The Mercator projection is characterized by

The Mercator projection is characterized by

• A. It preserves sizes at the poles but distorts shapes.
• B. It shows true direction but distorts the size of the continents at the poles; sailors use this projection for navigation.
• C. It shows only the Northern Hemisphere.
• D. It is used primarily for global climate analysis.

Answer: (B)

Mercator maps are designed to help with navigation by preserving directions: lines of constant bearing appear as straight lines, so a ship can follow a single compass direction and stay on course on the map. This feature makes navigation easier over long distances. But to keep those straight bearings, the projection greatly enlarges areas as you move toward the poles, so landmasses near the top and bottom of the map look much bigger than they actually are. That polar-size distortion is the trade-off that comes with the true-direction property, which is why sailors historically used this projection for plotting courses. It isn’t limited to the Northern Hemisphere, and it isn’t best for comparing true sizes globally or for climate analysis, because the distortion at high latitudes is a major caveat.

Mercator maps are designed to help with navigation by preserving directions: lines of constant bearing appear as straight lines, so a ship can follow a single compass direction and stay on course on the map. This feature makes navigation easier over long distances. But to keep those straight bearings, the projection greatly enlarges areas as you move toward the poles, so landmasses near the top and bottom of the map look much bigger than they actually are. That polar-size distortion is the trade-off that comes with the true-direction property, which is why sailors historically used this projection for plotting courses. It isn’t limited to the Northern Hemisphere, and it isn’t best for comparing true sizes globally or for climate analysis, because the distortion at high latitudes is a major caveat.