More from Google (Terrain!)

Google has recently added a new terrain feature to their widely used online mapping application. In the "pre-digital age" terrains and relief shading were painted or drawn after years of surveying the landscape with manual instruments. For great examples of this type of work look to Swiss cartographer Eduard Imof as well as many others.

Eduard Imhof

"Karte der Gegend um den Walensee" (section) by E. Imhof 1:10,000, 1938."

Nowadays terrain like Google's are generated digitally from Digital Elevation Models. Overal it's a great addition to an already impressive product. It's interesting to toggle between the satellite imagery and the terrain. In many cases the terrain allows you to visualize the landscape much better than the photograph. Example below: