TERRESTRIAL NAVIGATION

BSC SEM I
UNIT 1 - EARTH
EARTH
SHAPE OF THE EARTH
- Not a true sphere
- Oblate spheroid
- The Equatorial diameter(7926.7 statute miles) is greater than the
Polar diameter(7899.5 statute miles)
- The difference 27 miles is small compared to the average of 7913
miles. Hence the Earth may be considered as a true sphere for most
purposes

Statute or Land mile: is an arbitrary measure of distance

& has been legally fixed at 5280 feet or 1609.3 meters
 DEFNITIONS
Axis - The diameter about which the Earth rotates
Poles – The geographic poles are the two points
where the axis meets the Earth’s surface
❑ The Earth rotates about its axis once each day
❑ The Direction of the Earth’s rotation is East. West
is 180 degrees from East
❑ North is 90° to the left of East and South is 90°
to the right of East
❑ The two poles of the Earth are designated as
North Pole and South Pole
DEFNITIONS
Great Circle – a circle on the surface of
the sphere , the plane of which passes
through the Centre of the sphere
❑There is only one great circle through
any two points on the sphere’s surface
except if the two points are at the two
ends of a diameter when an infinite
number of great circles are possible
Small Circle – a circle on the surface of
the sphere , the plane of which does not
pass through the centre of the sphere
 SPHERICAL TRIANGLE
Spherical triangle is defined as a triangle formed on the surface of a sphere by the
intersection of the arcs of three great circles. Note that the sides are formed only by arcs of
great circles, never by small circles
 DEFNITIONS
Equator – a great circle on the surface of
the Earth, the plane of which is
perpendicular to the Earth’s axis
❑ The Equator divides the Earth into the
North and South hemispheres.
❑ Latitudes are measured North or South
of the Equator
Parallels of Latitude - Small circles on the
Earth’s surface , the planes of which are
parallel to the Equator. All parellels run
East – West
 DEFNITIONS
Meridians – Semi great circles on the
earth , joining the two poles. The other
half of the great circle forms yet another
meridian
❑ All meridians intersect the Equator and
the parallels of latitude at 90°.
❑ Since the meridians join the poles , all
meridians run North - South
DEFNITIONS
Prime Meridian – The meridian which
passes through Greenwich. The other
meridians are named East or West from
the Prime Meridian
❑QDQ’ is a great circle as its plane passes
through C, the centre of the sphere
❑LGL’ is a small circle
❑N & S are North and South pole respectively
❑NCS the Earth’s axis
❑QQ’ the Equator
 EARTH
❑LL’ the parallel of latitude
❑NDS, NES and NFS are the meridians
❑NGS the Prime meridian( through Greenwich)
❑Latitude of A – arc AD or angle ACD(the lat is N)
❑Longitude of A – arc ED or angle GNA(the long is
W)
❑Latitude of B – arc FB or angle FCB(the lat is S)
❑Longitude of B- arc EF or angle ENF (the long is E)
❑Dlat from A to B – arc AH or angle ACH(the dlat is
S)
❑Dlong from A to B – arc DF or angle ANB(the dlong
is E )
LATITUDE
Latitude of a place – arc of the
meridian or the angle at the centre of
the Earth contained between the
Equator and the parallel of latitude
through that place. Latitudes are
measured from 0° to 90° North or South
of the Equator
 LONGITUDE
Longitude of a place is the arc of the Equator or
the angle at the poles contained between the
Prime meridian and the meridian through that
place.
❑ Longitudes are measured from 0° to 180° and
named East or West according to the place
being East or West of the Prime Meridian

❑Any position on the Earth is established, if its

latitude and longitude are defined
DIFFERECE IN LATITUDE - DLAT
The dlat between two places is the arc of the
meridian or angle at the centre of the Earth
contained between the parellels of latitude
through the two places
❑ Dlat is named North or South according to the
direction from the first place to the second.
❑Eg .dlat from 30°N to 20°N is 10°S and dlat
from 10°S to 15°N is 25°N
 DIFFERENCE IN LONGITUDE – DLONG
The dlong between two places is the shorter arc of the Equator or the smaller
angle at the poles contained between the meridians through the two places.
❑Dlong is named East or West according to the direction from the first place
to the second place
❑Eg dlong 070° E to 110° E is 40° E
dlong 090°W to 040°W is 50° E
dlong 020°E to 030°W is 50°W
* dlong 160°W to 170°E is 30°W
*dlong 155°E to 070°W is 135°E
*The shorter arc crosses the 180th meridian and therefore the dlong is named
in the direction of the 180th meridian from the first place
MEAN LATITUDE
The Mean Latitude between two latitudes is the arithmetic mean between them
EFFECT OF POLAR
COMPRESSION ON
NAUTICAL MILE
 EFFECT OF POLAR
COMPRESSION ON NAUTICAL
MILE
 DISTANCE
NAUTICAL MILE
It is also called sea mile and is used to measure distances at sea. It is
defined as the length of a minute of latitude or the length of an arc of
a meridian which subtends an angle of 1’ at the centre of curvature.
Though it changes from pole to the Equator, by international
agreement the chosen length of international Nautical Mile is 1852
meters or 6076.1 feet. It has superseded the earlier British or U.K.
Nautical Mile of 1853.2 meters or 6080 feet.
n.m. is divided into 10 cables. 1 cable = 600 feet.
Statute or Land mile: is an arbitrary measure of distance & has been
legally fixed at 5280 feet or 1609.3 meters.
Geographic Mile: is constant & is of length of 1 minute of the Equatorial arc =
6087 feet = 1855.4 meters
Cable: The Cable is the tenth part of a sea mile , the mean value being 203
yards. But it is customary to regard a Cable as 200 yards = 600 feet = 100 fathoms
in length.
Knot: is a unit of speed and represents a speed of one nautical mile per hour.
Kilometer is the approximate length of 1/10000 part of a meridian
between the Equator and the pole
(90*60=5400’*1.8523 Km=10002.43Km)
600 Feet = 1 Cable
100 Fathoms = 1 Cable
1 Cable = 200 Yards
10 Cables = 1 Sea Mile
1 n.m. = 6076.1 Feet
1Knot = 6076.1 feet per hour
=1852 meters /hour
1Statute mile =5280 feet