CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Buck, P.L.
Date : 2009.
Title : Snapshots of change: Applying GIS to a chronology of historic charts of the St. Mary's River, Ontario and Michigan.
Publication : Prairie Perspectives. Geographical Essays. Edited by: Dion Wiseman and Daniel Olsen. Department of Geography, Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba.
Issue : 12:
Page(s) : 1-22.
Abstract
Separating Ontario and Michigan, the St. Mary's River is a key historic and geographic feature that has been represented on more than 400 years of cartography, particularly because of the long reach of rapids that impedes navigation at Sault Ste. Marie. Beginning in the 191 century various users altered the river to aid navigation. Changes in the levels of regional geographic knowledge can be assessed from a variety of historical map 'snapshots' and through the application of GIS software. In particular, nineteenth century navigation charts are suitable for recreating snapshots of the bathymetry and for creating interpolated models of the St. Marys River channel. This article situates GIS analysis within a progression of maps of the St. Mar'ys River noting a shift from terrae semicognitae knowledge to terrae cognitae knowledge, and to data visualization. The article concludes that GIS provides a useful tool for ----the assessment of historical mappings and contributes to the progression of spatial knowledge and channel change of the St. Mary's River.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology