minutes in a degree; and never more than 60 seconds
in a minute.
1. Latitude lines are called Parallels of Latitude.
Latitude originates at the equator at 0°. It increases
toward the north and south poles to 90°. It is labeled N
or + for positions in the northern hemisphere; S or -
for positions in the southern hemisphere (i.e. 34°N,
+34°, 34°S, -34°). See Figure 2-16.
Figure 2-16 Parallels of Latitude
2. Longitude lines are called Meridians of Longitude.
Longitude originates with 0° at the Greenwich
Meridian for most geographic systems; however, some
systems reference other meridians as the 0° origin or
Prime Meridian (see paragraph 2-21). It increases east
and west toward the International Dateline at 180°. In
the eastern hemisphere, longitude is labeled E or +; in
the western hemisphere, it is labeled W or - (i.e.
107°E, +107°, 107°W, -107°). In some cases, the
position of a point may include a longitude in excess of
180° E. These are converted to the standard format by
subtracting the longitude from 360° (e.g. 206°E =
154°W). The north and south poles do not have a
longitude. See Figure 2-17.
E
W
+
90°
90°
60°
60°
30°
30°
Figure 2-17 Meridians of Longitude
3. A network of lines on a map representing
parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude is
called a graticule. See Figure 2-18. A graticule can
represent the entire globe or a small region of the
earth.
Figure 2-18 Graticule
c. Convergence. The inclination of two meridians
toward each other is called Convergence of the
Meridians or more commonly Convergence. All
meridians of longitude are parallel at the equator and
intersect at the poles. See Figure 2-18. The conver-
gence of the meridians at the equator is 0°. At the
poles, the convergence is equal to the difference
between the longitude values of the meridians.
Between the equator and the poles the convergence
varies from 0° to the difference in the longitude values.
Because of this, a geodetic azimuth and its back
azimuth will differ by the convergence.
2-19 Geodetic Coordinates
a. Geodetic Coordinates are the quantities of latitude
( ), longitude ( ), and ellipsoid height (h) which
f
l
define the position of a point on the earth's surface
with respect to the reference ellipsoid. This type of
geographic coordinates are the most commonly used by
surveyors and cartographers. If the reference ellipsoid
is geocentric (i.e.. WGS-84), the coordinates are
termed Geocentric Geodetic Coordinates.
b. The geodetic longitude of a point on the earth's
surface is the angle formed by the intersection of the
plane containing the Prime Meridian (x-z cartesian
plane) and the meridional plane containing the point.
The geodetic latitude of a point is the angle formed
by the intersection of the equatorial plane (x-y
cartesian plane) and a line which passes through the
point and is perpendicular to the reference ellipsoid.
DRAFT
2-9