EASE Grids Map Projection & Grid Definitions
Map Projection Details
The four EASE Grid projections comprise two polar azimuthal equal-area projections for the Northern and Southern hemispheres, a global cylindrical equal-area projection, and a temperate zone cylindrical equal-area projection (Fig. 1); the temperate projection is a subset of the global projection with different latitudinal bounds. More details about these four EASE Grid projections are available in Brodzik and Knowles 2002, Brodzik et al. 2012, and Brodzik et al. 2014.

Grid Definitions
Each EASE Grid projections can be covered by many different grids. These grids are, essentially, the parameters necessary to define a transparent piece of graph paper that is overlaid on a flat map and then anchored to it at the map origin. The following four elements completely describe a grid:
- the map projection
- the numbers of columns and rows
- the area of each grid cell
- the location of the map's origin
Any number of grid definitions can therefore be used to describe the effect of changing the "graph paper." For example, doubling the number of columns or rows doubles the resolution; see Figure 2 for an example of how this scaling can produce a family of multi-resolution grids that nest within one another. Though the user has complete flexibility to define a custom grid for any EASE Grid projection, the tables below describe some common EASE Grids in detail. More details about how to define and use these grids can be found on the FAQ page.

- 1 km
- 3 km
- 3.125 km
- 6.25 km
- 9 km
- 12.5 km
- 25 km
- 36 km
EASE Grid Version
|
Projection
|
Number of Columns
|
Number of Rows
|
Grid Cell Area |
x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
34,704 | 14,616 | 1000.90 m x 1000.90 m | -17367530.45 | 7314540.83 |
EASE Grid Version
|
Projection
|
Number of Columns
|
Number of Rows
|
Grid Cell Area
|
x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
11568 | 4872 | 3,002.69 m x 3,002.69 m | -17367530.45 | 7314540.83 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6931) |
6000 | 6000 | 3,000 m x 3,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6932) |
6000 | 6000 | 3,000 m x 3,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE Grid Version
|
Projection
|
Number of Columns
|
Number of Rows
|
Grid Cell Area
|
x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
11104 | 4672 | 3,128.16 m x 3,128.16 m | -17367530.45 | 7307375.92 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6931) |
5760 | 5760 | 3,125 m x 3,125 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6932) |
5760 | 5760 | 3,125 m x 3,125 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Temperate Zones, Cylindrical Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
11104 | 4320 | 3,128.16 m x 3,128.16 m | -17367530.45 | 6756820.20 |
Grid Name
|
Projection
|
Number of Columns
|
Number of Rows
|
Grid Cell Area
|
x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel
|
y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid 2.0
|
Global, Equal-Area
(EPSG: 6933) |
5552
|
2336
|
6,256.32 m x 6,256.32 m
|
-17367530.45
|
7307375.92
|
EASE-Grid 2.0
|
Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal
(EPSG: 6931) |
2880
|
2880
|
6,250 m x 6,250 m
|
-9000000.0
|
9000000.0
|
EASE-Grid 2.0
|
Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal
(EPSG: 6932) |
2880
|
2880
|
6,250 m x 6,250 m
|
-9000000.0
|
9000000.0
|
EASE-Grid 2.0
|
Temperate Zones, Cylindrical Equal-Area
(EPSG: 6933) |
5552
|
2160
|
6,256.32 m x 6,256.32 m
|
-17367530.45
|
6756820.20 |
Grid Name | Projection | Number of Columns | Number of Rows | Grid Cell Area | x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel | y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
3856 | 1624 | 9,008.05 m x 9,008.05 m | -17367530.45 | 7314540.83 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6931) |
2000 | 2000 | 9,000 m x 9,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6932) |
2000 | 2000 | 9,000 m x 9,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
Grid Name | Projection | Number of Columns | Number of Rows | Grid Cell Area | x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel | y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 3410) |
2766 | 1171 | 12,533.76 m x 12,533.76 m | -17327927.35 | 7338516.48 |
EASE-Grid | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 3408) |
1441 | 1441 | 12,533.76 m x 12,533.76 m | -9030574.08 | 9030574.08 |
EASE-Grid | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 3409) |
1441 | 1441 | 12,533.76 m x 12,533.76 m | -9030574.08 | 9030574.08 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
2776 | 1168 | 12,512.63 m x 12,512.63 m | -17367530.45 | 7307375.92 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6931) |
1440 | 1440 | 12,500 m x 12,500 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6932) |
1440 | 1440 | 12,500 m x 12,500 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Temperate Zones, Cylindrical Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
2776 | 1080 | 12,512.63 m x 12,512.63 m | -17367530.45 | 6756820.20 |
Grid Name | Projection | Number of Columns | Number of Rows | Grid Cell Area | x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel | y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 3410) |
1383 | 586 | 25,067.53 m x 25,067.53 m | -17334193.54 | 7344784.83 |
EASE-Grid | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 3408) |
721 | 721 |
25,067.53 m x 25,067.53 m
|
-9036842.76 | 9036842.76 |
EASE-Grid | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 3409) |
721 | 721 | 25,067.53 m x 25,067.53 m | -9036842.76 | 9036842.76 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
1388 | 584 | 25,025.26 m x 25,025.26 m | -17367530.45 | 7307375.92 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6931) |
720 | 720 | 25,000 m x 25,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6932) |
720 | 720 | 25,000 m x 25,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Temperate Zones, Cylindrical Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
1388 | 540 | 25,025.26 m x 25,025.26 m | -17367530.45 | 6756820.20 |
Grid Name | Projection | Number of Columns | Number of Rows | Grid Cell Area | x-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel | y-axis map coordinate of the outer edge of the upper-left pixel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Global, Equal-Area (EPSG: 6933) |
964 | 406 | 36,032.22 m x 36,032.22 m | -17367530.45 | 7314540.83 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Northern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6931) |
500 | 500 | 36,000 m x 36,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
EASE-Grid 2.0 | Southern Hemisphere, Lambert Azimuthal (EPSG: 6932) |
500 | 500 | 36,000 m x 36,000 m | -9000000.0 | 9000000.0 |
References
Brodzik, M. J. and K. W. Knowles. 2002. “Chapter 5: EASE-Grid: A Versatile Set of Equal-Area Projections and Grids.” in Michael F.Goodchild (Ed.) Discrete Global Grids: A Web Book. Santa Barbara, California USA: National Center for Geographic Information & Analysis. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9492q6sm.
Brodzik, M. J., B. Billingsley, T. Haran, B. Raup, M. H. Savoie. 2012. EASE-Grid 2.0: Incremental but Significant Improvements for Earth-Gridded Data Sets. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 1(1):32-45, doi:10.3390/ijgi1010032. http://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/1/1/32.
Brodzik, M. J., B. Billingsley, T. Haran, B. Raup, M. H. Savoie. 2014. Correction: Brodzik, M. J. et al. EASE-Grid 2.0: Incremental but Significant Improvements for Earth-Gridded Data Sets. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 2012, 1, 32-45. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 3(3):1154-1156, doi:10.3390/ijgi3031154. http://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/3/3/1154.