A new companion for Mercator. Issue 3 (4th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tobler, Waldo
• Is Part Of: Cartography and geographic information science. Volume 45:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 284
• Page End: 285
• Publication Date: 2018-05-04
• Subjects: Map projection -- equal area -- Mercator; Cartography -- Periodicals; Geographic information systems -- Periodicals; 526
• DOI: 10.1080/15230406.2017.1308837
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1523-0406

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The inappropriate use of the Mercator projection has declined but still occasionally occurs. One method of contrasting the Mercator projection is to present an alternative in the form of an equal area projection. The map projection derived here is thus not simply a pretty Christmas tree ornament: it is instead a complement to Mercator's conformal navigation anamorphose and can be displayed as an alternative. The equations for the new map projection preserve the latitudinal stretching of the Mercator while adjusting the longitudinal spacing. This allows placement of the new map adjacent to that of Mercator. The surface area, while drastically warped, maintains the correct magnitude.