Rate This Article

Average: 0/5

Mercator, Gerardus

Mercator, Gerardus

This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Peter Saundry

Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594), a Flemish geographer, mathematician, and cartographer whose most important innovation was a map, using what was later known as the Mercator projection, on which parallels and meridians are rendered as straight lines spaced so as to produce at any point an accurate ratio of latitude to longitude. The first map using this projection that bears his name appeared in 1569. In 1585, Mercator began a work, in which he introduced the word 'atlas', that included many of his earlier maps; the atlas was completed by his son and published in 1594. Mercator also produced the first globe to have rhumb lines (1541), based on his observation that a ship sailing towards the same point of the compass would follow a curve called a loxodrome (also called a rhumb line or spherical helix). Earlier globes had been constructed based on incorrect data from sailors who assumed that following a particular compass course would have them travel in a straight line.

Citation

Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Mercator, Gerardus". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved May 21, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mercator,_Gerardus>

The Author

Cutler J. Cleveland Cutler J. Cleveland  is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth.  He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)

0 Comments

Add Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment. Click here to login