On Monday, inwards Working amongst Map Projections, nosotros explored how dissimilar map projections distort our flick of the world. The Mercator projection is undoubtedly the most mutual mpa projection used inwards modern online interactive maps. It is hence worth taking a closer await at the detail distortions of Gerardus Mercator's pop map projection.
The Mercator Problem is an informative introduction into how the Mercator Projection distorts the map of the world. The problems amongst the Mercator Projection are good known. The projection distorts the scale of areas along the lines of longitude. Therefore areas closed to the poles seem far bigger than areas closed to the equator. Which is why Greenland on maps oft seems to move most the same size every bit Africa (it isn't).
The Mercator Problem includes a smashing demonstration of the agency that the Mercator Projection distorts the size of countries depending on how closed they are to either pole. An interactive comparing tool allows you lot to sentiment how ii countries look on a map using the Mercator projection together with how they should look if the province expanse of the ii countries were to a greater extent than accurately portrayed.
Darren Wien has also created a smashing demonstration of how the Mercator Projection used inwards Google Maps distorts objects closed to the poles. His Draggable Tissot Indicatrix uses draggable polygons to demonstrate how areas are distorted every bit you lot movement nearer or farther from the poles on Google Maps.
His Google Map includes a release of circles (all amongst a 500km radius) placed all across the map. You tin forcefulness out encounter how the Mercator Projection distorts the circles inwards the screenshot above. In the app itself all the circle polygons are interactive. So, amongst this Tissot Indicatrix, you lot tin forcefulness out truly movement the circles roughly the map together with notice how they grow together with shrink along lines of longitude.
