Isotachs

http://jasonahsenmacher.wordpress.com/

Isotachs are lines showing areas of equal wind speed. the map above is showing wind speeds across the united states.

Isobars

http://www.mv.k12.wa.us/science/integrated/athena/curric/weather/hsweathr/isobar.html

Isobars are used to show areas of equal pressure. This is useful in meteorology for predicting storm paths and different seasonal fronts.

Index Value Plot

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=89998

An index plot works like a line graph, except the values represented are indexed. Stock market graphs often show indexed values to compare their growths to previous rates, but still factor in a change in currency inflation.

DLG-Digital Line Graph

http://www.mapcruzin.com/free-geodata-shapefiles/usgs-geospatial-data-geodata-geographic-download.htm

Digital line graphs are a tool to show topographical information, and uses vectors to present data. DLG images are less memory intensive than digitizing an aerial image, and is equally, if not more effective, at drawing attention to geographic features.

DOQQ

http://www.crwr.utexas.edu/gis/gishydro00/Class/trmproj/Donnelly/termproject.htm

DOQQ, or digital orthoquarter quad, is an image that has been georectified to show the accurate placement of land features. The image above is a flood insurance rate DOQQ

Unclassed Choropleth Maps

http://www.esds.ac.uk/international/support/user_guides/gisoverview.asp

Unclassed choropleth maps are like other choropleth maps, using shades of color to represent data correlation. Instead of having variable ranges split into groups, like a classed choropleth map, there are as many intervals as there are areal spaces.

Continuously Variable Proportional Circle Map

http://geographyfieldwork.com/DataPresentationMappingTechniques.htm

Continuously variable proportional circle maps are useful in the same way regular proportional circle maps are, except that the former can present several different variables. Notice the example map above, the size of the circle indicates a high concentration of all variables, but sizes of the particular sections of each circle also indicate the concentration of the individual variables.

Histograms

http://openhighschoolcourses.org/mod/book/view.php?id=206&chapterid=352

Histograms are a type of graph used to show the distribution of a data set. The histogram above shows twenty individuals and their number of hours slept each night. It is easy to see very quickly from the graph that the most popular number of hours slept was 7. It is also easy to see that the same number of people sleep 8, 9, and 10 hours. Histograms are quick and efficient ways of presenting data distribution.

Star Plots

http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Assessment-tools-resources/Alignment-of-assessment-tools-with-National-Standards/Reading/Observation-Survey

Star plots are a way of presenting multivariate data, usually containing five or more variables. The correlation between each attribute is drawn from the center towards the variable label. Stronger correlations reach farther away from the center. Above is a star plot of showing scripts judged and rated poorly. Contestant scripts are shown with different colors. Below is a star plot showing a few highly rated scripts.

Windrose

http://www.enviroware.com/windrose-pro-for-airports-runway-design/

A windrose is usually used in meteorology to show the direction the wind is blowing from over a prolonged period of time. The example windrose above shows a high windspeed from the north west, and almost no wind from the north east or south west.

Parallel Coordinate Graphs

http://hci.stanford.edu/jheer/files/zoo/

Parallel coordinate graphs are a way of interpreting many sets of data and their correlation to each other. The graph is interpreted based on the pattern of lines produced. Computer software is essential to produce these types of graphs.

Triangular Plot

http://geographyfieldwork.com/DataPresentationTriangularGraphs.htm

Triangular plots are useful for representing exactly three variables. The points on the plot show specific compositions of the three variables combined. An easy example to think of would be soil type consisting of sand, silt, and clay. Different ratios of each soil type may drastically alter the composition of the final combination.

Accumulative Line Graph

http://vlab-resi.tamu.edu/simseg/overview/demog.htm

Accumulative line graphs are also known as Lorenz curves, named after Max O Lorenz, who used the model to show wealth inequality. The black straight line is the line of equality, or line of equal wealth distribution. The graph above has wealth separated based on race. Like any Lorenz curve, the graph shows a high percentage of wealth among a few individuals, and a low percentage of wealth among many individuals.

Nominal Area Choropleth Maps

http://krygier.owu.edu/krygier_html/geog_222/geog_222_lo/geog_222_lo04.html

Like other choropleth maps, nominal area choropleth maps use a range of colors or shades to show a range of data values. In a nominal area choropleth map, nominal data is shown, which is pretty explanatory of itself. Above, the choropleth map shows collegiate basketball players with darker areas showing higher numbers of players.

DRG-Digital Raster Graphics

http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs08801.html

Digital raster graphics are useful tools for locating geographic features. A topographic raster image is georectified to known longitudinal and latitudinal points or features, thus giving an accurate overhead image. The image above is a DRG of the Patomac River and a section of Washington D.C. that surrounds it.

Unstandardized Choropleth Maps

http://andrewhomaps.blogspot.com/2011/04/unstandardized-choropleth-map.html

Unstandardized choropleth maps present data in its raw form, without averaging into percentages or decimals. The example map shows unemployment levels in 2008 with raw number values, indicating a higher level of unemployment in the western states as well as in states like Michigan and Ohio.

Standardized Choropleth Maps

http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/3/1/18/figure/F6?highres=y

When a choropleth map is standardized, its data values have been areally averaged. This presents the data as a rate, percentage, decimal, etc. A single color is used to show the range of, in the example above, Bayesian smoothed prevalences in Lower Saxony.

Cartographic Animations

http://www.mthurricane.com/Hurricane_Charley.htm

Catrographic animations are most recognizable from the fields of meteorology. Cartographic animations simply show a change in a variable over a period of time. This is done by showing images of progressing data, such as a storm moving from an ocean onto a land surface.

Hypsometric Map

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/509439

Hypsometric maps are used to show altitude. Instead of using contour lines, which is common when dealing with vertical data, altitude is shown with a change in color. In the example map above, the dark colors show the areas of lowest altitude, while the warm colors show higher regions.

Cadastral Maps

http://www.irlandeses.org/sanpedrophoto.htm

Cadastral maps show land and property ownership. They may be used both for residential areas, or urban areas with business buildings. Above, a cadastral map shows plots of land with the land owner's name written in the middle.