map:

See: map, slope

color separation

Process of preparing a separate drawing, engraving, or negative for each color required in the printing production of a map or chart.

compilation

Preparation of a new or revised map or chart, or portion thereof, from existing maps, aerial photographs, field surveys, and other sources.

continuous tone

Image not broken into dots by photographic screen; contains unbroken gradient tones from black to white, and may be either in negative or positive form. Aerial photographs are examples of continuous-tone prints. Contrasted with halftone (screened) and line copy.

contour

Imaginary line on ground, all points of which are at the same elevation above or below a specific datum.

contour interval

Difference in elevation between two adjacent contours.

control mapping

Points of established position or elevation, or both, which are used to fix references in positioning and correlating map features. Fundamental control is provided by stations in the national networks of triangulation and traverse (horizontal control) and leveling (vertical control). Usually it is necessary to extend geodetic surveys, based on fundamental stations, over the area to be mapped, to provide a suitable density and distribution of control points. Supplemental control points are those needed to relate the aerial photographs used for mapping with the system of ground control. These points must be positively photoidentified; that is, the points must be positively correlated with their images on the photographs.

control station

Point on the ground whose position (horizontal or vertical) is known and can be used as a base for additional survey work.

coordinates

Linear and (or) angular quantities that designate the position of a point in relation to a given reference frame.

coordinates, origin of

Points in a system of coordinates which serves as a zero point in computing the system's elements or in prescribing its use.

culture

Features constructed by man that are under, on, or above the ground which are delineated on a map. These include roads, trails, buildings, canals, sewer systems, and boundary lines. In a broad sense, the term also applies to all names, other identification, and legends on a map.

datum

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