What is the primary cause of cartographic distortion?

The primary cause of cartographic distortion is indeed related to the projection of a three-dimensional structure, such as the Earth, onto a two-dimensional surface, like a map. When creating a map, cartographers must find a way to represent the curved surface of the Earth in a flat format. This process inherently leads to distortions in various characteristics, including area, shape, distance, and direction.

Different map projections handle this trade-off in various ways, often prioritizing one characteristic over others. For instance, a Mercator projection preserves angles and shapes but significantly distorts the size, especially near the poles. The choice of projection fundamentally influences how we perceive spatial relationships on the Earth's surface and is crucial for understanding the limitations and applications of different maps.

In contrast, using inaccurate measurements in mapping and changes in landforms over time can contribute to inaccuracies, but they do not fundamentally explain the systematic distortions that arise from attempting to represent a curved surface in a flat format. The curvature of the Earth's surface is a factor but is not the main cause of distortion; rather, it is the result of the projection method chosen.