I've generated a simple 20 mile buffer on a point in Southern California but it comes out as an ellipse. When I use the measuring tool the buffer ring is 20 miles from the point, but shouldn't it be a circle? I'm using GCS North American 1983 for the coordinate system and the Datum is D North American 1983.
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Your buffer is an ellipse since it is in Geographic Coordinates. If you want a circle, then set the map/dataframe to a projected coordinate system. Longitude spacing decreases as you head poleward, so circles defined in geographic coordinates become ellipses.
Thanks to 'Tissot' this is a well documented phenomenon
Tissot's indicatrix helps illustrate map projection distortion
Your buffer is an ellipse since it is in Geographic Coordinates. If you want a circle, then set the map/dataframe to a projected coordinate system. Longitude spacing decreases as you head poleward, so circles defined in geographic coordinates become ellipses.
Thanks to 'Tissot' this is a well documented phenomenon
Tissot's indicatrix helps illustrate map projection distortion
Thank you, I thought of that while out shopping. It's fixed now.