ONLINE REFERENCE ATLASES:

Visit one of the following atlases.  As you explore the site, look for concrete examples of:
1) In what ways does the online atlas improve upon conventional paper atlases?

2) To what extent does the atlas mirror the organization of a conventional paper atlas?

The examples:

Arctic Environmental Atlas. http://vitalgraphics.grida.no/arcticmap/
Atlas of California Online. http://www.humboldt.edu/~cga/calatlas/index.html
Atlas du Quebec et des ses Regions. http://www.atlasduquebec.qc.ca
Atlas van Nederland. http://avn.geog.uu.nl
Lonely Planet Destinations. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/
National Atlas of Canada Online.  http://atlas.gc.ca/
National Atlas of the United States.  http://www.nationalatlas.gov/
National Cancer Institute, Atlas of Cancer Mortality in the United States, 1950-1994, http://www.nci.nih.gov/atlas/mortality.html
National Atlas of Sweden.  http://www.sna.se/webatlas/index.html
NOAA Observing Systems Architecture, http://map.ngdc.noaa.gov/website/nosa/viewer.htm


LOOKING FOR MAPS IN THE MEDIA

Given these developments in online mapping, the question remains as to how much impact they are having on the use of maps more generally.   Are they simply interesting inventions, or are they being put to use to help people answer real-world questions?  One way to gauge this use informally is to look at how maps are being used in online newspapers, news channels, and news magazines. 

Visit one of the following sites, or other major news provider.  Can you find examples of map servers or interactive maps?

CNN, http://cnn.com/
The Economist, http://www.economist.com/
Fox News Channel, http://www.foxnews.com/
MSNBC, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/
Time Magazine, http://www.time.com/time/
Last revised 2009.11.15.  KEF.