Basic Concepts: Projections

Mohd. Farooq Azam

farooqazam@iiti.ac.in
Projections

Ellipsoid (lat, long) Planer Coordinates (ft,km)

• In order to transform these latitudes and longitudes coordinates into meaningful

unit, the datums must be transferred to a planar coordinate system. There are
several ways to do this, and these are called projections.
• There are three main ways to transfer the curved surface of the ellipsoid to a flat
plane, you can make Planar (azimuthal), Cylindrical, or conic projections.
• The process of projection results in distortion of one or more map properties
such as shape, size, area or direction.
• In order to make different measurements — distance, area, shape, or direction—
one must choose the best projection of the job.
Map Projection
• Map projection is a mathematical expression using which the three-
dimensional surface of earth is represented in a two-dimensional
plane.
• A single projection system can never account for the correct
representation of all map properties for all the regions of the world.
• Therefore, hundreds of projection systems have been defined for
accurate representation of a particular map element for a particular
region of the world.
• Any point on earth is usually referred in terms of latitude, longitude
and height above mean sea level.
Map Projection
Mercator Map Projection
Mercator Map Projection
Gerardus Mercator was a 16th-century
Dutch cartographer, geographer &
cosmographer.
He developed a map in 1569 for
navigation in oceans.

He was born with the name Gerard

de Kremer, and this name was
later Latinized to Gerardus
Mercator (the word “mercator”
means “merchant” in Latin).
Mercator Map Projection
Gerardus Mercator was a 16th-century
Dutch cartographer, geographer &
cosmographer.
How accurate is the Mercator Map?
He developed a map in 1569 for
navigation in oceans.

• Parallels and meridians are straight lines.

• Meridians intersect parallels at right angle.
He was born with the name Gerard
de Kremer, and this name was
• Distance between the meridians remains same
later Latinized to Gerardus but between parallels increases towards the pole.
Mercator (the word “mercator”
means “merchant” in Latin). • The images of the poles are at infinity.
Mercator Map Projection
Mercator Map Projection
Mercator Map Projection
Mercator Map Projection
https://bramus.github.io/mercator-puzzle-redux/
Mercator Map Projection
https://bramus.github.io/mercator-puzzle-redux/
Mercator Map Projection
https://bramus.github.io/mercator-puzzle-redux/
Shape of Earth

A prime meridian, based at

the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich, in London,
England, was established by
Sir George Airy in 1851.
Shape of Earth

IERS reference meridian: International Earth

Rotation & Reference System service.
Shape of Earth

• Satellites measure Earth surface

accurately.
IERS reference meridian: International Earth • Most satellites are geocentric.
Rotation & Reference System service. • Plate tectonics affect the centre of mass
of the Earth and thus Prime meridian.
Projections: A curved surface on a flat surface

• Distance between points is compressed or stretched relative

to spherical surface.
• Points farthest from curved surface become most distorted.
Projections: A curved surface on a flat surface

• Distance between points is compressed or stretched relative

to spherical surface.
• Points farthest from curved surface become most distorted.
Cylindrical Map Projection
• It can be visualized as a cylinder wrapped around the globe.
• Once the graticule is projected onto the cylinder, the cylinder is
opened to get a grid like pattern of latitudes and longitudes.
• Longitudes (meridians) & latitudes (parallels) appear as
straight lines.
Cylindrical Map Projection
• Normal: when cylinder has line of tangency to the equator. It includes the
Mercator projection, Equirectangular Projection, Lambert's Cylindrical Equal
Area, Gall's Stereographic Cylindrical, and Miller cylindrical projection.
• Transverse: when cylinder has line of tangency to the meridian. It includes the
Universal Transverse Mercator, Cassini Projection, Transverse cylindrical
Equal Area Projection, and Modified Transverse Mercator.
• Oblique: when cylinder has line of tangency to another point on the globe. It
only consists of the Oblique Mercator projection.
Conic Map Projection
• In this, the cone is placed on the globe so that it is tangential to some latitude
and the graticule is projected on to the cone.
• On the line of intersection of the cone with the globe, the map will be relatively
error free and possess equidistance.
• It can represent only one hemisphere, at a time, northern or southern.
• Suitable for representing middle latitudes.
Azimuthal/Plane Map Projection
• It can be visualized as a flat sheet of paper tangent to any point on the globe.
• The sheet will have the tangent point as the centre of the circular map, where
meridians passing through the centre are straight line and the parallels are seen as
concentric circle.
• Suitable for showing polar areas.
• All azimuthal projections preserve the azimuth (angle) from a reference point
(centre), presenting true direction but not necessarily distances.
Mercator Map Projection
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection
Invented by Johann Lambert in 1772, this projection is cylindrical, but the
axis of the cylinder is rotated 90°, so the tangent line is longitudinal to
equator
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Projection

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

How to read UTM Projection

9,334,080 mN

1,110,400 mN
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

How to read UTM Projection

9,334,080 mN

166640 mE

833360 mE
1,110,400 mN
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonFxihqstU

How to read UTM Projection

9,334,080 mN

166640 mE

833360 mE
1,110,400 mN
Map Projection Comparison
Property Developable Aspect Projections Extent of use
surface
Normal Mercator Equatorial regions (east-west
extent)
Transverse UTM (Universal Transverse Whole world except polar
Cylinder Mercator) areas
Oblique Rosenmund Oblique Mercator Small regions, oblique & east -
west extent
Conformal Cone Normal Lambert Conformal Conic Small regions, oblique & east -
(True shape) west extent (1 or 2 standard
parallels)
Plane Any Stereographic Small regions upto the
hemisphere
Polar UPS (Universal Polar Polar regions
Stereographic)
Cylinder Normal Lambert Equal Area Equatorial areas (east-west
extent)
Cone Normal Albers Equal Area Smaller regions & continents with
Homolographic east-west extent
(Equal area) Any Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Smaller regions about same
Plane north-south , east-west extent
Equatorial Hammer-Aitoff World
Cylinder Normal Plate Caree World
Transverse Cassini Soldner Locally used for large scale
mapping
Cone Normal Equidistant Conic Smaller regions & continents with
Equidistant (1 or 2 standard parallels) east-
west extent
Plane Any Azimuthal Equidistant Smaller regions about same
north-south , east-west extent