MasterMaps

My research paper, Using KML for Thematic Mapping , is now available for download ( PDF, 2.3 MB ). This is the first part of my MSc GIS thesis from University of Edinburgh . The second part of my thesis, describing the Thematic Mapping Engine , is already available on this page . The thesis was awarded with distinction and an invitation to Googleplex . This is a short summary: Why use KML for thematic mapping? The purpose of this paper is to examine how KML, Keyhole Markup Language , can be used for thematic mapping. A thematic map displays the spatial pattern of a social or physical phenomenon, such as population density, life expectancy or climate change. Thematic mapping has a long history in cartography, but the new geobrowsers tend to have a stronger focus on detailed satellite imagery and general-reference maps than on more abstract data sources. "From the perspective of the social sciences, the focus on content that is visible from above is problematic, gi...

Back in May I was waiting for a geobrowser capable of showing KML in different projections. Inspired by a great blog series by Richard Marsden ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 & 7 !), I've done some experiments with OpenLayers and Proj4js . Proj4js is a JavaScript library that provides methods for coordinates transformation between map projections and longitude/latitude. OpenLayers integrates with Proj4js , and by combining these libraries your able to project KML in pure JavaScript. No server side dependencies! This example shows a KML document from the Thematic Mapping Engine in three different projections ( Mollweide , Sinusoidal and Equal Area Cylindrical ). The KML document contains borders, but these are not extracted and displayed by OpenLayers. OpenLayers and Proj4js rocks! :-)