THE LAND OF LANS: MAPPING IN THE INFORMATION AGE

Established in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) still stands as the national mapmaking authority. A number of steps in the mapmaking procedure still require a manual process but, increasingly, USGS is relying on computer-aided design to create and maintain its maps. Creating a new map takes a minimum of two years, by which time it's almost certain there will be changes to the map. USGS cartographers update maps by taking new aerial photos and revising them where changes have occurred. If there are extensive changes, then a new map is created. To speed up this process, USGS is now installing LAN (local area network) systems that will link its workstations with the agency's mainframe and minicomputers. Once tied together, the LAN system will also link cartographers' workstations with the color electrostatic plotting systems. The CalComp plotters are among the first devices to be hooked up with the LAN.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1606878
• Corporate Authors:

  Public Works Journal Corporation

  200 South Broad Street
  Ridgewood, NJ  United States  07451
• Publication Date: 1990-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 68
• Serial:
  • Public Works
  • Volume: 121
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Hanley Wood
  • ISSN: 0033-3840
  • Serial URL: http://www.pwmag.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer aided design; Data plotters; Local area networks; Mapping
• Identifier Terms: United States Geological Survey
• Old TRIS Terms: Local area network systems
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00493645
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1990 12:00AM