MAP PROJECTION
Garima Karnatak
Dept. of Environment Science
M.Sc. 1 SEMESTER
DSB Campus, Nainital
INTRODUCTION
MAP PROJECTION:
The method of representing the Earth’s
curved surface on a flat map.
RELEVANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE:
Critical for ecosystem monitoring ,land use
planning, and environmental
management.
MAP
PROJECTION
• A transformation of the spherical or
ellipsoid earth onto a flat map is
called map projection.
• The map projection can be onto a
flat surface or a surface that can be
made flat by cutting, such as a
cylinder or a cone.
• If the globe, after scaling, cuts the
surface, the projection is called
secant.
• Lines where the cuts take place or
where the surface touches the globe
have no projection distortion.
Advantages of map projection
• Globes are hard to store and use for practical demonstration
purpose.
• Globes are not able to show the whole world at once, at equal
visual range.
• Projection can be optimized to minimize distortion specific to
region.
• Computer screen are flat, Projection can be useful in visualizing
entire earth on screen.
• Protected map can be used for thematic mapping.
CLASSIFICATION OF MAP
PROJECTION
Based on method of construction
Perspective
Non-Perspective
Based on developable surface
Conical
Azimuthal
Cylindrical
BASED ON THE METHOD OF
CONSTRUCTION
Perspective
Perspective projections can be drawn taking help of a light
source by projecting the image of a network of parallels &
meridians of a Globe on a developable surface.
Non-Perspective
Non-perspective projections are developed without the help of
source of light or casting a shadow on surfaces.
Mathematical or conventional projection
They can be derived by mathematical computation, & formulae
and have little relations with the projected image.
Based on the developable
surface used
CONIC PROJECTION:
• Placed over the earth so it touches midway between the
equator and the pole.
• Best for mapping mid – latitude regions.
CYLINDRICAL PROJECTION:
• Wrapped around the earth so that it touches the equator .
• Suited for equatorial regions
• Mercator projection is common.
AZIMUTHAL PROJECTION:
• Touches the earth at the pole.
• Used for polar areas or circular areas around a point.
Conical Projections
• Earth intersects the
cone on one circle –
Tangent case
• Earth intersects the
cone on two small
circles – secant case
• Points where cone
touches earth has no
distortion
• Examples: lambert
conformal conic
Cylindrical Projections
• Earth intersects the cylinder
on one circle – Tangent case
• Earth intersects the cylinder
on two small circle – Secant
case
• Points where cylinder touches
earth has no distortion
• Projection can be based on
axis parallel to the earth
rotation axis [equatorial], at
90 degrees to it
[ transverse], or at any other
angle [oblique]
Azimuthal Projections
• Earth intersects the
plane on a small circle
• In this, the direction
from a given central
point to any other point
is shown correctly
• Projections are used for
aeronautical charts and
other maps where
directional relationships
are important
MAP SCALE
• Scale is defined as the ratio of the distance on a map to
the corresponding distance on the surface
• The distance is indicated by the scale
• The scale shows the proportion that the distance
between two points on the map bear to the distance
between the same two points on the ground
• For ex: 1 cm on the map represents to 1 km on the
ground
DISTORTION IN MAP PROJECTION
1 2
No projection is perfect No flat map can be perfect
which could preserve all equivalent and conformal.
map properties Most fall between the two
This property is known as as compromises.
map distortion
Map Property preservation
1.Shape : conformal projection
2.Area : equivalent and equal area
3.Distance : equidistant
4.Direction : Azimuthal
COMMONLY USED
PROJECTIONS
MERCATOR PROJECTION:
Useful for navigation but distorts polar areas.
LAMBERT CONFORMAL CONIC:
Often used for regional environmental
analysis.
UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE
MERCATOR(UTM):
Divides the world into zones; commonly used
for detailed land and environmental studies.
APPLICATIONS IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
ECOSYSTEM MAPPING: Using projections and surveying data to
map forests, water bodies, and habitats.
LAND USE ANALYSIS: Assessing terrain, soil, and vegetation for
sustainable development.
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING: Tracking
environmental changes such as deforestation, pollution, and land
degradation.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT: Mapping vulnerable areas for floods,
landslides, and forest fires to plan mitigation strategies.
CONCLUSION
Accurate map projection and surveying are crucial in
environmental science for understanding spatial data and
managing natural resource.
KEY TAKEWAYS:
Understanding map projections is crucial for accurate
representation of the Earth.
Map projection, are essential tools for representing the earth’s 3-d
surface on a 2-d plane.
The choice of projection and surveying method depends on the
purpose and the region being mapped.
THANK YOU
