Maps on Tuva
Lesson
In this tutorial, students explore the US States dataset and learn how to use latitude and longitude coordinates to create maps on Tuva. ![]720
In this tutorial, you will explore the US States dataset and learn how to use latitude and longitude coordinates to create maps on Tuva. ![]720 Most attributes that appear in natural and social science data have a spatial distribution. Mean temperature across different cities in the world or the quality of water collected from different sampling sites along a river’s path are examples of attributes that have a spatial distribution. Tuva offers a map overlay for such data to provide a visual context that helps you interpret and analyze the variability and patterns in its distribution. The basic requirement for creating a map plot in Tuva is that the data should contain latitude and longitude values. The coordinates help the tool to project the right section of the map. Once you have met this requirement, the steps to creating a map plot are as follows: Step 1: Drag and drop :ta["Longitude"] on the x-axis of the graphing area. Image: Map Plot_1 Step 2: Drag and drop :ta["Latitude"] on the y-axis and choose :ti[map] from the toolbar. Image: Map Plot_2 Your finished plot will look like this. Image: Map Plot_3 Notice that you can see the national border of the United States in the map but not the state borders. Also, make a note of the map scale at the bottom left. The zoom control on the top left allows you to change the scale of your map. You can click on the :ti[plus] sign to zoom in. Image: Map Plot_4 Make a note of the map scale at the bottom left again. When you zoom in, you will notice that you can observe finer details in the map. This is because when you zoom in, the scale of the map gets larger, that is, the map covers a smaller land area now. You can click on the :ti[minus] button to zoom out. Image: Map Plot_5 Notice the map scale at the bottom left. What happens when you zoom out? It is obvious that the scale of the maps gets smaller, that is, the map covers a larger area now. Thus, the scale of the map represents a greater distance on the surface of the earth the further we zoom out, and less distance on the surface of the earth as we zoom in. Dragging or Panning the Map: What if you want to view the area immediately adjacent to the area currently shown in the map? Well, you can use the dragging control in the map to do so. Click on the Drag Button and your cursor will change to a hand icon. You can now drag or pan the map in any direction you wish. Insert GIF: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1Roz78kipMYRh9gOIYxgy9QJ-HsyT6ZWP The action of dragging the map does not change its scale, as opposed to zooming, which changes the scale level. Adding a Categorical or a Quantitative Attribute to a Map Plot: Once you have created a map plot, you can add another attribute to it. Clicking on any attribute in the :ti[case-card] highlights it on the map by coloring the dots. For example, in the map below, you can see the different regions in which the US states are grouped. Image: Map Plot_6 You can also add a quantitative attribute such as population density to the legend. Image: Map Plot_7 Using the above map plot, you can compare how the density of population varies spatially. In the interactive tutorial that follows, you will learn to create your own map plots.
Topics and standards: Latitude, Longitude, Tutorial