TITLE:
Computational Quantification of Map Projection Distortion by Fractal Dimension of Coastlines
AUTHORS:
Franklin Lee
KEYWORDS:
Map Projection Distortion, Coastline, Fractal Dimension, Cartography, Geographic Information Systems
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: Maps, essential tools for portraying the Earth’s surface, inherently introduce distortions to geographical features. While various quantification methods exist for assessing these distortions, they often fall short when evaluating actual geographic features. In our study, we took a novel approach by analyzing map projection distortion from a geometric perspective. We computed the fractal dimensions of different stretches of coastline before and after projection using the divide-and-conquer algorithm and image processing. Our findings revealed that map projections, even when preserving basic shapes, inevitably stretch and compress coastlines in diverse directions. This analysis method provides a more realistic and practical way to measure map-induced distortions, with significant implications for cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and geomorphology. By bridging the gap between theoretical analysis and real-world features, this method greatly enhances accuracy and practicality when evaluating map projections.