WHAT ARE THE MAIN INSTRUMENTS OF GEOGRAPHY? - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The instruments of geography vary in relation to the type of study that the geographer conducts. Given the wide number of sub-disciplines that emanate from geography, both the collection and processing and interpretation of the data varies for each case.

For example, the tools for representing terrain, boundaries, and properties of an area are known as maps.

But to obtain this information, geographers use other additional instruments to measure distance, altitude, pressure or any other information that wants to be described.

The main instruments of geography

Maps

Being geography the science in charge of studying and describing the Earth, naturally one of its instruments are maps.

Cartography is the discipline in charge of making graphic representations of the Earth and its characteristics, and it is an essential tool for geography.

Maps can represent one or more things at once, such as the political division of territories, terrain topographic data, sea or wind currents, altitude, and many other things.

Measuring tools

The collection of information on the environment, characteristics of an ecosystem or meteorological conditions, is traditionally collected using dedicated instruments for each measurement.

Whether analog or digital, barometers, thermometers and rain gauges are still used to measure the pressure, temperature and amount of rainfall in an area. This is useful information for geographers, especially for environmental studies.

In the same way, seismographs allow measurements on movements in tectonic layers.

These data are useful not only to keep a record of telluric activity but also to make projections in the event of possible tremors that serve to create protection and evacuation plans.

Navigation instruments

For hundreds of years the compass was used as an essential instrument for navigation (not necessarily maritime).

The compass, always pointing north, provided a constant reference point on which to plan routes.

But the north was just a reference and someone who knew the routes and knew how to interpret the map was needed.

The Satellite Positioning System (GPS) solved many of the difficulties by using several objects as a reference at the same time to give information about a location in a much more precise way.

By using information from 2 or 3 satellites at the same time in conjunction with the compass, a location can be accurately known up to 7 meters.

Astrolabe

The astrolabe was used by astronomers and navigators to measure position by day or night. It can be used to identify stars or planets, to determine the local latitude given the local time (and vice versa), to study or to triangulate.

Geographic information systems (GIS) are a set of tools that integrate software and hardware to store and manipulate maps and geographic data, such as precipitation, population density, topography and relief models, among others.

Because it is a computer system, the information is updated with certain periodicity, making paper studies obsolete.

By allowing several layers of information to be combined, maps can be obtained that represent, for example, the amount of rain that falls in areas with high vehicular traffic or how winds and atmospheric pressure affect agricultural areas at certain elevations.

Densimeter or aerometer

It is an instrument that measures the specific gravity (relative density) of liquids: the relationship between the density of the liquid and the density of water.

Anemometer

It is a meteorological device used to measure wind speed and thus help in predicting the weather.

References

1. Wikipedia - Geography en.wikipedia.org
2. Wikipedia - Geographic information system en.wikipedia.org
3. Geography Tools cuadernosdegeografia.blogspot.com
4. BBC Bitesize - GCSE Geography bbc.co.uk
5. ArcGIS - Work Smarter With ArcGIS esri.com
6. SAGA GIS - What is SAGA saga-gis.org
7. NeoTeo - Tools for Geographers neoteo.com
8. Tools and instruments in Geography rincondelosgeografos.blogspot.com