Originally created to display accurate compass bearings for those traveling on the seas. An additional feature of this projection is that all local shapes are accurate and clearly defined.
Method of Projection - Cylindrical Projection:
Meridians are parallel to each other and are equally spaced. The lines of latitude are also parallel but become farther apart toward the poles. The poles cannot be shown.
Lines of Contact:
The Equator. May also be secant at two latitudes symmetrical about the Equator.
Linear Graticules:
All meridians and all lines of latitude.
Properties:
Shape: Conformal. Small shapes are well represented because this projection maintains the local angular relationships.
Area: Increasingly distorted toward the polar regions. For example, in the Mercator projection of the world, Greenland appears to be larger than South America when, in reality, it is only one-eighth its size.
Direction: Any straight line drawn on this projection will represent an actual compass bearing. Lines of true direction are referred to as rhumb lines. It should be noted that these lines generally do NOT describe the shortest distance between points.
Distance: The only true scale is along the Equator, or along the secant latitudes instead.
Limitations:
The poles cannot be represented on the Mercator projection. All meridians can be projected but the upper and lower limits of latitude are approximately 80 degrees, north and south. Great area distortion makes the Mercator projection unsuitable for general geographic world maps.
Uses and Applications:
Standard sea navigation charts (Direction).
Other Directional Uses:
- Air Travel
- Wind Direction
- Ocean Currents
- Conformal World Maps.
The best use of this projection's conformal properties applies to regions near the Equator, such as Indonesia and parts of the Pacific Ocean.
