Question

In order to preserve area at high latitudes on a map, __________ must be used, and this requires that meridians and parallels __________.

A) a conformal projection; converge
B) a cylindrical projection; diverge
C) an equal-area projection; diverge
D) a conformal projection; diverge

Answer 1

The correct answer is an equal-area projection that requires meridians and parallels to diverge in order to preserve area at high latitudes on a map.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to preserve area at high latitudes on a map, an equal-area projection must be used, and this requires that meridians and parallels diverge.

This can be understood by considering that an equal-area projection is designed to maintain the area ratio between different parts of the Earth, ensuring that the representation of areas does not get distorted as it often does in other types of projections. For instance, Mercator projections, which are a form of cylindrical projection, keep the angles intact but distort the area, especially as one moves away from the equator towards the poles, making countries at high latitudes appear much larger than they actually are.