You probably recognize this
this is a mercator world map
a familiar view of the earth – one you may recall from your classroom wall
i should note that mercator maps are the most ubiquitous all of
you see them pretty much everywhere
the only problem with the mercator map is its inaccuracy
distances, areas, and sizes are skewed – especially at the poles
over the centuries smart people have designed various map projections to overcome
the mathematical challenge of converting a sphere (Earth) onto a 2D plane (map).
fast forward to present day – Fall of 2018 – these are exciting times in cartography
– the new equal earth projection is revealed at a conference for geo-geeks [see video below]
it looks like this
by comparison, the new equal earth projection maintains relative sizes across meridians and parallels
as i said, these are exciting times in mapping…
if you’ve scrolled this far down i will reward you with a golden take-away you can drop
this will guarantee to elevate your status and perceived intelligence
i suggest a casual comment along the following lines:
“Hey, have you heard about the new equal earth projection?
It is a pseudocylindrical projection, meaning that the parallels are unequally spaced.”
gasps and shocked disbelief will ensue
eyes will bulge
status elevated
below you can watch the two creators of this new projection release their work into the public domain
it is gripping stuff
and if you’re still interested in reading further, the following links will take you to a wealth of knowledge about this exciting new projection
read on dear reader – enlightenment is yours to be had…
http://shadedrelief.com/ee_proj/
https://www.gislounge.com/equal-earth-map-projection/
Happy Mapping.
SRD GIS 