Distortion of Areas of the Earths Surface on a Chart

A Spheroidal surface CANNOT be fitted exactly

on to a plane and, except over very small
Areas, all Projections will contain some
distortion. When the outline of three identical
circular Areas from different parts of the
Earths surface are each Projected from a
point of origin at the centre of the Earth on to
a plane chart, they are represented by a quite
different sizes and shapes.







Graticules. A Graticule is the network of lines representing the Parallels of Latitude
and Meridians of Longitude in a Projection.

Grids. A Grid is a reference system of rectangular Cartesian Coordinates obtained
when a Projection is applied either to the whole world or a part of it.