Cylindrical projection

Definition

A cylindrical projection is a method of mapping the surface of the Earth onto a cylinder, which is then unwrapped to create a flat map. This type of projection preserves angles and shapes over small areas, making it useful for navigation and cartography, but it can distort sizes and distances, especially away from the equator.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Cylindrical projections are often used for world maps because they allow for easy navigation by maintaining straight lines for latitude and longitude.
2. While cylindrical projections accurately represent shapes at the equator, distortion increases as one moves toward the poles, leading to exaggerated landmasses.
3. The Mercator projection is one of the most famous cylindrical projections, designed in 1569 primarily for maritime navigation.
4. These projections are particularly useful for mapping areas with more east-west than north-south extent, such as continents.
5. Cylindrical projections can be modified into various types, like transverse cylindrical projections, which rotate the cylinder to create different perspectives.

Review Questions

• How does a cylindrical projection maintain accuracy in navigation despite potential distortions?
  • Cylindrical projections maintain accuracy in navigation by preserving angles and shapes in small areas, making them effective for plotting courses on maps. The straight lines representing latitude and longitude allow navigators to easily determine direction and navigate across vast distances. However, while it works well near the equator, distortions occur further away from this central line, requiring navigators to be aware of these inaccuracies when interpreting map distances.
• Discuss how the Mercator projection exemplifies both the advantages and disadvantages of cylindrical projections.
  • The Mercator projection is an excellent example of a cylindrical projection that offers significant advantages for navigation due to its straight and perpendicular lines for latitude and longitude. This makes it easy for sailors to plot their courses. However, its major disadvantage is the distortion of size, particularly in polar regions where land masses appear much larger than they actually are. This illustrates how while some features are accurately represented, others can lead to misconceptions about geography.
• Evaluate the impact of map distortion in cylindrical projections on global understanding and representation.
  • Map distortion in cylindrical projections significantly affects global understanding and representation by altering perceptions of size and importance of landmasses. For instance, countries like Greenland appear much larger than they are relative to countries near the equator due to Mercator's projection. This misrepresentation can influence political perspectives, economic considerations, and cultural understandings among different regions. Consequently, awareness of such distortions is vital for accurate interpretation and informed decision-making regarding global issues.

Related terms

Mercator projection: A specific type of cylindrical projection where lines of latitude and longitude are straight and perpendicular, which greatly aids in navigation but distorts land masses near the poles.

Equal-area projection: A type of map projection that maintains the proportional size of land masses, sacrificing shape accuracy to ensure that areas on the map correspond to actual sizes on Earth.

Map distortion: The alteration of the original shape, area, distance, or direction of features when representing the Earth's three-dimensional surface on a two-dimensional plane.