| Course on Maps & Graphs | Cartography Working Group | The Virtual Geography Department |
Required Reading
About Map Projections
In this module the student will assess various map projections for their main properties, and from there, select map projections appropriate for specified land areas and map types or themes. Since computers and software are now available for producing map projections, the emphasis in studying map projections has shifted away from construction and towards selection. Map projections tends to be difficult to understand and the student must spend careful time critically reading and evaluating materials on projections. It is important to remember that map projections are selected based upon the land area being shown and the map type or theme. Selection of an inappropriate map projection can render a map useless. Projection selection involves chosing a good projection, then determining appropriate properties, again according to the area shown and the map type or theme.
Techniques for Studying Map Projections
1. Read through the material in the textbook, on the poster, and the on-line Introduction to Map Projections. Notice the table on the projections poster. It provides useful information on map projection selection by land area and map type or theme. You should also review the introductory materials on theGeographer's Craft site on Map Projections.
2. Pay particular attention to any class demonstrations or videos that provide visual explanation of distortions as a result of various map projections.
3. Become very familiar with map projection properties, including projection family, aspect, tangency or case, perspective, central meridian and the mathematical relationships (conformal, equal area, etc.). These properties, when carefully selected, can result in a map projection with the minimum of distortion for the land area mapped and the specific map type or theme. Place less emphasis on memorizing the names of all the projections that exist.
4. Discuss map projection properties and projection selection with classmates.
5. Be sure to refer to all information sources while doing the exercise. Once complete, you should have an excellent grasp of projection properties and their application to projection selection.
What to Turn In
Submit the on-line forms for the exercise, Parts 1-3. Be sure to fill in the information requested on the form and press the submit button at the bottom of the form. Note that the form script is instructed to append answers each time you submit them for a given exercise, thus, if you don't finish in one session, submit what you have done and continue next time where you left off, again submitting what you have done. If you do not submit your answers, they will not be saved. The form clears itself each time you close.
Return to: Student Instructions above
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Created 6/5/97 by Laurie A. B. Garo. Last updated 9/20/00 by lg. The URL for this page is http://www.uncc.edu/lagaro/cwg/mapproj/student.html