A cartographer is a member of the larger career group of mapping scientists, who collect information about the geography of an area using aerial photographs and data surveys. Cartographers create charts, maps, and images of large sections of the world’s surface geography using data collected from various sources. Within the larger field of cartography, there are numerous sub-groups.
Supervisors in this field, for example, coordinate the processes involved in creating maps, while drafters provide details on structures. Mosaicists collect and arrange photographs in specific sequences, while photogrammetrists create scaled maps that represent aerial photos. A geographic information specialist works with Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, which store computerized data and allow mapmaking and surveying to be combined.
Cartography requires the interpretation of photographs and drawings as well as the creation of new representations. Some cartographers specialize in the creation of new maps, while others work on the revision of existing ones. Stereoplotting, mathematical formulas, computerized drafting tools, and photogrammetric skills are all necessary for a cartographer to accomplish this. They may also be in charge of examining the politics and culture of a particular region. City plans, street atlases, country maps, navigation maps and charts, and weather maps are just some of the projects that cartographers work on.
Many cartographers are interested in using a Geographic Information System (GIS), which combines hardware, software, and data. A cartographer can use a GIS to capture, manage, analyze, and display information about geography combining these elements. Cartographers can access information from the GIS in three ways: through a database of geographical data, map views, and model views. A cartographer can map changes and patterns, answer geographic questions, map densities, and locate geographic features combining these views.
A cartographer may be responsible for studying the most current mapmaking techniques, particularly the use of these new technologies, rather than simply creating and revising maps. A GIS specialist, for example, is another career option in the larger field of cartography. Depending on current projects and employment opportunities, the scope of responsibility in this field can be very broad or very narrow. Cartographers must be experts in a variety of subjects, including math, science, technology, current events, and design, in order to meet the demands of the job.
A Bachelor of Science in cartography is a standard degree for this field, though it is not always required. A cartographer may have a degree in engineering, geography, forestry, or surveying in addition to a degree in cartography. In addition, most states require a surveyor’s license. Cartographers sometimes start out as technicians, learning the trade through experience rather than formal education.