WEEK 1 – DAY 1 (CONT…)

Earth as an Ellipsoid

Image source: https://techflourish.com/categories/earth-tilt-sun-clipart.html

 Learning Outcomes:
• LO1.2 Describe the earth as an
ellipsoid.
• LO1.3 Define 'compression',
and states its value
Importance of the Topic
• The students will identify the
true shape of the Earth for it
is the basic knowledge and
another step in learning for
the preparation of another
topic.
 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth

9th century BCE

(Homer)
“Flat Earth with
hemispherical sky”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith

 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth
6th century BCE
(Pythagoras)
“Spherical Earth”
As a “perfect
form”
No scientific
deduction

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith

 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth
4th century BCE
(Aristotle)
“Spherical Earth”
Deduction from
horizon issues

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith

 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth
230 BCE
(Eratosthenes)
First computation
of Earth Radius!!
Off by only a
few percent
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith
 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth

(1492? Has
nothing to do
with flat vs.
round)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith

 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth
17th century CE
(L’Academe Royale
de Sciences)
“the Cassinis”
Ellipsoidal Earth
(prolate)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith

 History of Geodesy – Shape of
the Earth
17th century CE (Sir
Isaac Newton)
Ellipsoidal Earth
(oblate)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dr. Dru Smith

The Earth as an Ellipsoid
• The Earth is not a perfect
sphere; it is slightly flattened
at the top and bottom, the
smaller diameter being about
23.1 nm less than the larger.
The Earth as an Ellipsoid
• The Earth’s flattened shape is
known as an Oblate Spheroid
with an Equatorial radius “a”
of approximately 3443.9 nm
and a Polar radius ‘b’ of
3432.4 nm.
 The Earth as an Ellipsoid

3432.4 n.miles

3443.9 n.miles
•The Admiralty
Manual of
Navigation
Volume 1(10th
Edition) –
Chapter 1, Para
0110 to 0113 (1-3)
Fig 1-1. The shape of the Earth – an Oblate Spheroid
 Compression
• The ratio of the difference bet
ween the equatorial and polar
 radii to the equatorial radius. 
 Compression
•  Its value is approximately 
¼97 the
difference between the equat
orial and polar diameter is ab
out 27 miles.
 Summary:
• The Earth is not a perfect sphere
• The Earth’s flattened shape is
known as an Oblate Spheroid
• Equatorial radius “a” of
approximately 3443.9 nm and a
Polar radius ‘b’ of 3432.4 nm
 Summary:

• Compression is defined as
the ratio of the difference be
tween the equatorial and pol
ar radii to the equatorial radi
us.
References:
• National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration - Dr.
Dru Smith
• The Admiralty Manual of
Navigation Volume 1(10th Edition)
– Chapter 1, Para 0110 to 0113 (1-3)