Lilly Lutz Blog #5

Today in class we learned about how to interpret maps. We defined map scale, projection, meridian, longitude, parallel, latitude and prime meridian. We also learned what the role of map scale and projection in interpreting maps.

A map scale is the level of detail and the amount of area covered on the map depend on its map scale. A map scale can be presented in three different ways, ratio or fraction scale, written scale or graphic scale.

A map projection is a systematic transformation  of the latitudes and longitudes from the surface of the sphere into the locations on a plane. Maps cannot be created without map projections.

A meridian is a circle of a constant longitude passing through a given place on earth's surface and the terrestrial poles.

Longitude is the geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. Latitude is the geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position on the Earth's surface. Latitude is the angle that ranges from 0 degrees at the equator to 90 degrees.

Parallel is the imaginary circle around the Earth's surface formed by the intersection of a plane parallel to the plane of the equator.

The final definition is prime meridian is a meridian (a line of longitude) in a geographic coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0 degrees.

The purpose of a map scale is to level out the detail of area covered on the map and the purpose of projections is to transform the longitudes and latitudes from the surface of the sphere into the locations on a plane. Without projections, maps could not be created.

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