ABSTRACT
Conformal projections constitute another important class of map projections. One important characteristic of conformal projections is that the shape of an area is locally maintained during the transformation from the model of the Earth to the mapping surface. This chapter discusses the general procedure for the transformation. It introduces the conformal sphere, which may be used as intermediate stage in the transformation from the reference spheroid to the map. The chapter considers the following conformal projections: the Mercator, the Lambert conformal, and the stereographic. It discusses three variations of the Mercator: the regular (or equatorial), the oblique, and the transverse. The chapter represents the Lambert conformal projection by the one- and two-standard parallel cases. The Lambert conformal with two standard parallels and the stereographic projections are obtained by mathematical manipulation of the derivation for the Lambert conformal with one standard parallel. The chapter presents the derivations of the polar, equatorial, and oblique versions of the stereographic projection.
