Review article

https://doi.org/10.67252/gl.2026.80.3.2

Tissot Equivalent Conic Projection of the Sphere

Miljenko Lapaine ; Croatian Cartographic Society, Zagreb, Croatia *

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

N. A. Tissot is best known in the theory of map projections for the distortion ellipse, now commonly referred to as Tissot’s indicatrix. By contrast, his equal-area conic projection with the smallest maximum angular distortion has received very little attention. This projection is a special case of the Lambert equal-area conic projection. In this article, we examine this projection under the additional constraint of a single standard parallel. Rather than prescribing the standard parallel in advance, Tissot required that the region between two given parallels be mapped with equal area while minimizing the maximum angular distortion. Although Tissot presented only the final formulas, this article provides a detailed derivation of those results. It also illustrates the local linear scale factors along the meridians and parallels with appropriate graphs and presents maps of the Northern Hemisphere and the entire world constructed using this projection.

Keywords

Tissot; conic projection; equivalent projection

Hrčak ID:

351466

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/351466

Publication date:

30.9.2026.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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