Frozen Stiff: Cartographic Design and Permafrost Mapping

Maps are the primary vehicle used to communicate geographical relationships. Ironically, interest in the formal practice of cartography, the art and science of geographic visualization, has fallen significantly during a period when the sophistication and availability of GIS software has increased dramatically. Although the number of geographically oriented permafrost studies has increased significantly in recent years, little discussion about competing visualization strategies, map accuracy, and the psychophysical impact of cartographic design is evident in geocryological literature. Failure to use the full potential of the tools and techniques that contemporary cartographic and spatial-analytic theory makes possible affects our ability to effectively and accurately communicate the impacts and hazards associated with thawing permafrost, particularly in the context of global climate change. This presentation examines recent permafrost studies involving primarily small-scale (large area) mapping, and suggests cartographic strategies for rectifying existing problems.