4/12/13 9:37 PMList of map projections - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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List of map projectionsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list/table provides an overview of the most significant map projections, including those listed on Wikipedia. It is sortableby the main fields. Inclusion in the table is subjective, as there is no definitive list of map projections.

Contents1 Table of Projections2 Key

2.1 Type of Projection2.2 Properties

Table of Projections

Projection Images Type Properties Creator Year Notes

Equirectangular= equidistantcylindrical= rectangular= la carteparallélogrammatique

Cylindrical Compromise Marinus of Tyre 120 AD(c.)

Simplestgeometry;distances alongmeridians areconserved.

Plate carrée:special casehaving theequator as thestandard parallel.

Mercator= Wright

Cylindrical Conformal GerardusMercator 1569

Lines of constantbearing (rhumblines) are straight,aiding navigation.Areas inflate withlatitude,becoming soextreme that themap cannot showthe poles.

Gauss–Krüger= Gauss conformal= (Ellipsoidal)Transverse Mercator

Cylindrical Conformal

Carl FriedrichGauss

Johann HeinrichLouis Krüger

1822

This transverse,ellipsoidal formof the Mercator isfinite, unlike theequatorialMercator. Formsthe basis of theUniversal

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TransverseMercator system.

Gallstereographicsimilar to Braun

Cylindrical Compromise James Gall 1885

Intended toresemble theMercator whilealso displayingthe poles.Standard parallelsat 45°N/S.Braun ishorizontallystretched versionwith scale correctat equator.

Miller= Miller cylindrical

Cylindrical Compromise Osborn MaitlandMiller 1942

Intended toresemble theMercator whilealso displayingthe poles.

Lambertcylindrical equal-area

Cylindrical Equal-area Johann HeinrichLambert 1772

Standard parallelat the equator.Aspect ratio of π(3.14). Baseprojection of thecylindrical equal-area family.

Behrmann Cylindrical Equal-area Walter Behrmann 1910

Horizontallycompressedversion of theLambertequalearea. Hasstandard parallelsat 30°N/S and anaspect ration of2.36.

Hobo-Dyer Cylindrical Equal-area Mick Dyer 2002

Horizontallycompressedversion of theLambert Equalarea. Very similarare TrystanEdwards andSmyth equalsurface (= Crasterrectangular)projections withstandard parallelsat around 37°N/S.Aspect ratio of~2.0.

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Gall–Peters= Gall orthographic= Peters

Cylindrical Equal-areaJames Gall

(Arno Peters) 1855

Horizontallycompressedversion of theLambert equal-area. Standardparallels at45°N/S. Aspectratio of ~1.6.Similar isBalthasartprojection withstandard parallelsat 50°N/S.

Sinusoidal= Sanson-Flamsteed= Mercator equal-area

Pseudocylindrical Equal-area (Several; first isunknown)

1600

(c.)

Meridians aresinusoids;parallels areequally spaced.Aspect ratio of2:1. Distancesalong parallelsare conserved.

Mollweide= elliptical= Babinet= homolographic

Pseudocylindrical Equal-area Karl BrandanMollweide 1805 Meridians are

ellipses.

Eckert II Pseudocylindrical Equal-area Max Eckert-Greifendorff 1906

Eckert IV Pseudocylindrical Equal-area Max Eckert-Greifendorff

1906

Parallels areunequal inspacing andscale; outermeridians aresemicircles; othermeridians aresemiellipses.

Eckert VI Pseudocylindrical Equal-area Max Eckert-Greifendorff 1906

Parallels areunequal inspacing andscale; meridiansare half-periodsinusoids.

Goodehomolosine Pseudocylindrical Equal-area John Paul Goode 1923

Hybrid ofSinusoidal andMollweideprojections.Usually used ininterrupted form.

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Kavrayskiy VII Pseudocylindrical Compromise V. V. Kavrayskiy 1939

Evenly spacedparallels.Equivalent toWagner VIhorizontallycompressed by afactor of .

Robinson Pseudocylindrical Compromise Arthur H.Robinson 1963

Computed byinterpolation oftabulated values.Used by RandMcNally sinceinception andused by NGS1988–98.

Toblerhyperelliptical Pseudocylindrical Equal-area Waldo R. Tobler 1973

A family of mapprojections thatincludes asspecial casesMollweideprojection,Collignonprojection, andthe variouscylindrical equal-area projections.

Wagner VI Pseudocylindrical Compromise K.H. Wagner

Equivalent toKavrayskiy VIIverticallycompressed by afactor of .

Collignon Pseudocylindrical Equal-Area ÉdouardCollignon 1865(c.)

Depending onconfiguration, theprojection alsomay map thesphere to a singlediamond or a pairof squares.

HEALPix Polyhedral Equal-area

Hybrid ofCollignon +Lambertcylindrical equal-area

Craster Parabolic=Reinhold Putniņš P4

Pseudocylindrical Equal-area John Craster 1929

Meridians areparabolas.Standard parallelsat 36°46!N/S;parallels are

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unequal inspacing andscale; 2:1 Aspect.

Flat Polar Quartic= McBryde-Thomas#4

Pseudocylindrical Equal-areaFelix W.McBryde andPaul Thomas

1949

Standard parallelsat 33°45!N/S;parallels areunequal inspacing andscale; meridiansare fourth-ordercurves.Distortion-freeonly where thestandard parallelsintersect thecentral meridian.

Quartic Authalic Pseudocylindrical Equal-areaKarl Siemon

Oscar Adams

1937

1944

Parallels areunequal inspacing and scale.No distortionalong the equator.Meridians arefourth-ordercurves.

The Times Pseudocylindrical Compromise John Muir 1965

Standard parallels45°N/S. Parallelsbased on Gallorthographic, butwith curvedmeridians.Developed forBartholomewLtd., The TimesAtlas.

Loximuthal Pseudocylindrical Karl Siemon,Waldo Tobler

1935,1966

From thedesignated centre,lines of constantbearing (rhumblines/loxodromes)are straight andhave the correctlength. Generallyasymmetric aboutthe equator.

Aitoff Pseudoazimuthal Compromise David A. Aitoff 1889

Stretching ofmodifiedequatorialazimuthalequidistant map.Boundary is 2:1

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ellipse. Largelysuperseded byHammer.

Hammer= Hammer-Aitoffvariations:Briesemeister; Nordic

Pseudoazimuthal Equal-area Ernst Hammer 1892

Modified fromazimuthal equal-area equatorialmap. Boundary is2:1 ellipse.Variants areoblique versions,centred on 45°N.

Winkel tripel Pseudoazimuthal Compromise Oswald Winkel 1921

Arithmetic meanof theequirectangularprojection and theAitoff projection.Standard worldprojection for theNGS 1998-present.

Van der Grinten Other Compromise Alphons J. vander Grinten 1904

Boundary is acircle. Allparallels andmeridians arecircular arcs.Usually clippednear 80°N/S.Standard worldprojection of theNGS 1922-88.

Equidistant conicprojection= simple conic

Conic EquidistantBased onPtolemy’s 1stProjection

100 (c.)

Distances alongmeridians areconserved, as isdistance alongone or twostandardparallels[1]

Lambertconformal conic Conic Conformal Johann Heinrich

Lambert 1772

Albers conic Conic Equal-Area Heinrich C.Albers 1805

Two standardparallels with lowdistortionbetween them.

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WernerPseudoconical Equal-area Johannes Stabius 1500

(c.)

Distances fromthe North Poleare correct as arethe curveddistances alongparallels.

Bonne= Cordiform (“heart-shaped”)

Pseudoconical Equal-areaBernardusSylvanus 1511

Parallels areequally spacedcircular arcs andstandard lines.Appearancedepends onreference parallel.General case ofboth Werner andsinusoidal

Bottomley Pseudoconical Equal-area Henry Bottomley 2003

Alternative to theBonne projectionwith simpleroverall shape

Parallels areelliptical arcsAppearancedepends onreference parallel.

Americanpolyconic Pseudoconical Ferdinand

Rudolph Hassler1820(c.)

Distances alongthe parallels arepreserved as aredistances alongthe centralmeridian.

Azimuthalequidistant=Postelzenithal equidistant

Azimuthal Equidistant

Used by theUSGS in theNational Atlas ofthe United Statesof America.

Distances fromcentre areconserved.

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Gnomonic Azimuthal GnonomicThales of Greece(possibly)

580 BC(c.)

All great circlesmap to straightlines. Extremedistortion farfrom the center.Shows less thanone hemisphere.

Lambertazimuthal equal-area

Azimuthal Equal-Area Johann HeinrichLambert 1772

The straight-linedistance betweenthe central pointon the map to anyother map is thesame as thestraight-line 3Ddistance throughthe globebetween the twopoints.

Stereographic Azimuthal Conformal Hipparchos(deployed)

200 BC(c.)

Map is infinite inextent with outerhemisphereinflating severely,so it is often usedas twohemispheres.Maps all smallcircles to circles,which is usefulfor planetarymapping topreserve theshapes of craters.

Orthographic Azimuthal Hipparchos(deployed)

200 BC(c.)

View from aninfinite distance.

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Verticalperspective Azimuthal

Matthias Seutter(deployed) 1740

View from afinite distance.Can only displayless than ahemisphere.

Two-pointequidistant Azimuthal Equidistant Hans Maurer 1919

Two "controlpoints" can bearbitrarilychosen. The twostraight-linedistances fromany point on themap to the twocontrol points arecorrect.

Peircequincuncial Other Conformal Charles Sanders

Peirce 1879

Guyouhemisphere-in-a-square projection

Other Conformal Émile Guyou 1887

Adamshemisphere-in-a-square projection

Other Conformal Oscar ShermanAdams 1925

B.J.S. Cahill'sButterfly Map Polyhedral Compromise Bernard Joseph

Stanislaus Cahill

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Watermanbutterflyprojection

Polyhedral Compromise Steve Waterman

quadrilateralizedspherical cube Polyhedral Equal-area

Dymaxion map Polyhedral Compromise BuckminsterFuller 1943

Myriahedralprojections Polyhedral Jack van Wijk

Projects the globeonto amyriahedron: apolyhedron witha very largenumber offaces.[2][3]

Craigretroazimuthal= Mecca

Retroazimuthal James IrelandCraig 1909

Hammerretroazimuthal,front hemisphere

Retroazimuthal Ernst Hammer 1910

Hammerretroazimuthal,back hemisphere

Retroazimuthal Ernst Hammer 1910

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Littrow Retroazimuthal Joseph JohannLittrow 1833

KeyMain article: Map_projection

The designation “deployed” means popularisers/users rather than necessarily creators. The type of projection and theproperties preserved by the projection use the following categories:

Type of Projection

Cylindrical: In standard presentation, these map regularly-spaced meridians to equally spaced vertical lines, andparallels to horizontal lines.Pseudocylindrical: In standard presentation, these map the central meridian and parallels as straight lines. Othermeridians are curves (or possibly straight from pole to equator), regularly spaced along parallels.Pseudoazimuthal: In standard presentation, pseudoazimuthal projections map the equator and central meridian toperpendicular, intersecting straight lines. They map parallels to complex curves bowing away from the equator, andmeridians to complex curves bowing in toward the central meridian. Listed here after pseudocylindrical as generallysimilar to them in shape and purpose.Conic: In standard presentation, conic (or conical) projections map meridians as straight lines, and parallels as arcs ofcircles.Pseudoconical: In standard presentation, pseudoconical projections represent the central meridian as a straight line,other meridians as complex curves, and parallels as circular arcs.Azimuthal: In standard presentation, azimuthal projections map meridians as straight lines and parallels as complete,concentric circles. They are radially symmetrical. In any presentation (or aspect), they preserve directions from thecenter point. This means great circles through the central point are represented by straight lines on the map.Other: Typically calculated from formula, and not based on a particular projectionPolyhedral maps: Polyhedral maps can be folded up into a polyhedral approximation to the sphere, using particularprojection to map each face with low distortion.Retroazimuthal: Direction to a fixed location B (by the shortest route) corresponds to the direction on the map from Ato B.

Properties

Conformal: Preserves angles locally, implying that locally shapes are not disorted.Equal Area: Areas are conserved.Compromise: Neither conformal or equal-area, but a balance intended to reduce overall distortion.Equidistant: All distances from one (or two) points are correct. Other equidistant properties are mentioned in thenotes.Gnomonic: All great circles are straight lines.

1. ^ Carlos A. Furuti. Conic Projections: Equidistant Conic Projections(http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/ProjCon/projCon.html#EqdCon)

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2. ^ Jarke J. van Wijk. "Unfolding the Earth: Myriahedral Projections". [1] (http://www.win.tue.nl/~vanwijk/myriahedral/)3. ^ Carlos A. Furuti. "Interrupted Maps: Myriahedral Maps". [2]

(http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/ProjInt/projInt.html#MyriahedralMaps)

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