How are equal-area projections of Earth inaccurate?
There are distortions near the center of the map.
Directions and the shapes of the landmasses are distorted.
This projection does not show true sizes.
Areas close to the poles are disproportionately large.
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The correct answer is:
Areas close to the poles are disproportionately large.
Areas close to the poles are disproportionately large.
The answer is: "Areas close to the poles are disproportionately large."
To understand why equal-area projections of Earth are inaccurate, we need to know a bit about map projections. Map projections are methods used to represent the three-dimensional Earth on a two-dimensional surface, such as a map. No single projection can accurately represent all features of the Earth's surface.
Equal-area projections are designed to preserve the relative sizes of different areas on the Earth. They do this by sacrificing other properties, such as shape or direction. However, they still cannot completely eliminate distortions.
In the case of equal-area projections, areas near the poles appear larger than they actually are. This happens because the Earth's surface is curved, while the map is flat. When the curved surface is projected onto a flat map, distortions occur. Near the poles, the lines of latitude (which are normally parallel) become increasingly spread out as they approach the pole, resulting in larger areas being represented.
In addition to the distortion of areas, equal-area projections can also distort shapes and directions. Since the projection stretches the map in certain areas, shapes of landmasses may become elongated or compressed. Similarly, the projection can cause variations in the straightness of lines, distorting direction.
To minimize distortions, cartographers have developed various types of map projections, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Different projections are suitable for different purposes, depending on what aspect of the Earth's surface needs to be accurately represented.