Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
National da Vinci
Decathlon
Celebrating the Academic Gifts
of Australian Youth – Year 7
Cartography
“Maps codify the miracle of existence” Nicholas Crane.
Session 3
Team Number
_____________
/ 60
Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
Background Information
Maps are linked inextricably to how humans show the world as well as to the means by which spatial
relationships can be depicted with specific tools and techniques. Thus, the history of cartography reflects
human history—exploration, political change, and wars as well as technological change from designing maps
on bark to creating cartographic displays with computers.
Cartography is the process of map making and is another subject area that Leonardo da Vinci undertook and
mastered! Leonardo understood the power of colour to cartography. He was one of the first artists to use
colour for strategic mapping.
AN EXAMPLE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S CARTOGRAPHIC WORK!
Map of Tuscany and the Chiana Valley.
Year : 1502. Leonardo was aged 50 at the time. Black chalk, pen, ink and colour on paper, 338 x 488 mm. Royal
Library, Windsor. Source : http://www.wga.hu/art/l/leonardo/13maps/2tuscany.jpg
This general map of Tuscany and the Chiana Valley probably dates from the time when Leonardo was in the
service of Cesare Borgia. It is presumably a strategic map produced for Borgia, for the place and river names
have been recorded carefully. It may also have been produced in connection with Leonardo's plans to build a
canal from Florence to the sea. Damming Lake Chiana was meant to guarantee a sufficient water supply for
the canal, even during the dry season.
New technologies such as satellite imagery, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning
Systems (GPS) have enabled the modern day cartographer to map the world we live in like never before.
Let’s go and explore some more…..
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
(4 marks)
Through history, towns, villages and cities may grow or may shrink, even disappear under the sands of time,
such as the many cities of Troy of ancient times. Below are two satellite images of Tucson, Arizona: Landsat
satellite photographs.
Compare both images and then answer questions (a), (b) and (c) below;
Left
Right
Source: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/22/article-2177202-1429E511000005DC-565_968x471.jpg
Please tick the correct solution;
a)
If Tucson is a growing city, which images has been taken earlier (there is a 26 year time difference
between these two images 1984-2011) and would clearly indicate that the town has grown?
□ Left
□ Right
□ It is not possible to make that judgement from these images.
b)
On the left-hand image there is more blue colour appearing than in the right-hand image. The blue
would indicate?
□
□
□
□
Body of water or a water coarse
Urban development
Vegetation
Not enough information available from the images
c)
Ignoring the urban development in the two images, the left-hand image appears a lighter green colour.
Suggest two possible reasons for the change in the general overall shades of green between the two
images.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
(3 marks)
The images were all taken by a fleet of Earth-observing satellites that form part of the 'Landsat' program.
Jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the initiative has been consistently
gathering data about our planet since 23 July, 1972. This location is found somewhere in Brazil.
Left
Right
Source:
PUBLISHED: 22 July 2012 By Phil Vinter. Daily Mail.
Compare the two satellite images of Brazil.
Tick the correct solution.
1. The bright blue structure in the top left corner is most likely?
□
□
□
□
A road
A valley
A river
A highway
2. The dark structure found close to the centre of the image is most likely?
□
□
□
□
A town
A mountain range
A dammed reservoir
A mud plain
3. The white structures would most likely be?
□ Roads to towns in a growing economy
□ Rivers formed after flooding
□ Cleared vegetation
The word ‘Cartography’ comes from the Greek language. What is the literal translation of this term?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
(6 marks)
The maps, one reason for the heavy losses at the ANZAC Cove Landing 1915.
Source: http://galeri3.uludagsozluk.com/168/canakkale-savasi_247728.jpg
A number of Gallipoli historians have commented on the inadequacy of the maps given to British and
ANZAC commanders, which were intended to assist them in directing operations. These maps, all
similar, were based on earlier Ottoman maps obtained pre-war. The intelligence gained about the
Ottoman force’s disposition in the Anzac sector was overwritten on them. Knowledge of the enemy’s
positions and strengths was generally not the problem except, importantly, in the case of MacLagan’s
understanding from maps that had been overwritten with mistaken information about a force of 700
Ottoman troops in a camp to the north east of Kaba Tepe—a possible explanation for his belief that an
attack from that direction on his Covering Force was imminent and for his decision to divert the 2nd
Brigade to that area.
However, it is the missing features of the terrain, the smallness of scale, mistakes in contours, and
other missing information that made life difficult for the commanders. Generally these maps did not
show anywhere near sufficient detail to be of real use and were seriously inaccurate. For example, on
the ANZAC maps no indication was given of the existence of the Razor Edge, which joins Plugge’s
Plateau to Russell’s Top and a major obstacle. This feature makes Plugge’s effectively a dead–end,
something not discovered until the covering force was gathering and re-forming on Plugge’s. Bean also
mentions one map error that slowed the initial advance from the beach.
Other inaccuracies included essential factors such as problematic scales and distances between
features. Some historians have dismissed these shortcomings as being trivial and the maps being of
sufficient use when daylight came. It needs to be stated though that much of the crucial decisions of
direction, especially by officers gathering disparate groups of men together, had to be made early and
were made in the dark or poor light. Maps are difficult enough to use in those conditions, let alone if
they are inaccurate.
Source : Harvey Broadbent's article on ABC Unleashed; Gallipoli: one great deception?
The Allies hopefully learnt from their mistakes and, as
evident from the map on the next page. The Battle
Messines, which was a ‘stunning success’ in regards to its
military objectives. It removed the German salient south of
Ypres and paved the way for the main offensive to
commence on 31 July 1917. However, the two Australian
Divisions that fought in it suffered nearly 6800 casualties.
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
Battle of Messines - Belgium
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Battle_of_Messines_-_planning_map_%28cropped%29.jpg
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
This is a map of the ANZAC 2nd Corp plan for the battle and there are a number of features that can be
identified. It is clear that detail is not lacking. However, for the allied commanders this map was problematic.
Answer the following questions;
1. Through reading the information given on page 5 and by a review of the battle map on page 6 list
four reasons why these types of maps were problematic to allied commanders.
a. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2.
There are many coloured lines drawn on this map. Identify what these two key line colours
represent.
Black Line
__________________________________
Green Line
__________________________________
(2 marks)
If you were asked to make the map on page 6 more user-friendly what two changes would you make to
the map and why?
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
2. ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
(7 marks)
a. With reference to the diagrams of Antarctica below list the three continents closest to Antarctica
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
In the last 150 years, the North Pole has wandered a total of about 1102 kilometres. Similar changes have
been detected at the South Pole.
North Magnetic Pole Moving Due to Core Flux
by Richard A. Lovett
Blue lines show Earth's northern magnetic field
and the magnetic north pole in an artist's rendering.
Picture courtesy Stefan Maus, NOAA NGDC
b. Explain the difference between Magnetic South Pole and Geographic South Pole
________________________________________________________________________________________
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
(5 marks)
Deserts of Australia
Map Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IBRA_6_Deserts_legend.png
Name the Deserts of Australia, from the map above, that are numbered 1 to 5.
Question
1
Answer
2
3
4
5
9
Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
In Cartography what do the acronyms GPS and GIS stand for?
GPS:___________________________________________________________________________________
GIS:____________________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
(20 marks)
:
Island of the World
Using the World Map on page 11, name the islands that are found at these coordinates;
Question
Coordinates
1
00° N 102° E
2
69° N 72° W
3
36° N 138° E
4
49° 30′ N 125° 30′ W
5
1° N 114° E
6
21°30′ N 80°00′ W
7
23°46′ N 121°0′ E
8
40° 00′ N
9
20° 00′ S 47° 00′ E
10
19° 34′ N 155° 30′ W
11
35° 00′ N 33° 00′ E
12
51° 42′ S
13
35° 50′ S 137° 15′ E
14
20° 10′ S
15
27° 58′ N 15° 36′ W
16
17° 40′ S 149° 25′ W
Answer
9° 00′ E
57° 51′ W
57° 31′ E
10
Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
17
18° 15′ N 77° 30′ W
18
0° 22′ S
19
35° 13′ N 24° 55′ E
20
33° 45′ N
91° 33′ W
133° 30′ E
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
World Map
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Tasks developed Wayne Inwood & Richard Crighton, Knox Grammar School and John Mirosevich, Wesley College Perth -2013
(10 marks)
Creating cartographical gems
You won’t find any of these terrific, one-of-a-kind maps in any travel guidebooks. Many of these charming
cartographical gems are created by professional artists or illustrators, but some of the most engaging
maps are the creations of passionate amateur artists and cartographers just like you.
In this task you are to create your own cartographical gem map of Australia.
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