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The Logic of Selecting an Appropriate Map Projection in a Decision Support System (DSS)

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Choosing a Map Projection

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography ((ICA))

Abstract

There are undeniable practical consequences to consider when choosing an appropriate map projection for a specific region. The surface of a globe covered by global, continental, and regional maps are so singular that each type distinctively affects the amount of distortion incurred during a projection transformation because of the an assortment of effects caused by distance, direction, scale , and area. A Decision Support System (DSS) for Map Projections of Small Scale Data was previously developed to help select an appropriate projection. This paper reports on a tutorial to accompany that DSS. The DSS poses questions interactively, allowing the user to decide on the parameters, which in turn determines the logic path to a solution. The objective of including a tutorial to accompany the DSS is achieved by visually representing the path of logic that is taken to a recommended map projection derived from the parameters the user selects. The tutorial informs the DSS user about the pedigree of the projection and provides a basic explanation of the specific projection design. This information is provided by informational pop-ups and other aids.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Mr. Jason Trent and Mr. James Nelson, two former USGS Computer Scientist Trainees, for their work on this version of the DSS. In particular, we are most grateful to Mr. James Nelson for his outstanding efforts on the tutorial and the corresponding Java development. In addition, we thank Misters David M. Mattli and Brian Passuello, USGS Computer Scientists for assistance in keeping the DSS current. Further, we thank Professor Emeritus Nedjeljko Frančula, University of Zagreb, for his valuable comments during the review of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science, U.S. Geological Survey (CEGIS), Denver Federal Centre, Box 25046, Mail Stop 510, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, USA

    Michael P. Finn & Kristina H. Yamamoto

  2. Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science, U.S. Geological Survey CEGIS, Rolla, MO, USA

    E. Lynn Usery & Laura N. Woodard

Authors
  1. Michael P. Finn
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  2. E. Lynn Usery
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  3. Laura N. Woodard
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  4. Kristina H. Yamamoto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael P. Finn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb , Zagreb, Croatia

    Miljenko Lapaine

  2. Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science, U.S. Geological Survey, Rolla, Missouri, USA

    E. Lynn Usery

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Finn, M.P., Lynn Usery, E., Woodard, L.N., Yamamoto, K.H. (2017). The Logic of Selecting an Appropriate Map Projection in a Decision Support System (DSS). In: Lapaine, M., Usery, E. (eds) Choosing a Map Projection. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51835-0_10

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