| Mercator projection n. A cylindrical map projection in which the meridians and parallels of latitude appear as lines crossing at right angles and in which areas appear greater farther from the equator. [After Gerhardus Mercator.] |   |
Mercator projection [mɜːˈkeɪtə]
n
(Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) an orthomorphic map projection on which parallels and meridians form a rectangular grid, scale being exaggerated with increasing distance from the equator Also called Mercator's projection
[named after Gerardus Mercator, Latinized name of Gerhard Kremer (1512-94), Flemish cartographer and mathematician]
| Mercator projection A cylindrical projection of the Earth's surface developed by Gerhardus Mercator. As in other such projections, the areas farther from the equator appear larger, making the polar regions greatly distorted. However, the faithful representation of direction in a Mercator projection makes it ideal for navigation. See more at cylindrical projection. |  |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Mercator projection - a map projection of the earth onto a cylinder; areas appear greater the farther they are from the equatormap projection - a projection of the globe onto a flat map using a grid of lines of latitude and longitude |
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|