Introduction

Objectives

Methodology

Analysis

Error Issues

Results

Before joining coverages, ticks were transformed from their original digitizer units into decimal degrees (latitude and longitude) to create locational tic references that would be the same for all of the coverages.  The next stage of projecting proved to be one of the largest problems faced the project.

No projection information was provided on the base map and finding the needed information took a week off of our analysis schedule.  During this week, rather than being able to perform any of our planned analysis, the time was spent looking for the missing projection information.  Internet sources, projection reference books, the SFU library map department, were all thoroughly searched for any possible clues. Various projections in ArcInfo were also tried numerous times through trial and error, all resulting in unacceptable RMS errors (between 500-4000m error).  Many calls and e-mails were also made to the Alberta Geological Survey Department in Edmonton, one of the map’s reference sources.  The information was finally obtained from Dennis Chow, the GIS manager at the Alberta Geological Survey (Edmonton) and the map could finally be projected into a Transverse projection.