NASA Develops Geological (Hadeological?) Map for Pluto

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Pluto's Geography Gets Tentative Names

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I kind of have mixed feelings about this. 

Louisiana Only has a Holey Sock, no Boot

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An Updated Global Areological Map of Mars

The digital global geologic map of Mars: Chronostratigraphic ages, topographic and crater morphologic characteristics, and updated resurfacing history

Authors:

Tanaka et al

Abstract:

A new global geologic map of Mars has been completed in a digital, geographic information system (GIS) format using geospatially controlled altimetry and image data sets. The map reconstructs the geologic history of Mars, which includes many new findings collated in the quarter century since the previous, Viking-based global maps were published, as well as other discoveries that were made during the course of the mapping using new data sets. The technical approach enabled consistent and regulated mapping that is appropriate not only for the map's 1:20,000,000 scale but also for its widespread use by diverse audiences. Each geologic unit outcrop includes basic attributes regarding identity, location, area, crater densities, and chronostratigraphic age. In turn, units are grouped by geographic and lithologic types, which provide synoptic global views of material ages and resurfacing character for the Noachian, Hesperian, and Amazonian periods. As a consequence of more precise and better quality topographic and morphologic data and more complete crater-density dating, our statistical comparisons identify significant refinements for how Martian geologic terrains are characterized. Unit groups show trends in mean elevation and slope that relate to geographic occurrence and geologic origin. In comparison with the previous global geologic map series based on Viking data, the new mapping consists of half the number of units due to simpler, more conservative and globally based approaches to discriminating units. In particular, Noachian highland surfaces overall have high percentages of their areas now dated as an epoch older than in the Viking mapping. Minimally eroded (i.e., pristine) impact craters ≥3 km in diameter occur in greater proportion on Hesperian surfaces. This observation contrasts with a deficit of similarly sized craters on heavily cratered and otherwise degraded Noachian terrain as well as on young Amazonian surfaces. We interpret these as reflecting the relatively stronger, lava-rich, yet less-impacted materials making up much of the younger units. Reconstructions of resurfacing of Mars by its eight geologic epochs using the Hartmann and Neukum chronology models indicate high rates of highland resurfacing during the Noachian (peaking at 0.3 km2/yr during the Middle Noachian), modest rates of volcanism and transition zone and lowland resurfacing during the Hesperian (∼0.1 km2/yr), and low rates of mainly volcanic and polar resurfacing (∼0.01 km2/yr) for most of the Amazonian. Apparent resurfacing increased in the Late Amazonian (∼0.03 km2/yr), perhaps due to better preservation of this latest record.

Portolan Chart Source now Thought to be Classical in Nature, not Medieval

Portolan charts, it was always assumed, were compiled by medieval European mapmakers from contemporary sources. A Dutch doctoral dissertation now disproves this: these nautical charts are impossibly accurate, not just for medieval Europe, also for other likely sources, the Byzantines and the Arabs. So who made them – and when?

Mystery has always shrouded the sudden emergence, seemingly ex nihilo, of portolan charts. The oldest known example emerged in Pisa around 1290, without any obvious antecedents. This Carta Pisana kickstarted a tradition of amazingly accurate sea charts almost up to modern standards, although as with most other portolans, that accuracy was mainly limited to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

A typical portolan chart showed coastal contours and the location of harbours and ports, ignoring virtually all inland features. It would be criss-crossed by straight lines, connecting opposite shores by any of the 32 directions of the mariner's compass, thus facilitating navigation.

After popping up in Italy, portolans became coveted possessions in the seafaring nations of Spain and Portugal, where they ranked as state secrets.

Little or nothing is known of their origins and production, so the working hypothesis among cartographic historians was that portolans were somehow gathered together from the knowledge of medieval European sailors, possibly enhanced with older knowledge from Byzantine or Arab sources.

That hypothesis has now been disproven by Roelof Nicolai, a Dutch geodetic scientist who on 3 March obtained his doctorate degree from Utrecht University for a dissertation titled A Critical Review of the Hypothesis of a Medieval Origin for Portolan Charts.

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Map of Columbia the Supercontinent

Some more info.

Interactive Census Dot Map

A map of where all the people are in the US and Canada.

The Geography of the XenoPermian

The XenoPermian Period is a fictitious, alternate geological period that takes place because we hand wave away the Permian Extinction. The assumed point of departure is that the Permian Extinction never takes place. The reason for this is that the Siberian Traps are defused and their eruptions happen over a much longer period of time. This has knock-on effects. One of them being that the world's geography is different...

No, I am not the artist. Scott is.

Just wait until the unveiling of Raven's Walrodont. Wow. Along with the suminid...they're stunning.

Comments?

Carbon Biomass Maps of Tropical Forests

Snowball Earth & Alternate Maps

State and Country Visit Update

Mine

visited 16 states (32%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or try another Douwe Osinga project

visited 7 states (3.11%)
Create your own visited map of The World or try another Douwe Osinga project

Then there's Lyuda's world travels:

visited 12 states (5.33%)

Killer Zones of the Continental US