What Does a Cartographer Do?

A cartographer, a person who uses aerial photographs and data surveys to collect information about the geography of an area, is a member of a bigger career group called mapping scientists. Cartographers use collected data to create charts, maps, and pictures of large sections of the world’s surface geography. There are many sub-groups within the larger field of cartography. For example, supervisors in this field coordinate the processes involved in making maps and drafters give specifics on structures. Additionally, photogrammetrists create scaled maps that represent aerial photos and mosaicists collect and arrange photographs in specific sequences. A geographic information specialist uses Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, that contain computerized data, and enable the combining of mapmaking and surveying. Interpreting photos and drawings, and creating new representations of them is an important element of cartography. Some cartographers focus on creating new maps, while others ...  more

A cartographer studies and makes maps. From road maps to maps that show elevations, land use, and vegetation, cartographers have the skill to represent reality on paper to help map readers visualize a piece of Earth. Cartographers, who once gathered information on foot and used paper and pencil, have gone high tech. They now use satellites and other remote sensing devices to collect data from outside the area of visible light or beyond the five senses. As New Jersey cartographer John Trunkwalter says, "I get to play with a lot of specialized--and fun--tools." Images instantly appear on a computer, making the mapping process fast and precise. "I got into this profession because something about it resonated with my interests in geology, geography, and maps," Trunkwalter says. "The work I do involves people, technology, problems, and solutions.

A cartographer studies and makes maps. From road maps to maps that show elevations, land use, and vegetation, cartographers have the skill to represent reality on paper to help map readers visualize a piece of Earth. Cartographers, who once gathered information on foot and used paper and pencil, // Setup structure to be passed thru to javascript var googleAdSense = new Object(); googleAdSense.adsByGoogleText = "Ads By Google"; googleAdSense.componentID = 1876630; googleAdSense.config = [{"LINK":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_url"},"TITLE":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_title"},"DESCRIPTION":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_desc"},"CONTAINER":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_one_ad"},"TITLELINK":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"bd_googad"},"LISTTITLE":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"google_ads_by"}},{"LINK":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_url"},"TITLE":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_title"},"DESCRIPTION":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_desc"},"CONTAINER":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"goog_two_ads"},"TITLELINK":{"STYLE":"","CLASS":"bd_googad"},"LISTTITLE":{" ...  more