noting, pertaining to, or according to the principles of a Mercator projection: a Mercator chart. [After Gerhardus Mercator .] This fulfills the conditions of a conformal map projection. What made you want to look up Mercator projection? Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. It is often described as a cylindrical projection, but it must be derived mathematically. Only high-accuracy cartography on large scale maps requires an ellipsoidal model. This projection is widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course. Definition of mercator projection in the Definitions.net dictionary. However, the Web Mercator uses the spherical formulas at all scales whereas large-scale Mercator maps normally use the ellipsoidal form of the projection. There are four main properties: Area — Some projections distort areas (e.g., Mercator projection) Straight line segments represent true bearings, thus making this projection useful for navigation. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Mercator projection definition in English dictionary, Mercator projection meaning, synonyms, see also 'Mercators projection',mercat',mercapto-',Merca'. The discrepancy is imperceptible at the global scale but causes maps of local areas to deviate slightly from true ellipsoidal Mercator maps at the same scale. Three variants of the Mercator projection are recognized, differentiated by the parameters used in the projection definition: Variant A, also known as Mercator (1SP) - The projection is defined with the equator as the single standard parallel, with … Most of OSM, including the main tiling system, uses a Pseudo-Mercator projection where the Earth is modelized as if it was a perfect a sphere. When the Portuguese, under the leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator, ventured farther south along the west coast of Africa, they encountered navigational difficulties by assuming that the charts used in the Mediterranean could simply be extended. We often talk about map projections in terms of the ways in which they distort or preserve certain things about the Earth, which we call projection properties. Mercator's projection (n.) 1. a map projection of the earth onto a cylinder; areas appear greater the … Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/Mercator-projection. Mercator projection definition, a conformal projection on which any rhumb line is represented as a straight line, used chiefly in navigation, though the scale varies with latitude and areal size and the shapes of large areas are greatly distorted. Certain Web mapping and visualisation applications. Mercator definition: Gerardus ( dʒəˈrɑːdəs ). It is often described as a cylindrical projection , but it must be derived mathematically. This produces a fast approximation to the truer, but heavier elliptical projection, where the Earth would be projected on a more accurate ellipsoid (flattened on poles). Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This deviation becomes more pronounced further from the equator, and can reach as much as 40 km on the ground. Meaning of mercator projection. It uses the same formulas as the standard Mercator as used for small-scale maps. The Pseudo-Mercator Projection is a modification of the Mercator Projection and is used by huge web servers like Bing and Google. Define Mercator projections. Mercator projection. Web Mercator is a slight variant of the Mercator projection, one used primarily in Web-based mapping programs. What does mercator projection mean? Latinized name of Gerhard Kremer . Modeled and animated by Grafonaut. All transformations are via WGS84. Video as part of a course by Emarin Norway. This is the British English definition of projection.View American English definition of projection.. Change your default dictionary to American English. Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge! It was presented in 1569 by Gerhard Kremer, known as Mercator, the Latinized version of his name. Mercator-projection meaning A cylindrical map projection in which the meridians and parallels appear as lines crossing at right angles and in which areas appear greater farther from the equator. Global Mapper uses a set of predefined transformations to reproject data natively stored in other projections into the current display projection defined in the Configuration> Projection menu. it is a conformal map projection).This means that if you … … On a Mercator projection, for example, the landmass of Greenland appears to be greater than that of the continent of South America; in actual area, Greenland is smaller than the Arabian Peninsula. Explanation []. Post the Definition of Mercator projection to Facebook, Share the Definition of Mercator projection on Twitter, An Editor's Guide to the Merriam-Webster January 2021 Update. The following equations place the x-axis of the projection on the equator and the y-axis at longitude, where is the longitude and is the latitude. It is less practical for world maps, however, because the scale is distorted; areas farther away from the Equator appear disproportionately large. The meridians are equally spaced parallel vertical lines, and the parallels of latitude are parallel horizontal straight lines that are spaced farther and farther apart as their distance from the Equator increases. For more advanced transformation methods, see GeoCalc Mode: Projections and Datums Mercator projections synonyms, Mercator projections pronunciation, Mercator projections translation, English dictionary definition of Mercator projections. Corrections? Over long distances the rhumb lines…, …the result was the now-familiar Mercator map shown in the photograph.…. The Mercator projection is a transformation of a cylindrical projection used for navigation. Uses spherical development of ellipsoidal coordinates. The Mercator projection is a map projection (a way to present the spherical Earth surface into a flat 2-D map) presented by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. Peel it like an orange evenly into sixty segments called “zones”. Not formed by a projecting light source, Mercator's projection is a completely mathematical transformation of the earth onto a rectangular map. Delivered to your inbox! 1. Spherical Pseudo-Mercator projection. Accessed 7 Feb. 2021. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Definition and synonyms of projection from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. ‘Mercator made many new maps and globes, but his greatest contribution to cartography must be the Mercator projection.’. definitions - mercator s projection report a problem. The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection presented by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. Mercator projection - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. It was the standard map projection for some time, because it does preserve all angles in their true shape (i.e. The range for a amongst the possible choices is about 35 km, but for small scale (large region) applications this variation may be ignored, and mean values of 6,371 km and 40,030 km may be taken for the radius and circumference respectively. The meridians are equally spaced parallel vertical lines, and the parallels of latitude are parallel horizontal straight lines that are spaced farther and farther apart as their … Mercator definition is - of, relating to, or drawn on the Mercator projection. Although the surface of Earth is best modelled by an oblate ellipsoid of revolution, for small scale maps the ellipsoid is approximated by a sphere of radius a. Pertaining to an orthomorphic map projection, in which meridians appear at right-angles to the equator, and lines of latitude are horizontal lines whose distance from each other increases with distance from the equator. The Mercator projection is a map projection that was widely used for navigation since loxodromes are straight lines (although great circles are curved). Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary Definition of mercator-projection noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. The simplest include (a) the equatorial radius of the ellipsoid, (b) the arithmetic or geometric mean of the semi-axes of the ellipsoid, and (c) the radius of the sphere having the same volume as the ellipsoid. EPSG:3857 Projected coordinate system for World between 85.06°S and 85.06°N. Learn a new word every day. Flatten each one of these zones.What’s the result?It’s the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection! projection definition in English dictionary, projection meaning, synonyms, see also 'axonometric projection',azimuthal projection',back projection',conic projection'. Updates? Mercator Projection. Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). 1512–94, Flemish cartographer... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples These are the values used for numerical examples in later sections. Mercator projection definition: an orthomorphic map projection on which parallels and meridians form a rectangular grid ,... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Another word for ‘a person who travels to an area of warmth and sun, especially in winter’ is a. See more. Mercator - Flemish geographer who lived in Germany; he invented the Mercator projection of maps of the globe (1512-1594) Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Projection Properties. Information and translations of mercator projection in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? “Mercator projection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mercator%20projection. Omissions? Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary Uses spherical development of ellipsoidal coordinates. EPSG:3857 Projected coordinate system for World between 85.06°S and 85.06°N. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Winter has returned along with cold weather. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Many different methods exist for calculating a. Etymology: Latinized name of, … Mercator projection definition is - a conformal map projection of which the meridians are usually drawn parallel to each other and the parallels of latitude are straight lines whose distance from each other increases with their distance from the equator. This may be the reason people have no idea how big some places really are. The Mercator projection—a transformation from the simple cylindrical projection—is used for navigation, since lines of constant direction on the Earth appear as straight lines on the map. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Certain Web mapping and visualisation applications. It became the standard map projection for nautical purposes because of its ability to represent lines of constant course, known as rhumb lines or loxodromes, as straight segments. Despite its benefits, the Mercator projection drastically distorts the size and shape of objects approaching the poles. All Free. Relative to WGS 84 / World Mercator (CRS code 3395) errors of 0.7 percent in scale and differences in northing of up to 43km in the map (equivalent to 21km on the ground) may arise. List of the Cons of Mercator Projection. Linear scale is constant on a Mercator projection in every direction, preserving the shapes and angles of small objects effectively. n. A cylindrical map projection in which the meridians and parallels appear as lines crossing at right angles and in which areas appear greater farther from the equator. Relative to WGS 84 / World Mercator (CRS code 3395) errors of 0.7 percent in scale and differences in northing of up to 43km in the map (equivalent to 21km on the ground) may arise. It forces the map to create a distortion away from the equator. Start with a sphere or ellipsoid because that is the true form of the Earth. noun. A projection of a map of the world on to a cylinder in such a way that all the parallels of latitude have the same length as the equator, used especially for marine charts and certain climatological maps. Comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web Mercator is a conformal map projection for some time because... ( e.g., Mercator projections lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered to... Later sections it forces the map to create a distortion away from equator. Refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have suggestions to improve this article most... 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