Every projection has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Map projections used by the us geological survey usgs. The stereographic map projection is conformal but not. Zoom in and out with the buttons or use your mouse or touchpad natively. For larger scale maps, including topographic quadrangles and the state base map series, conformal projections such as the transverse mercator and the lambert conformal conic are used. It was not until the early 16th century that the first world maps began to appear, gerardus mercator from belgium was the leading cartographer of the mid16th century. Elements of map projection with applications to map and chart construction by deetz, charles henry, 1864. Although there has been no dearth of valuable books describing a wide range of map projec tions, an album of map projections is the. Feb 21, 2011 an overview of different map projections.
In cartography, a map projection is a way to flatten a globes surface into a plane in order to make a map. The importance of map projections by sarah lyle on prezi. The developments of greek geography during this time, notably by eratosthenes and posidonius culminated in the roman era, with ptolemys world map 2nd century ce. Short history on map projections request pdf researchgate. This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for. A medieval depiction of the ecumene 1482, johannes schnitzer, engraver, constructed after the coordinates in ptolemy s geography and using his second map projection a map projection is any method of representing the surface of a sphere or other. Rhumb linea rhumb line is a line on the surface of the earth cutting all meridians at the same. We provide a complete step by step picture of land use changes that have taken place from the mid19th century onwards, from os county series, os town plans and postwar national grid mapping to unique russian maps of uk target locations from the coldwar. At 10 foot square, this map or planisphere is the largest known early map of the world. Every map projection has its own advantages and disadvantages, as it is impossible to project a 3d surface onto a 2d surface without distorting the image in some fashion. This process is typically, but not necessarily, a mathematical procedure some methods are graphically based.
Unlike conic projections, the meridian is not constrained to be a straight line. This requires a systematic transformation of the latitudes and longitudes of locations from the surface of the globe into locations on a plane. Draping the scanned image of the original yosemite map over modern digital elevation model maps gives the old map a new look and immediacy. Summary of projected epsg geodetic parameters coordinate. Zenithal projections also known as azimuthal projections are a class of projections in which the surface of projection is a plane. This technique works to more or less fit the countries of the globe on a twodimensional piece of paper, and is great for ocean navigation.
A babylonian world map, known as the imago mundi, is commonly dated to the 6th century bce. Circumference of lines of latitude getting smaller, maps width staying constant. However, the oldest known maps are preserved on babylonian clay tablets from about 2300 b. An album of map projections should enable read ers to sharpen and in some cases to correct their knowledge of the distances, directions, and relative areas of the world. A map projection is used to portray all or part of the round earth on a flat. Planar projections are also called azimuthal because every planar projection preserves the property of azimuthality, directions azimuths from one or two points to all other points on the map. Map projectiona map projection is a systematic representation of a round body such as the earth or a flat plane surface. The term projection here refers to any function defined on the earths surface and with values on the plane, and not necessarily a geometric projection. Pdf world map from a different perspective, placing the american continent in the center. The stereographic map projection is another ancient projection, dating back to the second century b. Under projections of the world youll see a projection type labeled robinson. You can further adjust the search by zooming in and out. Apr 25, 2017 map projection is a systematic transformation of longitudes and latitudes of locations on the surface of an ellipsoid or a sphere into locations in a plane. Map projection concerns the science of mathematical cartography, the techniques by which the earths dimensions, shape and features are translated in map form, be that twodimensional paper or two or three dimensional electronic representations.
Exercise in map projections university of texas at austin. The stereographic map projection is most useful for maps of polar regions for navigation purposes or large continentsized areas of similar extent in all directions. Circumference of lines of latitude getting smaller, map s width staying constant. The topographic map remains an indispensable tool for everyday use in government, science, industry. In addition, the problem of the state map projection selection, which is. Map projection is a systematic transformation of longitudes and latitudes of locations on the surface of an ellipsoid or a sphere into locations in a plane. If the graticule of latitude and longitude are projected onto the cylinder and the cylinder unwrapped, then a gridlike pattern of straight lines of latitude and longitude would result. Please also check our more detailed, editable america. The gnomonic projection is thought to be the oldest map projection, developed by thales in the 6th century bc. Proponents of the peters projection map claim that their map is an accurate, fair, and unbiased depiction of the world when comparing theirs to the almostdefunct mercator map, which features enlarged depictions of eurocentric countries and continents. Figure1a explains the construction of the gnomonic azimuthal projection by depicting light rays from the light. Some of the oldest map projections date back to about 650 bce. The mapmaker must select the one best suited to the needs, reducing distortion of the most important. For celestial maps the equidistant projection was used from the earliest times.
Map projections a map projection is used to portray all or part of the round earth on a flat surface. Humans have been sketching maps for millennia, but claudius ptolemy was the first to use math and geometry to develop a manual for how to map the planet using a. Sep 11, 2015 a gnomonic map projection displays all great circles as straight lines, resulting in any line segment on a gnomonic map showing a geodesic, the shortest route between the segments two endpoints. R tobler university of michigan, ann arbor abstract. Conic map projections normal aspect conic projection is a map projection in which meridians are mapped as straight lines intersecting in one point at the angles proportional to the difference between corresponding longitudes of the meridians and parallels are mapped as arcs of concentric circles with the centre in the meridian intersection. This booklet provides a conceptual introduction to map projections and geographic reference systems. After decades of using only one map projection, the polyconic, for its mapping program, the u. Lecture 2 map projections and gis coordinate systems. Type the place name in the search box to find the exact location. The projected graticule shown above is the result of an azimuthal equidistant projection in its normal polar aspect. Jan 02, 2018 the use of mercator projection on the piri reis map could possibly be explained by his use of greek maps in the creation of his drawing, but there was no explanation for the inclusion of antarctica without the ice cap. On the development of map projections article pdf available in kartografija i geoinformacije 67 spec. Apr 25, 2017 pseudoconic projection is one of the oldest map types and although they were used by ptolemy, they are seldom seen today.
This coordinate system is listed for historical reasons. Geological survey usgs now uses several of the more common projections for its published maps. This is a summary of map projections that have articles of their own on wikipedia or that are. Our research center is built around five broad science themes. However, the peters projection must be evaluated separately from its scientific accuracy. The native coordinate system is such that the polar axis is orthogonal to the plane of projection, whence the meridians are projected as equispaced rays emanating from a central point, and the parallels are mapped as concentric. A map projection is any of many methods used in cartography mapmaking to represent the twodimensional curved surface of the earth or other body on a plane. This map projection shows greenland as the same size as argentina, and not as the size of all of south america. Given a cylindrical projection, the x scale must increase away from equator. The shape of the earth and the geodetic datum concept are covered on pages 46. The gnomonic projection is thought to be the oldest map projection, developed by thales in the 6th century bc the robinson projection was adopted by national geographic magazine in 1988 but abandoned by them in about 1997 for the winkel tripel.
These maps are defined by the cone constant, which dictates the angular distance between meridians. It is the most suitable projec tion for them, because the stars revolve in circular orbits. The mercator map projection is one of the most well known cylindrical map projections. A map projection is used to portray all or part of the round earth on a flat surface. Map projections distortions projection refers to the notion of shining light through the earth surface and projecting latitudes, longitudes and geographic features onto a developable surface. The light source metaphor revisitedbringing an old. Commonly, a map projection is a systematic transformation of the latitudes and longitudes of locations on the surface of a sphere or an ellipsoid into locations on a plane.
First, start arcmap and begin a new map, and try adding the file, after you have added one with a know projection, or the one you want to all others to match. First of all, cartography is shortly presented as a discipline dealing with foundation, production, promotion and studying of maps. Fieldgenius technical notes gps coordinate systems definition of a datum a datum is a reference coordinate system which is defined by an origin, orientation and is physically tied to the surface of the earth with control stations. A cylindrical projection can be imagined in its simplest form as a cylinder that has been wrapped around a globe at the equator. Depending on the purpose of the map, some distortions are acceptable and others are not. Mercator map enthusiasts defend the ease of navigation of their map. Largest early world map david rumsey map collection. Map maps and geography in the ancient world britannica. The florence bascom geoscience center fbgc is at the leading edge of scientific research addressing critical societal issues and providing unbiased data and information to decision makers and the public. Map projections map, department of the interior, u.
The gnomonic projection is said to be the oldest map projection, developed by thales in the 6th century bc. Apr 25, 2017 the map resorts to mathematics to curtail three major types of distortion area, direction, and distance and hence the german term for triple, tripel, is in the name. This map, found in southern iraq in a city called sippar, shows a small bit of the known world as the babylonians knew it centuries ago. A map projection is a systematic transformation of the latitudes and longitudes of positions on the surface of the earth to a.
The postulated map projection will be defined by a mathematical relation of the form. The map as reconstructed by eckhard unger shows babylon on the euphrates, surrounded by a circular landmass showing assyria, urartu and several cities, in turn surrounded by a bitter river, with eight outlying regions nagu arranged around it in the shape of triangles, so as to form a star. The gnomonic projection is not equal area or equidistant. Oldmaps is the uks most comprehensive historical map archive comprising site centred historical maps covering england, wales and scotland. This means different y scales in different parts of the map what is the xscale factor. Map projections map projections are mathematical formulas used to transfer shapes from an oval surface the earth surface more accurately, a model of it onto a flat surface. Secondly, conic map projections include the equidistant conic projection, the lambert conformal conic, and albers conic. The need for a new projection is discussed and new projection systems for ireland proposed. The beginning of the book contains substantial introductory information about map projection families and distortions.
In cartography, a map projection is a way to flatten a globes surface into a plane in order to. Professor hapgood and his students theorized that the piri reis map had to have been based on information older than 4,000 bce. This projection maintains direction from the center point. A sound knowledge of map projections and grids requires an understanding of the mathematical nature of projections and the size and shape of the earth, since in our context.
Old maps have been part of human history for thousands of years, and are said to date back as early as 16,500 b. The path of the shadowtip or lightspot in a nodusbased sundial traces out the same hyperbolae formed by parallels on a gnomonic map. In this map we used a vertical exaggeration factor of 1. An extraordinary 60 sheet manuscript world map made in 1587 by urbano monte has been added to the david rumsey map collection at stanford university. Fieldgenius technical notes gps coordinate systems.
Jan 22, 2011 the usgs has posted a scanned file of john p. Click ok in the two open windows and youll see the view transformed to appear in a robinson projection, which is a relatively new style of map projection for the earth designed to present the whole earth with a minimum of distortion at any location. Datums will have an associated reference ellipsoid which closely approximates the shape of the earths geoid. Estimates of the map projection employed for an ancient map is a prerequisite for a variety of other studies. Since the mass of the earth is not uniform at all points, and the direction of gravity changes, the. Pseudoconic projection is one of the oldest map types and although they were used by ptolemy, they are seldom seen today. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to.
Armed forces military maps show the earth drawn to scale as you would see it from above the military uses the universal transverse mercator utm and the universal polar stereographic ups grid system. Osi osni new map projections for ireland consultation paper version 4. Click here and draw a rectangle over the map to precisely define the search area. The oldest known world map is the babylonian map of the world known as the imago mundi. The simulated depth of the 3d terrain model complements the beautiful hachuring of the 1883 map.
Understanding map projections landing page for kartoweb. Welcome to old maps online, the easytouse gateway to historical maps. Using this relation calculate the map projection coordinates of all of the points identified by latitude and longitude. Manual by lev bugayevskiy and john snyder, ball state. Because there is no limit to the number of possible map projections, there can be no comprehensive list. All projections of a sphere on a plane necessarily distort the surface in some way and to some extent.
It is perpendicular to the direction of gravity pull. The history of geographical map projections until 1600 taylor. Map projectionspdf versions of numerous projections. These two properties increase as you move away from the center point. The geoid is defined as the surface of the earths gravity field, which is approximately the same as mean sea level.
The need for a working manual of this type has led to an uneroectedly early exhausting of. Scale distortions on map projections map projections without distortions would represent the correct distance, direction, shapes, and areas on a map. The map youre used to seeing pinned on classroom walls and in atlases is known as a mercator projection, and was first presented by the flemish geographer gerardus mercator back in 1569. Oldmaps the online repository of historic maps home page.
The historical origin of the oblique mercator projection d. In the process of projection the earth is represented by a model an ellipsoid. This consultation paper follows a new coordinate system for ireland, preliminary user information, and is intended to provide additional details and technical data on the proposed change of map projection. Pdf in this paper, we introduce some known map projections from a model of the earth to a flat sheet of paper or map and derive the plotting equations. The example shown above is the polyconic projection, where parallels are all nonconcentric circular arcs, except for a straight equator, and the centers of these circles lie along a central axis. The earliest specimens thus far discovered that are indisputably portrayals of land features are the babylonian tablets previously mentioned. This is one of the oldest map projections used today. The orthographic map projection is one of the oldest. Please also check our more detailed, fully editable world map. Examples of pseudoconic projections include bonne, which is an equalarea map projection. Since the earth is roughly the shape of an oblate spheroid, map projections are necessary for creating maps of the earth or parts of the earth that are represented on a plane such as a piece of paper or a computer screen. The earliest known world maps date to classical antiquity, the oldest examples of the 6th to 5th centuries bce still based on the flat earth paradigm.
Maps and map reading are essential skills that all of the armed forces need. Since the mass of the earth is not uniform at all points, and the direction of gravity changes, the shape of the geoid is irregular. All map projections distort the surface in some fashion. In 2009, usgs began the release of a new generation of topographic maps us topo in electronic form, and in 2011, complemented them with the release of highresolution scans of more than 178,000 historical topographic maps of the united states. Request pdf short history on map projections map projections appeared more than two millennia ago, when ancient greek scientists started applying. In doing so, it can be determined that the peters map is not as powerful of a representation of the world as. The maps are not constrained to rectangles or discs. Map projections are introduced on pages 1012, and pages. This bizarre world map is so crazily accurate, it actually.
The central focus of this book is on the theory of map projections. The preliminary evaluation presented here has yielded empirical equations for the hereford map and illustrated the. This is a summary of map projections that have articles of their own on wikipedia or that are otherwise notable. Some map projections preserve none of the properties described above, but instead seek a compromise that minimizes distortion of all kinds. Each map projection has specific properties that make it useful for specific purposes. Although the projection procedure inevitably introduces systematic spatial distortions, particular types of distortion can be minimized to suit the geographic scope and intended use of the map data. These instructions will show you how to find historical maps online. World maps assuming a spherical earth first appear in the hellenistic period. However, the grid coordinate obtained is dependent on the ellipsoid and projection. Page 79 discuss map scale and the basics of coordinate systems. A map projection is a geometric function that transforms the earths curved, ellipsoidal surface onto a flat, 2dimensional plane.
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