Nominal Choropleth Maps

A nominal choropleth map is a choropleth map of a geographical area that shows areas that can be represented by different names for example.  A map of the United States showing state boundaries and assigning different colors to each state is an example of this.http://www.factmonster.com/states.html

Correlation Matrix

A correlation matrix or correlation table shows the correlation between two variables as a numerical value rather than shades of color.  http://www.psychstat.missouristate.edu/multibook/mlt06m.html

Similarity Matrices

Similarity matrices show the relative similarity between two things.  This similarity matrix shows the similarities between genes.  The same list of genes is across the x and the y axis of the graph.  The relative similarity is shown by the lightness or darkness of the color that corresponds to two different genes on the graph.  The location that corresponds to the same gene is shown as a white box with a black line through it.http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/8/353/figure/F5?highres=y

Stem and Leaf Plots

A stem and leaf plot shows a set of classes such as ages split up into decades and then to the right of each class or "age" would be each individual separated into their age class.  This stem and leaf plot would show the ages of 24 different people.  To the left of the diagram is their age class.  The "2" for example represents all individuals who's age begins with 2.  To the right of the diagram is a lit of these individuals from 22 through 29.http://academic.kellogg.edu/secristb/Math%20130%20Online/Course%20Notes/Session_3_Notes.htm

Box Plots

Box plots are graphical representation that show numerical values of different classes and separate values for individual classes into a minimum value of the set up to the lower quartile, median, upper quartile, maximum and then show the upper and lower outlying values or "outliers".  http://www.lohninger.com/boxplot.html

Histograms

A histogram is simply a graphical representation of data as bars across an x-axis and different values of each class is represented by it's length up the y-axis.  This histogram shows the grades on an exam divided into ranges and assigned colors and their value is equal to the corresponding location along the y-axis.http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/histogram

Star Plot

A star plot is a graphical tool used to show the relativity of many different variables.  This star plot shows the "amounts" of each of the seven variables for the five different classes.  One line representing one class shows a value of the variable relative to it's distance from the center of the "star".http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MER_Star_Plot.gif

Triangular Plot

A triangular plot is a graph that represents 3 variables.  This triangular plot shows percentages of people who voted either liberal, conservative or the labour vote in the UK.  A given point on the plot represents the percentages of all three to a total of 100% in an area.http://www.ex-parrot.com/~chris/wwwitter/20050407-it_doesnt_matter_how_you_vote_either_way_your_planet_is_doomed.html

Windrose

A windrose is a graphical depiction of wind speed and wind direction at a certain point.  http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/meteorology/Windrosehome.html

Climographs

A climograph shows the average rainfall overlapped by the average temperature in an area over a certain period of time.  This climograph shows the temperature and rainfall lin Quebec over the period of one year divided into months.http://geography.ridley.on.ca/CGC1D/Students/Quebec2/Geo./Climographs.htm

Population Profiles

A population profile or population pyramid (depending on the shape) is a graph showing a countries population divided into age classes and sexes.  These population pyramids show the populations in 1975 and 2005 in a city in Japan.  http://www.i-pal.or.jp/profile/data/population-pyramid.html

Scatterplot

A scatterplot is a graph plotted on an xy scale depicting two variable such as the response and explanatory variables of this map.  A single dot represents a value of each of the two.http://www.netmba.com/statistics/plot/scatter/

Index Value Plot

An index value plot shows values above and below the "index value" on a line graph.  These are similar to bilateral graphs but only represent one variable.http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?m=real&r=nc&w=real,plot

Lorenz Curve

A Lorenz Curve is a graph representing a distribution of wealth.  This is a basic instructional lorenz curve graph.http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Lorenz_curve/

Bilateral Graphs

A bilateral graph shows a trend line above an below a "zero" value.  This map of humanitarian assistance given by selected countries shows a positive or negative value of their "assistance" relative to a value such as the previous year.http://herringlisamapcataloge.blogspot.com/

Unclassed Choropleth Maps

Unclassed choropleth maps do not necessarily separate data into classes but instead use shading to so a range of the selected value.  This map shows the populations of counties in Ohio scaled from white to dark red.http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc99/proceed/papers/pap171/p171.htm

Classed Choropleth Maps

A classed choropleth map specifically uses different colors to represent a different value or class.  This map shows four different classes which are a range of the number of men per 100 females in the United States.http://my.ilstu.edu/~jrcarter/Geo204/Choro/

Range Graded Proportional Circle Maps

Range Graded Proportional Circle maps are similar to the continuous variable maps but instead have a few different sized circles representing a selected value or a range of the variable.  This map shows the populations of areas in Canada with a key showing which population a circle represents.http://worldofmaps101.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Continuously Variable Proportional Circle Maps

Continuously variable proportional circle maps are a type or proportional circle maps that use circles of different sizes to show relative values of an area.  This old map of France shows different values represented by larger and smaller circles and also gives the different areas additional values represented by a percentage of the circle.https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog486/l5_p5.html

DOQQ

DOQQ images or maps are aerial photographs, usually infrared or black and white, that depict spatially accurate landforms.  This image is an infrared aerial photo of an area in Louisiana.  http://www.geomart.com/products/geodata/doqq/index.htm

DEM

DEM or Digital Elevation Models are digital images of areas using shading or colors to show relief or elevation.  This Digital Elevation Model shows the landscape or an area in Arizona.http://www.superstition-sar.org/maps.htm

DLG

DLG or digital line graphs are maps derived from scanned USGS topographic an planimetric maps.  This DLG image shows an area in Illinois.  http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-471/domier/index.html

DRG Maps

DRG or digital raster graphic maps is a scanned image of a USGS topographic map.  This map shows a section of a USGS topographic map of an area in Chicago.http://www.forestpal.com/DRGs.html

Isopleth Maps

Isopleth maps are maps using isolines or contour lines to represent areas of an equal value as a 3rd dimension to a map.  This map shows different average temperatures in areas of Kazakhstan.http://lewishistoricalsociety.com/blog/?m=200910

Isopach Maps

An isopach map is a type of isoline map that uses contour lines to represent lines of equal thickness of strata.  This map shows the thickness of limestone in an area of Pennsylvania.http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/districts/cmdp/Chap08-2.html

Isohyet Maps

An isohyet map is another type of isoline map that uses contours to represents lines of equal precipitation.  http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0808/S00090.htm

Isotach Maps

Isotach maps are another type of isoline map that uses contours to show areas of equal wind speeds.  This map shows wind speeds and directions over the United States.http://jasonahsenmacher.wordpress.com/

Isobaric Maps

Isobaric maps, like other isoline maps uses contour lines to show areas of equal value.  Isobar maps specifically show lines of equal air pressure known as "isobars".  This is a simple isobaric map showing air pressure over the United States.http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/yos/resource/JetStream/synoptic/ll_analyze_slp_soln.htm

LIDAR

LIDAR or light detection and ranging uses sensitive high energy wavelengths of light such as UV to gather information.  This image produced with LIDAR shows the heights of buildings in Manhattan.http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s798.htm

Doppler Radar

Doppler radar gathers information by emitting microwave radiation in 360 degress from a point.  The reflection of these microwaves back to the source can carry a lot of information about the target such as density and movement.  This image shows information collected using doppler radar about the density of water in the atmosphere over the southeast United States.http://www.paulsweatherportfolio.net/page12/page23/page31/page31.html

Black and White Aerial Photography

Black and white aerial photography is pretty self-explanatory.  Unlike infrared photography, black and white photography captures visible light but replaces the visible color values with shades of black and white.  This is a black and white photo of an intersection in Baltimore.http://www.math.toronto.edu/~drorbn/Gallery/KnottedObjects/Interchange/

Infrared Aerial Photography

Infrared aerial photographs are images taken by devices that capture infrared radiation given off my a source such as the Earth's Surface.  This infrared photograph shows a section of the Mississippi river.http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/aquatic/deep_channels.html

Statistical Maps

Statistical maps can fall under many other categories of maps but their main purpose is to represent quantified data such as amounts of rainfall or population.  This map shows the amount of people in northern Africa and surrounding countries that have internet access.http://www.arabdev.org/map

Cartograms

A cartogram is a thematic map that distorts land area or distance to show a scale or relative values.  This cartogram shows the population of different countries across the world.  India for example with a much larger population that the United States so in this map the land area of India is swollen to double the size of the U.S.  Russia, usually giant in comparison to other continents and countries is now barely visible.http://rs.resalliance.org/2006/03/26/more-cartograms-population-gdp-more/

Flow Maps

A flow map or flow diagram shows the interconnectedness of locations and the "flow" of something between them.  This flow map shows the flow of telephone traffic between countries in Europe and surrounding countries.  Larger lines represent a larger amount of time spent communicating between the areas.http://www.mundi.net/maps/maps_014/

Isoline Maps

An isoline map uses contours to show locations of equal value such as a topographic map but can show many other phenomena such as rainfall, air pressure or rock densities.  This isoline map shows areas of different air pressure over the United States.http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Education/wxmap/wxmap.php

Proportional Circle Maps

Proportional circle maps may be considered similar to dot distribution buts but instead of using small dots and their density to represent values a proportional circle maps uses larger and smaller circles to represent relative values.  This map shows the number of Wal-Mart locations in the US states.http://personal.frostburg.edu/sbriggs0/maps.htm

Choropleth Maps

A choropleth map is a thematic map that not only uses colors to represent different things but also uses shades of colors to represent a scale such as of population or mortality rates, etc.  This map shows the relative percentages of the population of florida who are hispanic.  Each county is given a percentage.http://my.ilstu.edu/~jrcarter/Geo204/Choro/Tom/

Dot Distribution Map

A dot distribution map uses dots to show the density of a selected feature in neighboring areas.  For example this map shows the location of people across New Jersey.  Each dot represents 500 people.http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/new_jersey/where_do_they_live_and_what_do_they_do.htm

Propaganda Maps

A propaganda map as one would expect is a map that is used to influence the viewer.  This map in particular shows Germany's attempt to influence people by showing a map of Germany that also included surrounding German speaking areas intended to inflate the size and power of the "German Nation".http://www.prussianpoland.com/third_reich_propaganda.html

Hypsometric Map

A Hypsometric map is a topographic map that shows differences in elevation with the use of different colors and shading.  This map shows an area in Goiania including land and submarine elevation.http://www.earthexplorer.com/2009-03/Subsurface_Geology_Challenges_Goiania_Metro.asp

PLSS Map

A PLSS map or Public Land Survey System map shows land in the United States that has been subdivided into smaller and smaller areas (townships, sections, etc).  This map shows the county of Flathead in Montana divided up into townships.  http://flathead.mt.gov/gis/plss.php

Cadastral Map

A cadastral map shows information about property information such as boundaries and ownership.  This cadastral map shows just this.  The green and white areas could mean this is also a thematic map and the lack of vertical information means it is a planimetric map as well.http://www.lagrosterie.com/3.html

Thematic Map

Thematic maps show areas with like qualities using bright colors for example to differentiate between different areas.  The themes of this maps can be extremely varied from politics to locations of religious adherents to different levels of soil moisture in the United States which is what this map shows.http://soils.usda.gov/use/thematic/moist_regimes.html

Topographic Map

A topographic map's main purpose is to display the topography or relief of an area.  These maps are most often seen with contour lines showing equal elevation across the map along individual contours.  This map in particular shows the elevation of a steep landform and the surrounding area that has a much more gradual slope. http://mail.colonial.net/~hkaiter/topographic_maps.html

Planimetric Map

A planimetric map shows horizontal information of a selected area and vertical information is not typically a part of these maps. This map shows roads and landmarks in Vancouver, Washington but lacks any vertical information. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/fova/clr/clr2-5c.htm

Mental Map

A mental map is an image drawn from a person's perception of the world around them and is usually drawn from memory.  This is example of a mental map shows an individuals idea of what a section of their city appears to them.