Week 6 Lab

The average map on-looker has no idea that maps come in various projections, each of which offers its own advantage. Most would never question how a flat map could represent curvaceous objects like our planet Earth. In this sense, maps are very versatile and can serve many different purposes. This project reveals the different advantages, and disadvantages thereof, that a map can offer. This becomes much more apparent when comparing the distance between DC and Kabul that each map projects. This exercise required us to include two maps that are conformal, two that are equidistant and two that are of equal area. Each serves its own purpose.

Conformal maps, by definition, preserve the angles between the curves that the map is oriented about. This is said to produce more accurate shapes and angles on the local scale. However, it does not necessarily maintain equal area nor equal distance. Of the 6 map projections, the Mercator and Gall Stereographic are the two exclusively conformal maps. Despite the accurate representation of angles, these conformal maps distort both distance and area. However, a map like the Robinson projection map is neither equal area nor conformal, which is said to bring about a better view of the entire world. In conclusion, there is no perfect projection.

The advantage of Equidistant maps is fairly obvious; the distances from the center of the projection to any other place on the map are uniform in all directions. This is important when the spatial analysis of a map requires accurate distance readings. An example of this would be the range of missile attack that a country is capable of. Wouldn’t you want to know if your country was within range? The Equidistant Cylindrical and Equidistant Conic projections are the two equidistant maps. Even though they produced two different distances for DC to Kabul, the distance from the center should still be uniform in all directions.

Lastly, Equal area maps are advantageous when area is of analytical importance. For example, if one were to compare the amount of fertile soil two different countries have, equal area maps would produce the most accurate results. The Bonne and Cylindrical equal area maps are the two that maintain equal area. Despite their distortions in shape, they produce accurate representations of area. In conclusion, each map distorts some features while keeping others much more accurate. Choosing the appropriate projection is a matter of what feature is important to you.