Kent J. Lethcoe1 and Robert W. Klaver1

Using the Interrupted Goode Homolosine Projection2

The Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection is an interrupted, pseudocylindrical, equal-area, composite map projection designed to present the entire world on the same map. This projection presents the global land masses with minimal interruption and minimal overall shape distortion. Vector and raster data in the Interrupted Goode Homolosine map projection are available to the spatial data community through the USGS EROS Data Center. Data sets that use or will use this projection include the Global Land 1-kilometer Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery of the world land masses, a corresponding land/water mask generated from World Vector Shoreline and Digital Chart of the World Drainage layer sources, the 1-kilometer Global Land Cover Characterization data set, MODIS imagery, and the SPOT Vegetation data set. Data from these data sets can be valuable supplements to scientific investigations. However, the user must be able to georeference the data in these projections.

The Interrupted Goode Homolosine map projection is divided into twelve discrete regions that form six interrupted lobes. The northern regions are often presented with some land areas repeated, showing them without interruption. The Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection currently is not supported in Geographic Information System (GIS) software packages such as ArcInfo3. Fortunately, the twelve discrete regions can be formed from instances of the Mollweide and Sinusoidal map projections, which usually are both supported in GIS software packages. Vector and raster data can be projected into the Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection by splitting it into the appropriate Goode's regions, projecting the separate regions according to the appropriate component projection (Mollweide or Sinusoidal) and offsets, and joining the projected regions into one data set. Data can be projected out of the Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection by splitting it according to the twelve Goode's regions, projecting it from each region's component projection (Mollweide or Sinusoidal) to the required output projection, and joining the desired regions.

1. Hughes STX Corporation. Work performed under U.S. Geological Survey contract 1434-CR-97-CN-40274.
 2. This paper is preliminary and has not been edited or reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey standards or nomenclature.
 3. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Kent J. Lethcoe, Systems Analyst
Data Services Branch
Telephone: (605)594-6502
E-mail: lethcoe@edcmail.cr.usgs.gov
Fax: (605)594-6150

Robert W. Klaver, Senior Scientist
Science and Applications Branch
Telephone: (605)594-6067
E-Mail: bklaver@edcmail.cr.usgs.gov
Fax: (605)594-6529

EROS Data Center
Sioux Falls, SD 57198