Out Standing in the Field

I feel a compulsive need to grab a pen and color in alternate quadrangles to make a checkerboard. Will try not to doodle on my homework before I hand it in.

Here are my versions of various ways to represent the earth: sphere, ellipsoid, geoid, and natural surface.

This is a picture of me "out standing in the field" on the Big Island of Hawai'i. I was on a lava flow on the slopes of Mauna Loa as part of an archaeological project. We were looking for caves used as hunting shelters. You can see Mauna Kea in the distance.

I've included three links on the sidebar that you might find helpful:

1) US National Atlas. This is a great site for GIS data on a wide range of subjects as well as printable maps and data documentation. I use it a lot to get outlines for states/counties/etc. when I'm doing choropleth maps.

2) USGS Vegetation Mapping. This site provides really practical guidance on how to collect field data for classifying and mapping vegetation. It contains the standards used by USGS as well as the National Park Service.

3) Field Gear. This is a link to Forestry Suppliers, Inc. They're a good place to shop for all those things that "normal" people don't need but geographers want for Christmas. You can send Santa the catalog numbers for Michigan parallax wedges, map cases, GPS add-ons, etc.