Topic: Map Projections and Coordinate Systems
Professor Dr. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman
Dept. of Irrigation and Water Management
Bangladesh Agricultural University
Mymensingh - 2202
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Coordinates
Cartesian coordinate system (2D/3D); XYZ
axis
Spherical coordinate system (or angular
coordinate system); two angle rotation and
radius distance
Source: Paul Bolstad
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Coordinates
Source: Paul Bolstad
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Coordinates
Two coordinate systems:
1. Geographic coordinate (3D)- represented by Lat, Long
2. Projected/Plane coordinate (2D)- represented by x, y
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Geographic Coordinate System (GCS)
Longitude:
- is the line of meridians that measure east-west locations;
- ranges 0 to 180° (or 0 to 180° east ) and 0 to -180° (or 0 to 180° west)
Latitude:
– is the line of parallels that measure north-south locations
- ranges 0 to 90° (or 0 to 90° north) and 0 to -90° (or 0 to 90° south)
1 ° = 60 minutes or 60ʹ (angular unit NOT time!)
1 minute = 60 seconds or 60ʺ
Unit of spherical coordinate:
Degree-Minute-Second (DMS); example- 20° 30ʹ 10ʺ
Decimal degree (DD); example- 20.50277
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Geographic Coordinate System (GCS)
A GCS specifies locations (i.e. lat & long
coordinates) on the surface of a spheroid
The Earth is divided into meridians and parallels;
these two types of lines cross one another at right
angle 90 degree.
Meridians: Lines running over the earth surface from
north to south pole; meridians converges at poles
and farthest apart on the equator; however, angular
distance between two meridians are always same at
any latitudes;
Prime meridian – runs through Greenwich, England
Parallels – parallel lines (lines of equal latitude)
running over the earth surface from East to West;
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Geographic Coordinate System (GCS)
https://michaelminn.net/tutorials/gis-projections/index.html
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Datum
Earth is not a perfect sphere i.e. we cannot
represent Earth with a regular spheroid
/ellipsoid (more accurate than spheroid);
A datum specifies the dimensions of a
spheroid;
A datum is used to account for local variations
of earth surface
Generalized earth-centered coordinate
system is World Geodetic System 84
(WGS84);
this gives overall a good results for all points
on the earth surface
However, to take local variations of surface
elevation more accurately, local datum or
coordinate systems are used, for example,
North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27)
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Projected Coordinate System (PCS)
PCS is used to define positions of points on
the Earth Surface in a projected plane (i.e. 2D
surface);
Map projection is the mathematical
representation of 3D spheroid earth into 2D
plane surface;
In a projected system, earth’s surface position
(x, y coordinates) is based from the Lower-Left
corner
Ellipsoidal parameters:
-semimajor axis =a
-semiminor axis =b
Flattening, f = (a-b)/a
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Map Projection
An sphere or ellipsoid representing the earth can be projected on any of
the three flat surfaces and unfold/unwrap the surface
(i) Cylinder > cylindrical projection
(ii) Cone > Conic projection
(iii) Plane > Azimuthal projection
Distortion – any projection results in some sorts of distortions;
Cylindrical Conical Azimuthal
Secant Cylindrical Secant Conical Secant Azimuthal 1
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Map Projection
-Developable surfaces
for cylindrical and
conical projection
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Map Projection
Distortion properties:
*Conformal – preserves local angle and shape
* Equal area or equivalent – preserves area
* Equidistant
* Azimuthal - direction
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Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection
• Most commonly used projection system in GIS
• This system divides world into 60 equal stripes along north-south
direction (each stripe
•
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Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection
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