Ross Connolly
8/10
Lab 2
Question 1: List the buttons in the Data Frame Properties Coordinate System window. Give a short description of the function of each button.
Transformations – Used to review and define the transformations ArcMap makes between the current geographic coordinate system used and that of new imported data.
Modify – Allows you to edit the parameters of the data set’s coordinate system. It is also used to view the existing parameters of the data set. It will be disabled if there is “No Projection” or “Unknown.”
Import – Allows you to specify the coordinate system for the data set by importing a different coordinate system from another data source.
New – Allows you to define a new coordinate system for the data frame.
Add to Favorites – Adds the selected coordinate system to a Favorites folder.
Question 2: Has the shape and appearance of the United States changed? If so, how?
Yes, the shape and appearance has changed. In the USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic projection, the continental United States look relatively accurate, however, Alaska is stretched to the left and extremely distorted. While the area of the USA is preserved, the sections of the projection farther away from the standard parallels are more distorted.
Changed from GCS North American to USA Albers Equal Area Conic; from planner to conic; GCS preserved the shape; Albers preserves the area
-.5
Question 3: List the names and values of the parameters that appear in the Coordinate System tab in Data Frame Properties window for this coordinate system.
USA_Contiguous_Albers_Equal_Area_Conic
Projection: Albers
False_Easting: 0.000000
False_Northing: 0.000000
Central_Meridian: -96.000000
Standard_Parallel_1: 29.500000
Standard_Parallel_2: 45.500000
Latitude_Of_Origin: 37.500000
Linear Unit: Meter
GCS_North_American_1983
Datum: D_North_American_1983
Question 4: Given the appearance of the data now, do you feel that the Albers Equal Area Projection is appropriate for viewing the entire world? Attach and describe the current view.
I do not feel that the Albers Equal Area Projection is appropriate for viewing the entire world. While area is preserved in this projection, the shape of the continents is extremely distorted. With the exception of North America, in which appears shape appears more accurately, the other continents are stretched and distorted to a degree that makes it inappropriate for viewing the entire world.
It is true to area, but it distorts shape and direction.
Can be used to view one country at a time
Question 5: Describe and attach the current ArcMap window.
This ArcMap window in the Layout View shows four identical Data Frames on one page. These Albers Equal Area Projections were taken from Data View and copied, then laid out one single layout page in Layout View.
Question 6: Describe the difference between the four Data Frames: three projected and one unprojected.
The data frames all contain different projections of the world map. One data frame was changed back to the GCS North American 1983. The three projected maps are different projections of the world which include Mercator, Sinusoidal, and Robinson. The GCS North American 1983, Mercator, and Robinson, and Sinusoidal projections are all slightly different projections, each preserving and distorting elements to a certain degree.
The Mercator map increasingly distorts the size of countries as it moves away from the equator. However, it preserves shape. The Robinson projection is only distorts area at the poles. It compromises between area and shape, but is not true to either. The sinusoidal map is an equal area map around the equator but greatly distorts the area as one gets closer to the poles. Last the GCS North American map is perhaps the best projection. This map is clearly another compromise between shape and area.
Robinson: not a conformal or equivalent projection; average between two or more similar projections which causes the amplitude of distortion across the map not to fluctuate as much as with other projections.
Sinusoidal: presents an accurate representation of area/distance at every parallel and the central meridian
GCS: simply stretched across the screen from right to left
-1.5
Question 7: Choose one layout of four layouts to make your final map. Put your final map including text, legend, north arrow, scale bar, etc. on your lab report.