Eckert II

Classifications

pseudocylindric
equal-area

Graticule

Meridians: Equally spaced straight lines broken at the equator. Central meridian is half as long as the equator.
Parallels: Unequally spaced straight parallel lines, widest separation near the equator. Perpendicular to the central meridian.
Poles: Lines half as long as the equator.
Symmetry: About the central meridian or the equator.

Scale

True along latitudes 55°10′N and S. Constant along any given latitude; same for the latitude of opposite sign.

Distortion

Free of distortion only at latitudes 55°10′N and S. At the central meridian. Break at the equator introduces excessive distortion there. Discontinuous ellipses are shown there owing to the plotting algorithm; actually, the shape is indeterminate on the equator.

Usage

Novelty showing straight-line equal-area graticule.

Similar projections

Eckert I has meridians positioned identically, but parallels are equidistant. Collignon projection has straight meridians and is equal-area, but meridians are not broken at the equator, and the poles are different.

Origin

Presented by Max Eckert (1868-1938) of Germany in 1906.

Description adapted from J.P. Snyder and P.M. Voxland, An Album of Map Projections, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1453. United States Government Printing Office: 1989.