Final answer:
The best map projection for accurately comparing the size of different climate regions without distortion is the Equal-area projection (Option D). Mercator projections are not suitable for this purpose as they distort size at increasing latitudes.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you were preparing a map showing the distribution of world climates and wanted to allow accurate comparison of areas and regions, the best type of map projection to use would be D) Equal-area projection. An equal-area projection is designed to maintain the relative size of areas, meaning that different regions and continents will be represented proportionally to their true size on the Earth.
Mercator projections, for example, are known for their distortion of size as the latitude increases, which makes them unsuitable for accurately comparing the size of different areas. They maintain the shapes and angles of continents and countries but greatly exaggerate the size of landmasses near the poles. This is why many maps using Mercator projections show Greenland appearing almost the same size as Africa, despite Africa being several times larger in reality.
Thus, when the goal is to show climates accurately across different regions, an equal-area projection ensures that the surface area of each climate zone is represented without distortion, allowing students and other map viewers to make direct comparisons of the size of different climate regions.