I
think this lab demonstrated very well how maps could easily be distorted and
changed to reflect something completely different then the three dimensional
earth that the maps are trying to represent. My overall experience of this lab
was that I was amazed of how easily ArcGIS can change between the different map
projections. Also I was impressed by how many different projections there are
in general, and how all of them demonstrate the world in a different way. What I think of map projections is
that I am surprised there is not a standardized one that has the least amount
of distortion and is a better representation of the earth then the maps we have
now. Also what surprised me was how much some of the maps distorted the earth,
for example my Azimuthal map projection didn’t even look like the earth to me,
and the lines of latitude and longitude were almost impossible to decipher
from.
The significance of map projections
is that we need them. In my opinion geography, science, history, and every
other subject would not exist or would not be nearly complete without them.
Therefore they are vital to the study of anything that involves: location,
distance, and space. Lets be honest Geography would not exist if someone didn’t
discover the calculations necessary to create these projections. Map
projections are so important because they allow someone to carry large amount
of information in a small space, because someone can’t carry around a globe in their
pocket. Globes are to big and the smaller they are the hard it is to read them
therefore a paper map helps the easy access of information.
The
perils of map projection are that they distort information, and some are not as
good of a representation of length related to scale on the earth then others.
For example on my Mercator map, length from Washington DC to Kabul was
completely off from the real length. This shows that some projections cannot be
trusted to judge distance. Therefore this can bring up many problems when it
comes determining the location of something. This could be a problem when using
a map projection to fly somewhere, because if one map projection is off and you
use it, the pilot may over shoot the location. Or the pilot could possible
underestimate the distance and run out of gas before they reach the destination.
Another problem with some map projection is that they distort shape and size of
the continents. For example my Mercator map projection made some land masses
appear much larger then they are, for example Greenland on the map was twice
the size of Africa. Therefore this is a peril of map projection because it
could give people learning about the world and maps the wrong impression, and
they could grow up thinking that Greenland is the largest landmass in the
world. Another peril of map
projection is there use in the military and warfare. Again with the problem
with distance is that if someone is using a certain map projection, for example
a Lambert one, that distorts distance, and they shoot a missile and calculate
the distance wrong they could hit the wrong target.
The
potentials of map projections are that each map has a unique attribute and can
be used for many different cases. For example one would use one that preserves
size to look at the shape of landmasses, and be used for such things of navigation
of the coastline. While others preserve distance and can be used for the
actually size of a landmass or to determine accurate distance from certain
locations. Therefore map projections can be used for a variety of problems, but
one has to be careful on what projection they use, and be knowledge able of
what projections do what. Another great potential of map projection is the fact
that it has lead to the development of greater technology. For example map
projections had lead to the creation of digital maps, ones that are a true
representation of the earth without any distortion. Therefore map projections
have lead to the development of Google maps and ArcGIS; therefore we are now
converting map projections to their digital form.
