Week Six Lab Assignment

           

          Different map projections serve different purposes and each one cannot be perfect in every regard. Some projections are meant to be accurate in only some ways and therefore useful in only certain circumstances. However, when projections are very accurate in some areas, they tend to be inaccurate in others. But this does not mean that they are not useful. Geographers and other people that use maps frequently will use projections that best suit their needs. Map projections are not perfect but very useful.

            Map projections are significant for a number of reasons. First of all and most importantly, having a variety of projections to choose from means that you can have more accurate data, depending on what you are studying or trying to accomplish. For example, conformal maps preserve angles and direction, so they would be useful for navigation. Sailors would much rather use a Mercator projection than a map that does not preserve angles, like a Bonne equal area projection. Having a variety of projections means that people can be more accurate with data in the areas that they are interested in.

            Being very accurate in one respect means sacrificing accuracy in others, and that is exactly the case with map projections and is one of their perils. For example, an equidistant cylindrical projection will not preserve area at all, and an equal area projection like the Goode Homolonsie Projection will not preserve direction well. Each map has its trade-offs. Another issue with map projections is that areas are greatly distorted, which is simply the result of rendering the three-dimensional Earth onto a two-dimensional surface. When looking at a projection like the Plate Carree projection, it is clear that all the land towards the poles are greatly stretched and the areas near the equator are not. The only projection that I used that had the least distortion was the Stereographic projection. Every map projection has a purpose and a strong point, but each one also has its own flaws.

            As mentioned earlier, map projections have great significance as well as having a lot of potential. They allow for people to choose which projection best suits their needs so that they may have more accurate data. Sailors are able to navigate easier with conformal maps, distances are more accurate with equidistant projections, and area is represented more accurately with equal area projections. The possibilities in GIS are almost infinite when people choose the map projections that are best for what they are investigating.