Week 6 Lab: Projection in ArcGIS!

Original Map GWGS1984 

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Mercator Map Projection (conformal)

Distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul:
geodesic: 6,934.47 miles
loxodrome: 8,112.0607 miles
great elliptic: 6,934. 4838 miles

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Eckert I Map Projection (conformal)

Distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul:
geodesic: 6,934.47 miles
loxodrome: 8,112.0607 miles
great elliptic: 6,934. 4838 miles

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Eckert VI Map Projection (equal area)

Distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul:
geodesic: 6,934.47 miles
loxodrome: 8,112.0607 miles
great elliptic: 6,934. 4838 miles

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Bonne Map Projection (equal area)

Distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul:
geodesic: 6,934.47 miles
loxodrome: 8,112.0607 miles
great elliptic: 6,934. 4838 miles

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Equidistant Conic Map Projection (equidistant)

Distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul:
geodesic: 6,934.47 miles
loxodrome: 8,112.0607 miles
great elliptic: 6,934. 4838 miles

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Equidistant Cylindrical Map Projection (equidistant)

Distance from Washington D.C. to Kabul:
geodesic: 6,934.47 miles
loxodrome: 8,112.0607 miles
great elliptic: 6,934. 4838 miles

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   Map projections give us the opportunity to view the earth (in this case in its most basic outlines) in different ways. There are obvious pros and cons to the use of different map projections. The benefits of using different map projections is that we are given the chance to see the world through different perspectives. We have the option of choosing whether to preserve angles (conformal, i.e. the first two maps on this blog), area (equal area, i.e. the second two maps), or distance (equidistant, i.e. the last two maps) when viewing a map.
   One of the main problems with map projections is that while we can decide what characteristics of the Earth we would like to perserve, we can't make a map that preserves everything. All three forms of map projection must sacrifice some aspect of our earth in order to perserve the others. This is because our planet is a sphere, and paper is not. No matter how we try to project it, some aspect of a map projection will always be distorted.
   Along these same lines, many members of the public that are unfamiliar with the perils of map projection look at maps online and do not question them. This leads them to believe that certain countries are larger than they really are, or that two countries are a lot closer together than they are in reality. The flaws of map projection are then passed on to people as truths of the world, causing false information to spread like wildfire.
   As unfortunate as these errors in map projection may be, this doesn't mean that improvements aren't possible. We are living in an era exploding with technological advances. Soon we might find ourselves lucky enough to find technology that can combine the uses of conformal, equidistant, and equal area map projections without any sacrifices or distortion.