Demonstrating The Mercator Problem

On Monday, inwards Working amongst Map Projections, nosotros explored how dissimilar map projections distort our painting demo of the world. The Mercator projection is undoubtedly the most mutual mpa projection used inwards modern online interactive maps. It is thence worth taking a closer expect at the item distortions of Gerardus Mercator's pop map projection.


The Mercator Problem is an informative introduction into how the Mercator Projection distorts the map of the world. The problems amongst the Mercator Projection are good known. The projection distorts the scale of areas along the lines of longitude. Therefore areas closed to the poles seem far bigger than areas closed to the equator. Which is why Greenland on maps frequently seems to last almost the same size equally Africa (it isn't).

The Mercator Problem includes a slap-up demonstration of the means that the Mercator Projection distorts the size of countries depending on how closed they are to either pole. An interactive comparing tool allows y'all to sentiment how 2 countries look on a map using the Mercator projection too how they should look if the province expanse of the 2 countries were to a greater extent than accurately portrayed.



Darren Wien has also created a slap-up demonstration of how the Mercator Projection used inwards Google Maps distorts objects closed to the poles. His Draggable Tissot Indicatrix uses draggable polygons to demonstrate how areas are distorted equally y'all movement nearer or farther from the poles on Google Maps. 

His Google Map includes a let on of circles (all amongst a 500km radius) placed all across the map. You tin run into how the Mercator Projection distorts the circles inwards the screenshot above. In the app itself all the circle polygons are interactive. So, amongst this Tissot Indicatrix, y'all tin genuinely movement the circles closed to the map too uncovering how they grow too shrink along lines of longitude.