What Is Map Projection?

A map projection manages distortions introduced when representing the 3-D surface of the Earth on a 2-D display. Distortions manifest themselves in the display of areas, distances, directions, and shapes. To address this problem, mapping software uses these projections to create accurate map displays.

Map projections can be divided into three main classes: cylindrical, conic, and azimuthal. For example, the popular Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system covers the Earth’s surface in 60 zones, each using a secant transverse Mercator (cylindrical) projection with an ellipsoidal model of Earth.

For more information, see Mapping Toolbox™.

Examples and How To

Creating Maps from Geographic (Latitude, Longitude) Data - Example
Un-Projecting a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) - Example
Mapping and Geospatial Data Analysis Using MATLAB (37:57) - Video
TYBRIN Accurately Predicts Debris Fallout from Missile Tests - Customer Story

Software Reference

Three Main Families of Map Projections - Documentation
Using Map Projections and Coordinate Systems - Documentation
Visualizing and Quantifying Projection Distortions - Documentation
Working with the UTM System - Documentation

Importing Geographic Data and Creating Map Displays