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Proposal for a Unique Cartographic Projection System for the Galapagos Islands in Order to Generate Cartography at Large Scales

Abstract:

The conservation of Galapagos is a priority component in Ecuador's territorial planning and administration policy, because it is a world benchmark for biodiversity. It is also located in four different zones in the U.T.M representation (15 N, 15 S, 16 N, 16 S). In this sense, it is necessary to have a detailed and precise representation of this territory, which is why the lack of a single cartographic projection system that ensures minimal deformations and meets the precision required for large scales has been evidenced. The objective of the current study has been to define and validate a unique Local Cartographic Projection System for Galapagos in order to generate cartography at large scales, by calculating cartographic, geodetic and topographic parameters. Such investigation consisted of verifying several projections that due to their characteristics were better adapted to the study area. The four best ones were selected based on the calculation of the linear deformation modules, errors in distances and areas, which served to determine the planimetric precisions with which the best projection could be obtained to be used from scales 1:1000 to smaller. The Modified Gauss Krüger projection was selected using the Bessel ellipsoid (1841), obtaining precisions of less than 0.30 m, which corresponds to the parameters established by the Military Geographic Institute of Ecuador (IGM) to generate cartography at a scale of 1:1000.