Create maps and perform spatial analysis

Design maps and analyze spatial data with appropriate projections

Creating area-accurate or direction-accurate maps when projection distortion directly affects decision (navigation vs. density comparison).

• · geographic features
• · thematic data
• · map projection requirements
• · scale and extent

• · cartographic representation
• · spatial analysis results
• · projection-appropriate visualization

• · GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS)
• · satellite imagery sources
• · coordinate system libraries

Datum and coordinate system defined; projection choice justified against map purpose

Wrong projection applied (Mercator used for area comparison causes 26% Greenland overstatement); edge effects misinterpreted as feature; choropleth on non-normalized data

• · Mercator area distortion quantified (Greenland appears larger than Africa)
• · Tobler's First Law operationalized into projection selection rules
• · UTM zone limits distortion to <1:10,000 within 3-degree band