A Fractal Analysis of Cartographic Generalization

Many researchers have become intrigued with the concept of fractional dimensionality (fractals). Studies have been published using fractals to quantify aspects of natural environments. Some of these studies have used maps or map products as data sources. It is far from clear however, that maps are accurate sources for fractal measurements. Cartographic generalization is an inexact science controlled by many criteria, many of which are not related to fractals. Two separate experiments were performed to determine the propriety of using map data for fractal measurements. Both tests indicate that cartographic generalization does not produce lines that are statistically similar, therefore, extrapolations from measurements of map data to natural environments are unwise.