Question

Which of the following statements regarding Mercator projection are true? \[ \begin{aligned} A.&\ \text{It is an orthomorphic projection.} B.&\ \text{It does not belong to the cylindrical group of projections.} C.&\ \text{Greenland on this projection appears greater than South America.} D.&\ \text{It is commonly used for navigation purpose.} \end{aligned} \] Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. A, B and C only
• B. A, C and D only
• C. B, C and D only
• D. A, B and D only

Hint:

Mercator Projection: \[ \boxed{ \begin{aligned} \text{Type} &\rightarrow \text{Cylindrical}, \text{Property} &\rightarrow \text{Conformal}, \text{Use} &\rightarrow \text{Navigation}, \text{Distortion} &\rightarrow \text{Large near Poles}. \end{aligned} } \] Mnemonic: “Mercator = Marine Maps.”

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Mercator projection is a cylindrical conformal (orthomorphic) projection. It greatly exaggerates the size of high-latitude regions such as Greenland and is widely used in marine navigation because rhumb lines appear as straight lines.

Step 1: Evaluate each statement. \[ \begin{aligned} A.&\ \text{True. It is orthomorphic (conformal).} B.&\ \text{False. It belongs to the cylindrical group.} C.&\ \text{True. Greenland appears larger than South America.} D.&\ \text{True. It is widely used for navigation.} \end{aligned} \]

Step 2: Identify the correct combination. \[ \boxed{ A,\ C,\ \text{and}\ D } \] Hence, \[ \boxed{\text{(B)}} \]