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Concept of Map Projection

The document discusses different types of map projections and how they transform features on the spherical Earth onto a two-dimensional surface. It notes that no projection can preserve all properties of area, angles, distance, and direction simultaneously. The document also covers coordinate systems, different projection families and their distortion patterns, examples of specific projections like Transverse Mercator and Robinson, and concepts of georeferencing spatial data.

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Saurabh Suman
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144 views25 pages

Concept of Map Projection

The document discusses different types of map projections and how they transform features on the spherical Earth onto a two-dimensional surface. It notes that no projection can preserve all properties of area, angles, distance, and direction simultaneously. The document also covers coordinate systems, different projection families and their distortion patterns, examples of specific projections like Transverse Mercator and Robinson, and concepts of georeferencing spatial data.

Uploaded by

Saurabh Suman
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Concept of Map Projection

Presented by

Reza Wahadj
University of California ,San Diego (UCSD)
Map Projection
A map projection is a set of rules for transforming features from the
three-dimensional earth onto a two-dimensional display. No flat
representation of the earth can be completely accurate, so many
different projections have been developed, each suited to a
particular purpose. Map projections differ in the way they handle
four properties:

Area, Angles, Distance and Direction.

Rules:

1. No projection can preserve all four simultaneously, although some combinations


can be preserved, such as Area and Direction

2. No projection can preserve both Area and Angles, however. The map-maker
must decide which property is most important and choose a projection based on
that.

Learn more: http://mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/MapProjections/projections.html


Projections and Coordinates
■ There are many reasons for wanting to project
the Earth’s surface onto a plane, rather than
deal with the curved surface
■ The paper used to output GIS maps is flat
■ Flat maps are scanned and digitized to create GIS
databases
■ Rasters are flat, it’s impossible to create a raster on
a curved surface
■ The Earth has to be projected to see all of it at once
■ It’s much easier to measure distance on a plane
Coordinate Systems
■ Spatial data are referenced to locations on the earth’s
surface using coordinate systems
■ Ensure all map layers share a common coordinate system

■ Recognized global coordinate systems consist of:


■ A Spheroid: a mathematical description of the earth’s shape
■ A Map Projection: a mathematical conversion from spherical
to planar coordinates
Map Projection
Different View

Normal or Polar Oblique Transverse or


Equatorial
Different View

Transverse or
Normal or Polar Oblique Equatorial
Different family

azimuthal cylindrical conic


Projection different family

azimuthal cylindrical conic


Distortion patterns
Direction of Distortion
Transverse Mercator

■ Projection properties
■ Conformal cylindrical
■ Rhumb lines not projected as straight lines
■ Transverse -- standard line is a meridian
■ Projection uses
■ Topographic maps (USGS)
■ As a base for the UTM coordinate system
■ As a base for state plane coordinates

conformal equal area direction distance


Universal Transverse
Mercator (UTM)
■ Projection properties
■ All Transverse properties
■ Standard line is a meridian
■ 60 zone divided
■ Projection uses
■ World Map

conformal equal area direction distance


Azimuthal Equidistant

Projection properties
• Distances are correct outward from center
• Possible to show the entire sphere
Projection uses
• Sea and air navigation planning
• Distance from a specified location to all
others

conformal equal area direction distance


Robinson

Uses tabular coordinates rather than mathematical formulas


to make the world "look right."
Directions true along all parallels and along central meridian
Distances constant along Equator and other parallels

Projection properties
• Compromise
Projection uses
• World atlas maps

conformal equal area direction distance


Georeferencing
■ Is essential in GIS, since all information must
be linked to the Earth’s surface
■ The method of georeferencing must be:
■ Unique, linking information to exactly one location
■ Shared, so different users understand the
meaning of a georeference
■ Persistent through time, so today’s georeferences
are still meaningful tomorrow
Georeferences as Measurements
■ Some georeferences are metric
■ They define location using measures of distance
from fixed places
■ E.g., distance from the Equator or from the Greenwich
Meridian
■ Others are based on ordering
■ E.g. street addresses in most parts of the world
order houses along streets
■ Others are only nominal
■ Placenames do not involve ordering or measuring
Placenames
■ The earliest form of georeferencing
■ And the most commonly used in everyday activities
■ Many names of geographic features are universally
recognized
■ Others may be understood only by locals
■ Names work at many different scales
■ From continents to small villages and neighborhoods
■ Names may pass out of use in time
ZIP code boundaries are a convenient way to
summarize data in the US. The dots on the left
have been summarized as a density per square
mile on the right
Linear Referencing
■ A system for
georeferencing positions
on a road, street, rail, or
river network
■ Combines the name of
the link with an offset
distance along the link
from a fixed point, most
often an intersection
Users of Linear Referencing
■ Transportation authorities
■ To keep track of pavement quality, signs,
traffic conditions on roads
■ Police
■ To record the locations of accidents
Converting Georeferences
■ GIS applications often require conversion of
projections and ellipsoids
■ These are standard functions in popular GIS packages
■ Street addresses must be converted to coordinates
for mapping and analysis
■ Using geocoding functions
■ Placenames can be converted to coordinates using
gazetteers

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