Map projection. (Geoskills).What does the Earth really look like? The maps on these pages show three different drawings of the world. Why are these maps so different from each other? It's a question of perspective, or viewpoint. It is impossible to show the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map with complete accuracy. For centuries, cartographers Cartography is the study of map making and cartographers are map makers. Before 1400
Here are three commonly used map projections: * Robinson: This is the projection most used in textbooks. It shows the size of landmasses fairly accurately and without too much shape distortion. However, Northern Hemisphere landmasses appear somewhat too large, while Southern Hemisphere landmasses are too small. * Mollweide (muhl-VIDE-uh): This is an equal-area projection Noun 1. equal-area projection - a map projection in which quadrilaterals formed by meridians and parallels have an area on the map proportional to their area on the globe equal-area map projection , which means the sizes of the continents are shown in correct relationship to each other. However, the shapes of the land areas are distorted. In this projection, the prime meridian prime meridian, meridian that is designated zero degree (0°) longitude, from which all other longitudes are measured. By international convention, it passes through the original site of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England; for this reason, it is sometimes is a straight line, but all other lines of longitude longitude (lŏn`jĭt  d'), angular distance on the earth's surface measured along any latitude line such as the equator east or west of the prime meridian. are curved. All lines of latitude latitude, angular distance of any point on the surface of the earth north or south of the equator. The equator is latitude 0°, and the North Pole and South Pole are latitudes 90°N and 90°S, respectively. are straight lines, but these parallels are not equally spaced on the globe. * Mercator: In use since the 1500s, the Mercator projection is popular with sailors SAILORS. Seamen, mariners. Vide Mariners; Seamen; Shipping Articles. . They like it because it shows longitude and latitude as straight lines that follow compass points. This projection shows landmasses in their correct shape, but it distorts their size. The farther a landmass land·mass n. A large unbroken area of land. landmass Noun a large continuous area of land landmass is from the equator, the more distorted its size. Antarctica, for example, appears much larger on Mercator projections than it should.. Study the three map projections, and then answer the questions. QUESTIONS 1. What do all map projections have in common? __________ 2. Which projection shows all lines of latitude and longitude latitude and longitude Coordinate system by which the position or location of any place on the Earth's surface can be determined and described. Latitude is a measurement of location north or south of the Equator. as straight lines? __________ 3. In which projection do all lines of longitude meet at the poles? __________ 4. Which projection is most commonly used in textbooks? __________ 5. The Mollweide map is an equal-area projection. What does this mean? __________ 6. In the Robinson projection The Robinson projection is a map projection used for geographic maps. Overview Presented by Dr. Arthur H. Robinson in 1963, it is classified as a pseudo-cylindrical projection by reason of its straight parallels, along each of which the meridians are spaced evenly. , landmasses in which hemisphere appear larger than they actually are? __________ 7. In the Mercator projection, what happens to landmasses that are far from the equator? __________ 8. Africa is about the same distance from east to west as it is from north to south. Which projection shows this most accurately? __________ 9. Mexico is larger in area than Alaska. Which projection shows this most accurately? __________ 10. Australia is about three and a half times larger than Greenland. On which projection is Greenland shown as being larger than Australia? __________ GeoSkills questions 1. They all distort the size and shape of land areas. 2. Mercator 3. Mollweide 4. Robinson 5. The sizes of the continents are shown in correct relationship to each other. 6. The Northern Hemisphere 7. Their size is distorted. 8. Mercator 9. Mollweide 10. Mercator |
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