Profiles

Topographic Maps
Latitude

Longitude

Equator
Elevation Earth

Contour Lines
Prime Meridian

Isoline
Altitude Slope
Gradient
 Earth’s Shape

• Earth appears spherical from space.

• Earth is actually an _______________.
oblate spheroid
It is slightly "flattened" at the poles,
and "bulges" slightly at the equator due to
rotation on its axis.

How can we prove the Earth’s shape?

Photographs from space
 Lunar Eclipse
Earth’s shadow on the moon
Lunar Eclipse – Note the curved shadow
Explorers sailed around the world
Ships seem to rise or sink over horizon
 Polaris
___________+___________=
Latitude POLATITUDE

In the N. Hemisphere, the altitude of

Polaris changes with your latitude
 Polaris
Polaris clip
Weight varies slightly from the poles to the equator,
because the equator is slightly further from the
center of mass than the poles.
(weight = mass * force of gravity)
 Latitude
• Lines of latitude run East to West across the Earth,
but measure North and South .

• The reference lines for all lines of latitude is the

equator
__________.

• The equator is at 0° latitude.

parallel to the equator.

• All lines of latitude run_______
 Lines of Latitude

★Latitude can be
determined by finding
the altitude of Polaris

Polaris = Latitude
42° = 42°N
83° = 83°N
= 10°S Can not see the N. Star in
the Southern Hemisphere
 Important Lines of Latitude
a) Equator = 0°
b) Tropic of Cancer = 23.5°N
c) Tropic of Capricorn = 23.5°S
d) Arctic Circle = 66.5°N
e) Antarctic Circle = 66.5°S
f) North Pole = 90°N
g) South Pole = 90°S
North Pole 90°N

Arctic Circle 66.5°N

Tropic of Cancer
23.5°N
Equator 0°
Tropic of Capricorn
23.5°S
Antarctic Circle
66.5°N
South Pole 90°S
 Longitude
• Lines of longitude run North
________& _______
South
East
across the Earth, but measure ______&_____. West
• The reference line for all lines of longitude is the
_____Prime ___. Meridian
• The Prime Meridian is at ______ 0° longitude.
• Line of longitude DO NOT run parallel to each
other like lines of latitude. Lines of longitude are
closer
______________ to each other by the poles and
____________
farther from each other by the equator.
 Longitude

• The furthest West you can travel from the

180° which is the
Prime Meridian is ________
International ______
___________ Date _____.
Line
 Time Zones
and Longitude

Local Noon is defined

as the time when the sun
is directly overhead of
an observer
 Time Zones and Longitude
• The Earth rotates 360o in a 24 hours period.
(a rate of 15o per hour)

• Because of the Earth’s rotation, different

parts of the Earth are in daylight at different
times of the day

• This requires humans to set-up some

standards in terms of world times
 Important Longitudes and Time
Zones
• 180o Longitude is the International Date Line,
where the day begins.
– If you move cross the Int’l Date Line from the
east you gain a day
– If you move cross the Int’l Date Line from the
west you lose a day

• 0o Longitude is set at Greenwich Mean Time

(GMT)
 Using Longitude to Find Times
• Differences of 15o Longitude, relates to a
difference of 1 hour of time

• Add or subtract hours from local time based

upon motions east or west.
- Move East = ______ ________
add hours
- Move West =________ _______
subtract hours
Time Zones
True Time Zones
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March 11 2021; 2:24 PM