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Terrestrial Coordinate
System
The earth is an oblate spheroid, but
for navigational purposes it is
considered a perfect sphere with a
circumference of 21,600 NM.
On a perfect sphere at rest, all points
on the surface are similar; reference
points must be designated in order to
make any type of measurements.
Terrestrial Coordinate
System
When rotation is introduced, the spin
axis introduces two reference points,
the north and south poles.
The spin axis of the earth, together
with its poles, constitutes the basic
reference points on which the
terrestrial coordinate system is
based.
Terrestrial Coordinate
System
Great Circle: the intersection of a plane
passing through two points on the surface
of the earth and the center of the earth.
Some key points:
A great circle is the largest circle that can be
drawn on the face of the earth.
A great circle represents the shortest distance
between two points on the surface of the
earth.
Terrestrial Coordinate
System
Equator
Meridian
Terrestrial Coordinate
System
Small Circle- any circle not passing through the center of the
earth.
Terrestrial Coordinate
System
Meridians of longitude are great circles
Parallels of latitude are small circles
(with the exception of the equator)
Prime Meridian
upper branch is known as the
Greenwich meridian
lower branch is the 180th meridian
Longitude Defined
The angular distance between
the Greenwich meridian and the
meridian passing through a
particular point on the earths
surface. Longitude is measured
in degrees of arc from 0 to 180
degrees, either east or west.
Latitude Defined
The angular distance between
the Equator and the parallel
passing through a particular
point on the earths surface.
Latitude is measured in degrees
of arc from 0 to 90 degrees,
either north or south.
Longitude
Latitude
Measurement of Distance
Since latitude lines are parallel, the
length of one degree of latitude is the
same everywhere on earth (60 NM).
As the distance from the equator
increases, the length in miles of one
degree of longitude decreases, so
NEVER use the longitude scale to
determine distances on a chart.
Measurement of Distance
Chart Projections
Desirable qualities of a chart projection:
Correct angular relationships
Representation of areas in their correct proportions
relative to one another
True scale
Rhumb lines represented as straight lines.
Note: Rhumb lines are lines on the surface of the
earth that cross all meridians at the same angle.
Ships on a constant course follow rhumb lines.
Great circles represented as straight lines
Mercator Projection
Imagine a cylinder rolled around the
earth, tangent at the equator, and
parallel to the earths axis.
Meridians appear as straight vertical
lines when projected outward onto
the cylinder.
Mercator Projection
Mercator Projection
Advantages
Position, Distance,
and direction easily
determined.
True shape of
features is maintained
for small areas
(conformality)
Rhumb lines plot as
straight lines.
Disadvantages
Distortion of true
size of surface
features increases
with distance from
the equator.
Great circles
appear as curved
lines.
Gnomonic Projection
Surface features and reference lines on
the earths surface are projected outward
from the center of the earth onto a tangent
plane.
Three basic types, depending on point of
tangency:
equatorial gnomonic (tangent at equator)
polar gnomonic (tangent at either pole)
oblique gnomonic (tangent somewhere else)
Gnomonic Projection
Gnomonic Projection
Advantages
Disadvantages
Great circles appear Rhumb lines appear
as straight lines
as curved lines
(shortest distance
Distance and
between two points)
direction cannot be
Tolerable distortion
measured directly
within 1000 miles of Not conformal (true
the point of
shapes are not
tangency
presented)
Gnomonic Projection
Mercator
Used for everyday
navigation, due to
the ease of
measurement of
position, distance,
and direction.
Nautical Charts
Two government activities are
responsible for producing charts:
Defense Mapping Agency (DMA)
ocean areas of the world outside U.S.
territorial waters
Chart Scale
An important point to remember:
SMALL SCALE = LARGE AREA
LARGE SCALE = SMALL AREA