somethingaboutmaps
Leopard Map Disassembly
Friends, it’s been a long while since I last wrote up a walkthrough of one of my mapping projects....
a week ago
Friends, it’s been a long while since I last wrote up a walkthrough of one of my mapping projects. So, today, let’s break down a piece that I made earlier this year for Scientific American magazine. This is actually the first of three pieces that I’ve made for Scientific American...
Map of the Week
US Oil and Gas Pipelines
Felt is a nice web mapping app that anyone can use to get a map and add your own data, mark it up...
a week ago
Felt is a nice web mapping app that anyone can use to get a map and add your own data, mark it up and share with others. One of their most interesting example maps is this map of oil and gas pipelines.
Oil pipelines are in blue and natural gas is orange. I would have reversed...
GeoCurrents
GeoCurrents Break
Dear Readers, I have not been posting recently due to illness. I am now feeling better, but I will...
a week ago
Dear Readers, I have not been posting recently due to illness. I am now feeling better, but I will soon be leaving for a trip to the Republic of Georgia, where I will be giving a talk on the Black Sea region in the geo-historical imagination. I hope to resume posting in mid- to...
Map of the Week
The Incredible Shrinking Great Salt Lake(s)
NOTE: due to accidental deletions on this platform I have lost some of the original attributions for...
a week ago
NOTE: due to accidental deletions on this platform I have lost some of the original attributions for this post.
Here is a map of the paleo-lakes of the Great Basin from the Pleistocene Era.
The present day lakes are shown in lighter blue though even those have shrunk from the...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 9 (Postscript: Brew It)
This is it, the final stop on the Asia-Pacific series, and this one is especially for me. I always...
2 weeks ago
This is it, the final stop on the Asia-Pacific series, and this one is especially for me. I always have mixed feelings about the brewery articles because they’re rather self-indulgent. So viewers should feel free to skip past this one and wait until the next series begins because...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 8 (Postscript: Interesting Signs)
I know that some of the articles in this series veered into heavy topics. So let’s take things in a...
2 weeks ago
I know that some of the articles in this series veered into heavy topics. So let’s take things in a less serious direction for a moment now that I’ve completed the travelogue portion. It’s no secret that I enjoy signage, the more unusual the better. Sometimes I even collect them...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 7 (South Korea: The DMZ)
The Korean War never actually ended. Rather, it froze in place at an armistice line on July 27,...
2 weeks ago
The Korean War never actually ended. Rather, it froze in place at an armistice line on July 27, 1953. So there’s a multi-decade ceasefire, a truce, but no agreed-upon resolution of hostilities. A four kilometre wide Demilitarized Zone acts as a buffer between North and South...
Map of the Week
The Alphabet Railway
Radio personality Bill Barry was fascinated with the place names of his native Saskatchewan. So much...
2 weeks ago
Radio personality Bill Barry was fascinated with the place names of his native Saskatchewan. So much so that he wrote a Dictionary of Saskatchewan Place Names, I'm sure you've probably read it already but an interesting item about this toponymy is how many of the towns were...
Musings on Maps
“He Could Easily Destroy Us”
Tucker Carlson's move to Twitter led him to celebrate it as the last preserve of free speech. But...
3 weeks ago
Tucker Carlson's move to Twitter led him to celebrate it as the last preserve of free speech. But his relation to speech was long slippery, best reflected on the heuristic display of the 2016 electoral map that was the logo of the pundit's nightly show's and its guiding...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 6 (South Korea: Seoul)
I didn’t get much time to wander around Seoul like I did in Tokyo. Every day was a work day and it...
3 weeks ago
I didn’t get much time to wander around Seoul like I did in Tokyo. Every day was a work day and it was a brief stop. So I was confined mostly to what I could see from the windshield as we drove through the city or from the hotel. However, this was my first trip […]
The post...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 5 (Japan: Farther Afield)
Monday arrived and I had to get back to work. A weekend in Tokyo was nice although I had other plans...
3 weeks ago
Monday arrived and I had to get back to work. A weekend in Tokyo was nice although I had other plans and that involved getting out of the city. After all, the whole premise for this trip was visiting U.S. military facilities USS Blue Ridge The 7th Fleet of the United States Navy...
GeoCurrents
Georgia’s Three Unique National Scripts
Although many writing systems have been developed over the years and across the world, relatively...
3 weeks ago
Although many writing systems have been developed over the years and across the world, relatively few are still in use. As the Wikipedia map posted below shows, most countries today use either the Latin, Arabic, or Cyrillic scripts for their own national (or major regional)...
Transit Maps
Official Map: Newark International Airport Regional Rail Connections, 2023
Every so often, I come across a transit map that is just so unfit for purpose that all I can do is...
3 weeks ago
Every so often, I come across a transit map that is just so unfit for purpose that all I can do is scratch my head and ponder, “Just why?” This is one of those maps. Produced by (or on behalf of) Newark International Airport, it purports to show regional rail services that you...
Transit Maps
Fantasy Map: Washington Commanders 2023 “Season Map”
Posted yesterday on the Commanders’ Twitter account, here’s a Washington Metro-themed map of the...
3 weeks ago
Posted yesterday on the Commanders’ Twitter account, here’s a Washington Metro-themed map of the team’s 2023 season. It basically just places the team’s opponents for the year on a vaguely US-shaped map using some Metro iconography and colours and calls it a day. It’s...
Map of the Week
Make the Desert Bloom
Tomas Pueyo has an idea to help combat global warming and rising seas. His idea is to create new...
3 weeks ago
Tomas Pueyo has an idea to help combat global warming and rising seas. His idea is to create new seas by flooding several below sea level basins, such as the Dead Sea or Death Valley with seawater to create or enlarge inland seas. Here is an image from his Substack pages showing...
GeoCurrents
Using GeoCurrents Customizable Maps
As was promised earlier, GeoCurrents customizable base maps are now available for free downland in...
4 weeks ago
As was promised earlier, GeoCurrents customizable base maps are now available for free downland in both Keynote and PowerPoint versions. Just click on the icon labeled “download customizable map” on the right-hand side of the homepage. Here you can find many outline political...
Transit Maps
Historical Map: Trams of Brisbane, Queensland, 1957
A simple but nicely drawn map of tram services in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1957. The lack...
4 weeks ago
A simple but nicely drawn map of tram services in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1957. The lack of any sort of key for the routes means that users need to have some familiarity with the city to decipher where trams might go. The pamphlet that the map is part of includes...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 4 (Japan: Exploring Tokyo)
Sure, the tourists sites were great, but Twelve Mile Circle readers know I like to follow tangents...
a month ago
Sure, the tourists sites were great, but Twelve Mile Circle readers know I like to follow tangents even when I do that. I’m always on the hunt for the unusual, or at least the unusual to me. I’m sure everything seemed perfectly normal to anyone from Japan. So I made sure I...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 3 (Japan: Tokyo Temples and Tourists)
I arrived in Japan on a Friday evening, having lost an entire day crossing the International Date...
a month ago
I arrived in Japan on a Friday evening, having lost an entire day crossing the International Date Line from Honolulu. But it also meant I got a free weekend in Tokyo before resuming work on Monday. It’s easier and cheaper to stay in a hotel all weekend than go half way around the...
Adventures In...
How to make this map of a melting glacier
I’ve been to Columbia Glacier, just west of Valdez, Alaska, three times. The first was as a...
a month ago
I’ve been to Columbia Glacier, just west of Valdez, Alaska, three times. The first was as a youngster in 1984, the second in 1987, and the final time in 2000. Each time, the ride by boat to the terminal edge of the ice where it calves into Prince William Sound, took a bit longer....
somethingaboutmaps
An Educational Experiment
(Edit: sign-ups are now closed. I received over 150 responses for 4 available slots, which has been...
a month ago
(Edit: sign-ups are now closed. I received over 150 responses for 4 available slots, which has been great but overwhelming. I may offer this again in the future if it goes well, so make sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to the blog, to be notified of when this happens.)...
GeoCurrents
Ancient Transsexual Pot Smokers? Wildly Divergent Interpretations of Ancient Scythian Culture
The Scythians, who maintained a powerful nomadic state north of the Black Sea during the classical...
a month ago
The Scythians, who maintained a powerful nomadic state north of the Black Sea during the classical period, have been interpreted in many ways. As we saw in the previous post, historian Christopher Beckwith go so far as to credit them with the origin of philosophy. Ancient Greek...
Map of the Week
The Hidden Logic of Cities
The Beautiful Hidden Logic of Cities by Erin Davis shows the streets of various cities in the United...
a month ago
The Beautiful Hidden Logic of Cities by Erin Davis shows the streets of various cities in the United States color coded by suffix - (street, road, avenue, etc).
From where I've lived there seemed to be a clear logic to streets, avenues, boulevards and others. In my mind...
GeoCurrents
A Scythian Origin of Philosophy? Christopher Beckwith’s Scytho-Centric Interpretation of Eurasian...
Christopher Beckwith is, in my opinion, the most interesting world historian of our time. He is...
a month ago
Christopher Beckwith is, in my opinion, the most interesting world historian of our time. He is prolific, deeply erudite, and extraordinarily audacious. Although not necessarily convincing, his more outlandish claims are always thought-provoking. In his most recent book, The...
Adventures In...
How to emboss an imagery basemap
Ah the simple pleasures of the World Imagery basemap. So much earth. So much imagery. So many...
a month ago
Ah the simple pleasures of the World Imagery basemap. So much earth. So much imagery. So many corners of this world to explore. How can we take something so verdant and charming and just ratchet it up to eleven? We’ll use a water mask and some layer effects, that’s how! 0:00...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 2 (Oahu: Beyond Waikiki)
I didn’t spend all of my limited time strictly within the confines of Waikiki Beach and downtown...
a month ago
I didn’t spend all of my limited time strictly within the confines of Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Whether work-related or during precious spare time I did explore more of southeastern Oahu than I had on my previous trip. Unfortunately I couldn’t linger much and truly...
GeoCurrents
Miletus, The Black Sea, and the Origin of the Continental Scheme of Global Division
I have long been interested in the origin of the idea that the world is divided into separate...
a month ago
I have long been interested in the origin of the idea that the world is divided into separate continents, having co-written a book on the topic in 1997. While currently working on the Black Sea region, I have been reminded of how central the Black Sea was to the original...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 1 (Oahu: Honolulu Waterfront)
Most of my work trips are pretty mundane. The last three were rather typical — Philadelphia, Tampa...
a month ago
Most of my work trips are pretty mundane. The last three were rather typical — Philadelphia, Tampa and Atlanta — for example. Sometimes I go to more interesting places like my quick jaunt to Germany a few years ago. However, this time I hit the jackpot: Hawaii, Japan, and South...
Map of the Week
Earth Transit
Earth Transit is a project by Zhaoxu Sui showing the major passenger rail lines of the world.
In...
a month ago
Earth Transit is a project by Zhaoxu Sui showing the major passenger rail lines of the world.
In his own words "This is the beta version, which means a lot of errors and mistakes could
be on the map, please give me corrections and suggestions so that I can
improve." Lines are...
GeoCurrents
The Black Sea Region as a Historical Focus of “Ethnic Cleansing” and Genocide
The Black Sea region is not noted for its history of genocide and forced population transfers (or...
a month ago
The Black Sea region is not noted for its history of genocide and forced population transfers (or “ethnic cleansing”). Internet searches on several different engines, for example, returned very little linked to these key terms. But there is probably no other area in the world...
Adventures In...
How to find (and style!) detailed water polygons for your map
I often struggle to find high resolution polygons for things that tend to change, like water, urban,...
a month ago
I often struggle to find high resolution polygons for things that tend to change, like water, urban, ice, whatever. Here’s how you can wrangle some up-to-date, detailed, water polygons for your small or medium scale maps (plus five different ways you can style them up)… Here’s...
Musings on Maps
Floating Sargasso Sea
Mapped from the Canaries to the West Indies, against a blank background, the Sargassum Belt seems...
a month ago
Mapped from the Canaries to the West Indies, against a blank background, the Sargassum Belt seems removed from the levels of phosphorous of our coastal oceans leaving the high density of its thirteen million tons on a blank screen as the latest whacky disturbance of the...
GeoCurrents
Using “Text-On-Maps” Search to Explore the Mapping of Circassia and the Circassian Genocide
As was explored in the previous GeoCurrents post, Circassia often appeared on maps of Asia and of...
a month ago
As was explored in the previous GeoCurrents post, Circassia often appeared on maps of Asia and of the world before the twentieth century. But how did the mapping of Circassia change over time? This has not been an easy question to answer, but advances in text recognition are now...
Map of the Week
Parking Lot Map
The Parking Lot Map is a project of the Parking Reform Project, an organization dedicated to climate...
a month ago
The Parking Lot Map is a project of the Parking Reform Project, an organization dedicated to climate action, safer streets and housing affordability. The map explores how much land in the central area of the major cities of the United States is dedicated to parking. On average...
GeoCurrents
The Circassian Genocide and the Cartographic Erasure of Circassia
The current ethnographic map of the northern Caucasus mountains shows scattered groups of Circassian...
a month ago
The current ethnographic map of the northern Caucasus mountains shows scattered groups of Circassian people, now numbering roughly 750,000 in Russia. In 1850, however, the Circassians occupied the entire northwestern quadrant of the Greater Caucasus range. But as the Circassians...
Musings on Maps
“We Like Fighting Games”
As he waited rather glumly for “the Feds” to arrive at his home, as his stepfather predicted, Airman...
a month ago
As he waited rather glumly for “the Feds” to arrive at his home, as his stepfather predicted, Airman First Class Jack Douglas Teixiera may have pondered why he had posted classified maps of heated battle fronts in the Ukraine War … Continue reading →
GeoCurrents
The Unique Multiply Enclosed Back Sea, and the Crucial Grain Supply of Ancient Athens
As noted in the previous post, the “marginal sea” concept has little utility for geo-historical...
a month ago
As noted in the previous post, the “marginal sea” concept has little utility for geo-historical analysis. More useful is the idea of what might be termed an “enclosed sea,” meaning one whose entrance to the open ocean, or strait, is narrow enough that it could have been...
Map of the Week
America's First Subway Map
The first subway in the United States was built in Boston. The tunnel ran along Tremont Street, a...
a month ago
The first subway in the United States was built in Boston. The tunnel ran along Tremont Street, a chaotic mess of streetcars, horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians. The tunnel was built to route the streetcars underground to ease congestion. Here is a plan of the original subway...
GeoCurrents
What Is the Black Sea? (Part 1)
The Wikipedia article on the Black Sea begins by asserting that “The Black Sea is a marginal...
a month ago
The Wikipedia article on the Black Sea begins by asserting that “The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia…” This definition is not helpful, as it obscures more than it reveals. Let us begin with the assertion that the Black...
Map of the Week
The Liverpool Overhead Railway
I found this cool strip map of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the first elevated electric railway...
2 months ago
I found this cool strip map of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the first elevated electric railway in the world. It opened in 1893 and was dismantled in 1957 because the company could not afford to make the necessary repairs. This map is dated "c1938".
via Flickr
According...
Map of the Week
The Grand Paris Express
I was recently in Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD) when I came across this...
2 months ago
I was recently in Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD) when I came across this fantastic exhibit on the Grand Paris Express. The GPE is a hugely ambitious project to add several metro ring lines connecting the suburbs of Paris to each other and to the central...
Map of the Week
Buffalo in 50 Maps
New from Belt Publishing - the third book of their "50 Maps" series, Buffalo in 50 Maps is now out....
2 months ago
New from Belt Publishing - the third book of their "50 Maps" series, Buffalo in 50 Maps is now out. Previous books on Cleveland and Detroit have been briefly covered on previous blog posts. The author, cartographer Victoria Johnson-Dahl was kind enough to send me an advance copy...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Atlanta BeltLine – Eastside Trail
I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for business. On the final day I wrapped-up and had a little time to...
2 months ago
I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for business. On the final day I wrapped-up and had a little time to visit a family member who lives in the city. That became a good excuse to head over to the Grant Park neighborhood on Atlanta’s eastside. We spent most of our late afternoon walking...
Map of the Week
Maps GPT
I've been seeing a few interesting uses for ChatGPT-type artificial intelligence lately. Of course...
2 months ago
I've been seeing a few interesting uses for ChatGPT-type artificial intelligence lately. Of course there has to be a map generator. MapsGPT is powered by Proxi, an alternative to Google's MyMaps. I started out looking at their map suggestions, such as worst places to take a nap...
somethingaboutmaps
Conventional Cartographic Wisdom that I have Failed to Grasp
When I teach cartography, I am deliberate about not presenting my students with any rules. I do not...
2 months ago
When I teach cartography, I am deliberate about not presenting my students with any rules. I do not want obedience to memorized maxims — instead, I simply tell them about practices that I think are good ideas, and then I offer an explanation of my reasoning. The students can...
Map of the Week
Map Failbruary Challenge Days 15-28
Here is the second half of the #MapFailbruaryChallenge. For the first half and explanations...
3 months ago
Here is the second half of the #MapFailbruaryChallenge. For the first half and explanations see here. Here are the categories, again with minimal commentary.
Day 15 - You do not need to know geography to be a cartographer
Day 16 - Not safe for work
Day 17 - Not enough or...
Map of the Week
MapFailbruary Challenge Days 1-14
Those of you who follow me on my Twitter and Mastodon feeds know that I spent February doing yet...
3 months ago
Those of you who follow me on my Twitter and Mastodon feeds know that I spent February doing yet another map challenge. Like November’s 30 Day Map Challenge, only this one encourages you to fail. The #mapfail hashtag is popular and somewhat contentious among cartographers....
Adventures In...
Throwing Shade In Wild Color
I once heard someone say that standard hillshade (one-direction light source) ignores half of the...
3 months ago
I once heard someone say that standard hillshade (one-direction light source) ignores half of the terrain. While this is an exaggeration, it makes a good point. Earth has an atmosphere and light diffuses, bounces, and wraps around a terrain in a manner that a single light...
Map of the Week
The Spread of Slavery in the United States
In September, 1861 the U.S. Coast Survey published this large map showing the enslaved population by...
3 months ago
In September, 1861 the U.S. Coast Survey published this large map showing the enslaved population by county. It was "sold for the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army."
The image above is from an article in Smithsonian. Here is a detailed view showing part...
Map of the Week
Turkey and Syria Earthquake Response
Parts of Turkey and Syria have been devastated by the strongest, most destructive earthquake in the...
3 months ago
Parts of Turkey and Syria have been devastated by the strongest, most destructive earthquake in the recorded history of those countries. The earthquake has been followed by over a hundred powerful aftershocks, including one almost as powerful as the original magnitude 7.8...
Adventures In...
How to make tapered rivers in ArcGIS Pro
Cartographers will often exaggerate the natural scale of a mapped feature to help it communicate...
3 months ago
Cartographers will often exaggerate the natural scale of a mapped feature to help it communicate something of its nature. Some examples are vertical exaggeration of terrain or the very existence of point symbols (cities aren’t actually that big). We embellish for effect. Making a...
Transit Maps
Submission – Unofficial Map: Metrovalencia by Tom Göpel
Submitted by Tom, who says: Hi Cameron, first I would like to mention that I greatly appreciate your...
3 months ago
Submitted by Tom, who says: Hi Cameron, first I would like to mention that I greatly appreciate your work and have learned lots about transit maps from your blog alone. It was also this blog that inspired me to try to design my own maps. It’s a great joy to me now. Here, I would...
Adventures In...
Storybook Cartography
ArcGIS Pro is a serious tool for serious GIS analysis. Are you ready for some seriously charming...
3 months ago
ArcGIS Pro is a serious tool for serious GIS analysis. Are you ready for some seriously charming illustration style cartography? Ok! . . Children’s maps are a valuable thing. They are often the first impressions the world of geography has on every single one of us. What an...
Map of the Week
Icelandic Glacier Web Portal
This web portal is a collaborative effort by Icelandic institutes, agencies, companies, societies...
3 months ago
This web portal is a collaborative effort by Icelandic institutes, agencies, companies, societies and private persons to display an overview of glaciological research and variations of Icelandic glaciers. The portal provides access to measurements, observations and photographs...
Adventures In...
How to add mist to terrain in ArcGIS Online
There are lots of reasons to cloak your terrain in a fluffy ephemeral layer of mist. It gives an...
4 months ago
There are lots of reasons to cloak your terrain in a fluffy ephemeral layer of mist. It gives an overall sense of the slope and elevation trends in your view, it showcases meandering river valleys in a charming realism, hilltops peak through with clarity and drama…and it just...
Adventures In...
The Bounding Box Podcast
The one where I chat with Rene Rubalcava about the importance of unstructured data-play, the risk of...
4 months ago
The one where I chat with Rene Rubalcava about the importance of unstructured data-play, the risk of metrics becoming the goal, where to find inspiration, brewing chaos into professional development, and loving our neighbors!
Map of the Week
Suginami Walking Tours
Suginami is a ward on the west side of Tokyo. The Experience Suginami web page features a series of...
4 months ago
Suginami is a ward on the west side of Tokyo. The Experience Suginami web page features a series of walks and tours with some nice maps.
The Historical Walk shows not only the shrines and gardens of the neighborhood, but also shows where you can get ramen and "healthy" soy...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Long Island Rail Road Screen Maps at Grand Central Madison
Submitted by Griffin, who says: I work upstairs in the old Grand Central and was every excited to...
4 months ago
Submitted by Griffin, who says: I work upstairs in the old Grand Central and was every excited to check out the new station this morning. Spotted this new map on the wall down there, thought you might find it interesting. Transit Maps says: Oh, I do like this. Graphically strong...
Map of the Week
Taiyoh Pokemon Nation
Taiyoh is a fan-made Pokemon nation. It is based on Japan. In fact, the resemblance is so strong...
4 months ago
Taiyoh is a fan-made Pokemon nation. It is based on Japan. In fact, the resemblance is so strong that I came across these pages when looking for maps of Japan.
I will refrain from commenting on Pokemon given my lack of knowledge. However, I like the look and feel of this map....
Transit Maps
Submission – Fantasy Map: Tram Network for Bristol, England by Elliott Sargent
Submitted by Elliott, who says: I’ve been a fan of your work for a while now, and thought I’d submit...
4 months ago
Submitted by Elliott, who says: I’ve been a fan of your work for a while now, and thought I’d submit my own work for judgement. I’ve had a crack at designing a map for an as-yet non-existent tram and bus network for Bristol, UK, a city in dire need of reliable, integrated public...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: TRAM d’Alacant Fare Zones, 2023
Submitted by Roberto, who says: I would like to share the TRAM d’Alacant fare zone map. It describes...
4 months ago
Submitted by Roberto, who says: I would like to share the TRAM d’Alacant fare zone map. It describes the different zones and stops of this tramway/narrow gauge train in the Spanish province of Alacant (Alicante). It’s been reopened recently after six years of renovation works....
Adventures In...
The Geoholics Podcast
I got to join The Geoholics podcast this week and had a fun conversation with Kent Groh, Ryan Kelly,...
4 months ago
I got to join The Geoholics podcast this week and had a fun conversation with Kent Groh, Ryan Kelly, and Nik Smilovsky Here is a link to the episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0sHBwsGyfAoZE3ra5RaeVB?si=f1f3bdf9ab3b4695 Here’s the episode’s description: Raised by two...
Map of the Week
The Inequalities of Climate Change
There was much talk, if not much action, at the recent COP27 conference about wealthier countries...
4 months ago
There was much talk, if not much action, at the recent COP27 conference about wealthier countries compensating poorer ones for the impacts of climate change. The poorer countries see the largest impacts, while contributing the least to the problem. This map illustrates the...
Transit Maps
Historical Map: Argentine Railways, 1907
Now this is a map! This is just superb cartography: detailed, clear and lovely to look at. I love...
4 months ago
Now this is a map! This is just superb cartography: detailed, clear and lovely to look at. I love the way that brown is used for mountainous features, and a light blue is used for water features – it allows this information to be visible, but it doesn’t compete with the overlaid...
Transit Maps
Unofficial Maps: Two new takes on the London Underground by Kenneth Field
Back in 2019, Ken showcased an experimental alternative Tube Map based on a diamond motif (read the...
4 months ago
Back in 2019, Ken showcased an experimental alternative Tube Map based on a diamond motif (read the Transit Maps review here) that had mixed reactions from the community. He went away and absorbed that feedback, and – like a glutton for punishment – he’s back with not one, but...
Map of the Week
Artwork of Mary Edna Fraser
Those who have read this blog over the years know that I love the intersection of art and...
4 months ago
Those who have read this blog over the years know that I love the intersection of art and cartography. One of my recent discoveries is artist Mary Edna Fraser. Her textile work (from silks to rugs) and paintings range from the continental scale,
East Coast, US-batik on...
Transit Maps
New Official Map: San Francisco Muni Metro Map with Central Subway
This map has actually been out for a while, but today – celebrating the full opening of the Central...
5 months ago
This map has actually been out for a while, but today – celebrating the full opening of the Central Subway – seemed like the appropriate day to post about it. Design-wise, this is very much an evolution of previous efforts (see my review of the post-COVID resumption of service...
Map of the Week
Huge Lego Model of the Lake District
Artist Jon Tordoff has made a 100 square foot, 200,000 piece (so far) Lego model of England's Lake...
5 months ago
Artist Jon Tordoff has made a 100 square foot, 200,000 piece (so far) Lego model of England's Lake District.
via Getty Images
The model began as a pandemic recreation map of Buttermere, his favorite spot.
"Now I've come over the Honister Pass, up Borrowdale and I've got...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Silver Line Extension
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened its eleven mile Silver Line extension on...
5 months ago
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened its eleven mile Silver Line extension on November 15, 2022. I couldn’t be there on opening day but I still wanted to check out the new stations while they were relatively “new.” So I checked in with my frequent travel...
Map of the Week
The 2022 Hurricane Season
While I was busy obsessing over my 30 Day Map Challenge in November, CNN put out this map in a...
5 months ago
While I was busy obsessing over my 30 Day Map Challenge in November, CNN put out this map in a summary of the 2022 hurricane season.
It's interesting to see all the hurricane tracks on one map. While the season started out slowly, it finished with several memorable storms...
somethingaboutmaps
Projection Connections: A Very Nerdy Poster
Friends, I’m excited to offer to you a new poster. Not a map this time around, but something...
5 months ago
Friends, I’m excited to offer to you a new poster. Not a map this time around, but something map-related. A 16 × 24-inch tangled web showing how 100+ different map projections are all related to each other: Projections are a niche topic even among cartographers, so I don’t...
Map of the Week
The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood
This latest New York Times interactive map shows how people who live closer in to city centers have...
5 months ago
This latest New York Times interactive map shows how people who live closer in to city centers have a relatively small carbon footprint, while those who live further out have some of the largest footprints in the nation.
While that may not be surprising by itself there are some...
Map of the Week
Mauna Loa Lava Maps
Sure, there are cool livestreams of the Mauna Loa volcano you can watch, but even better, you can...
6 months ago
Sure, there are cool livestreams of the Mauna Loa volcano you can watch, but even better, you can see live maps of the lava flow.
Here is yesterday's status map from the U.S. Geological Survey
The dark red in these maps shows the new lava flow from the last 24 hours. It is...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Mitten Accomplished
I got a unique opportunity to visit counties in a corner of the Midwest I hadn’t touched much when...
6 months ago
I got a unique opportunity to visit counties in a corner of the Midwest I hadn’t touched much when my older kid decided to go to college in Michigan. But it didn’t offer a lot of time for my quest, just a four year window before graduation. Even so, I set what I thought was...
James Cheshire
The era of the megalopolis: how the world’s cities are merging
James Cheshire, UCL and Michael Batty, UCL On November 15 2022, a baby girl named Vinice Mabansag,...
6 months ago
James Cheshire, UCL and Michael Batty, UCL On November 15 2022, a baby girl named Vinice Mabansag, born at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, Philippines, became – symbolically – the eight billionth person in the world. Of those 8 billion people, 60% live in a town or...
somethingaboutmaps
The Unnecessary Peril of the Fuller Projection
Throughout my career, I’ve heard a variety of rumors and conflicting opinions about whether or not...
6 months ago
Throughout my career, I’ve heard a variety of rumors and conflicting opinions about whether or not you can get in trouble for using the Fuller projection. Let's find out if it's true.
somethingaboutmaps
A New, Unrelated Blog
Kindly readers: I wanted to let you know that I’ve started another little publication, one which has...
7 months ago
Kindly readers: I wanted to let you know that I’ve started another little publication, one which has nothing to do with maps, but I figure is worth telling you about anyway: I climb trees recreationally, and I’ve decided to start writing about my thoughts and experiences. Perhaps...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
From Skyline to Valley
A family friend had a big round-number birthday recently and we drove down to Central Virginia for...
7 months ago
A family friend had a big round-number birthday recently and we drove down to Central Virginia for the celebration. Meanwhile, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to add to my various travel lists so I wondered how might I combine the two. I thought about county counting...
somethingaboutmaps
Thoughts on Practical Cartographic Education
While I have not conducted a formal survey, I think I have the right impression when I say that most...
7 months ago
While I have not conducted a formal survey, I think I have the right impression when I say that most university cartography courses, at least in the United States, are taught by people whose primary job (when they are not teaching) is not the regular production of maps. These...
James Cheshire
The long history of using maps to hold water companies to account
James Cheshire, UCL Southern Water was handed a record fine of £90 million in July 2021 after...
8 months ago
James Cheshire, UCL Southern Water was handed a record fine of £90 million in July 2021 after pleading guilty to illegally discharging sewage along the rivers and coastline of Kent, Hampshire and Sussex. More than a year later, the headlines have not improved for Britain’s...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Mackinac’s Orbit, Part 11 (What’s Brewing?)
Twelve Mile Circle readers don’t really care about my brewery visits. I get it. You won’t offend me...
9 months ago
Twelve Mile Circle readers don’t really care about my brewery visits. I get it. You won’t offend me if you skip this article or scroll through the pictures without reading anything. I really do this more for myself to create a record of my visits that extend beyond the simplicity...
James Cheshire
The Scarred Landscape of the Climate Crisis
I’ve been obsessively checking satellite imagery to witness the UK turn from green to yellow, thanks...
10 months ago
I’ve been obsessively checking satellite imagery to witness the UK turn from green to yellow, thanks to the period of extreme heat and lack of rain Europe has been enduring. The parched landscape is unlike anything I’ve seen before and a cloud free day today (10th August) has...
James Cheshire
Newspapers and the 1976 Drought
With each new temperature record that tumbles the UK, climate skeptics have a standard stock phrase:...
10 months ago
With each new temperature record that tumbles the UK, climate skeptics have a standard stock phrase: ‘it was this hot in 1976’. Of course it wasn’t, and crucially the planet overall was not as hot then as it is now. Parts of the UK media have had their part to play in fueling...
somethingaboutmaps
2022 Freelancer Survey Results
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer...
12 months ago
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer rates and business practices! Herein, you will find the results of the survey, sliced into a few different charts and visuals, all crafted by my survey partner Aly Ollivierre. For...
somethingaboutmaps
Projection Cards: Now a Reality
A couple months back, I floated an idea for making some fun trading cards based on map projections....
12 months ago
A couple months back, I floated an idea for making some fun trading cards based on map projections. I’m very happy to report that several dozen of you responded and contributed designs to help make the set happen. I’ve been spending several weeks on managing everyone and working...
somethingaboutmaps
Projection Cards
I had a whimsical idea a few months ago: map projection trading cards. Something nerdy and...
a year ago
I had a whimsical idea a few months ago: map projection trading cards. Something nerdy and map-related that you could collect and exchange at conferences. I poked around at some design ideas for a while, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far. This is the front side of the...
Musings on Maps
The Dystopia of Diagolon: Irrational Cartographies of Secession
The quandary of our own abundant if not inexhaustible repertoire of mapping abilities and skills of...
a year ago
The quandary of our own abundant if not inexhaustible repertoire of mapping abilities and skills of visualization are tried by the spread of COVID-19. As dashboards, news agencies, and media offered new maps and staked new skills of mapping, maps … Continue reading →
somethingaboutmaps
Simple Oblique Views in Blender
While many people use my Blender shaded relief tutorial, and associate me with the software, I’m...
a year ago
While many people use my Blender shaded relief tutorial, and associate me with the software, I’m really not much of a 3D cartographer. I make oblique-view maps only rarely, and when I do, it’s usually in a simplified, abstract style, rather than the detailed, naturalistic...
James Cheshire
Atlas des Unsichtbaren
Thrilled to announce the publication of German edition of Atlas of the Invisible: Atlas des...
a year ago
Thrilled to announce the publication of German edition of Atlas of the Invisible: Atlas des Unsichtbaren. It is published by Hanser, who also did an amazing job with our previous book Die Wege der Tiere, and available in all good bookshops across the German speaking world. Click...
James Cheshire
More than arrows
UPDATE: If you would like a detailed reflection on this, I have co-authored an article with Alex...
a year ago
UPDATE: If you would like a detailed reflection on this, I have co-authored an article with Alex Kent entitled Getting to the Point? Rethinking Arrows on Maps. You can read it here. This week I took to Twitter to offer a critique on way we might map (at the time of writing) the...
James Cheshire
PhD Opportunity: An Atlas of Health and Social Inequalities
Excited to announce that we have funding for a +3 studentship in the UCL Department of Geography for...
a year ago
Excited to announce that we have funding for a +3 studentship in the UCL Department of Geography for the project “An Atlas of Health and Social Inequalities”. The research will be carried out in association with the Health Foundation and will comprise the creation of a range of...
James Cheshire
Anxiety and Mapping the Climate Crisis
Many of the maps I have created in recent years address the climate crisis and I’ve been asked a...
a year ago
Many of the maps I have created in recent years address the climate crisis and I’ve been asked a number of times about if I feel powerless in the face of the data I’m showing. I reflect on this here with Kit Rackley. Our chat also in part inspired this article in The...
James Cheshire
If Data Could Talk Podcast
We sat down with Andy Cotgreave for the If Data Could Talk podcast to give some behind the scenes...
a year ago
We sat down with Andy Cotgreave for the If Data Could Talk podcast to give some behind the scenes insights about our collaborative process and some of the work that went into Atlas of the Invisible.
James Cheshire
Being creative is reason enough to try different data visualization
A simple line chart might be all you need to communicate the patterns in a dataset, but it might not...
a year ago
A simple line chart might be all you need to communicate the patterns in a dataset, but it might not be given a second glance. Getting the viewer to work a little harder to interpret and think about a graphic can be a very effective way of generating engagement. This is where the...
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