With Latitude, the angular distance is measured from the equator. As with latitude, longitude is measured as an angular distance. These lines are called meridians, and measure how far East or West an object is. Finally at 90 ° South we find the South Pole.ġ1 Longitude The lines running vertically around the Earth are called Longitude. Continuing South we reach the Antarctic Circle at 66.5 ° South.
![parallels of latitude parallels of latitude](https://slideplayer.com/slide/16142947/95/images/3/Parallels+of+latitude+Parallels+of+latitude+are+the+parallel+lines+running+horizontally+across+a+map+or+globe..jpg)
If we journey southward from the Equator we will find the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 ° South. Continuing further Northward we reach the Arctic Circle at 66.5 ° North Continuing all the way to the top of the Earth, at 90 ° latitude we encounter the North Pole. This parallel is located at 23.5 ° North. Going North from the Equator we find the Tropic of Cancer. The first of these is called the equator.
![parallels of latitude parallels of latitude](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IGN-Ijgbddk/maxresdefault.jpg)
All though technically it is possible to draw an infinite number of parallels at any number of latitudes, there are a few which are important for you to understand as you study our planetĩ The first of these is called the equator
![parallels of latitude parallels of latitude](http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/graphics/mapgraphics/latlines.gif)
Drawing these imaginary lines at different latitudes produces what we call parallels. As we approach the poles, the large piece gets very big, while the small piece becomes much smaller. As we move either up or down the Earth, cutting the planet into two pieces produces one large piece, and one small piece. Standing on the these poles, places us at exactly a 90 ° angle to the equator.Ĩ PARALLELS If we were to cut the earth in half at the equator, and place a large piece of paper in-between the two halves, we would find that both halves were exactly the same size. Eventually we reach either the North, or South pole. If we move either up or down from the equator, our distance increases, and so does our angle to it. The angular distance from the equator to itself is 0, thus the latitude at the equator is 0 °. The lines that extend from pole to pole are called meridians, while the lines that circle the globe horizontally are referred to as parallelsĥ The Geographic Grid Parallels and Meridians Geographic grid: network of parallels and meridians used to fix location on the Earth Parallel: east-west circle on the Earth’s surface, lying on a plane parallel to the equator Meridian: north-south line on the Earth’s surface, connecting the polesħ Latitude Latitude is the angular distance of any object from the equator measured in degrees. Having a top and bottom of the Earth allows us to then draw the imaginary lines that we need for our grid. How do we know where the top and bottom of the Earth are?īecause the Earth is rotating around an imaginary axis, we can define a top and bottom.
![parallels of latitude parallels of latitude](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2AN4R75/advanced-geography-degiees-of-latitude-south-polc-parallels-of-latitude-the-prime-meridian-most-commonly-used-by-sailorspasses-through-greenwich-near-london-this-is-knownas-the-meridian-of-greenwich-and-is-marked-0-on-themaps-see-map-of-british-isles-page-167-the-meridianswhich-show-degrees-are-generally-numbered-from-1-to-itudeongi-tude-of-the-town-or-city-in-aampi-which-you-livetopics-degrees-equator-to-poles-parallels-meridians-greenwich-latitude-longitude-1c-belts-of-heat-the-sun-is-a-hot-globe-more-than-a-milliontimes-as-large-as-the-earth-this-gre-2AN4R75.jpg)
One set of lines are distributed across the globe horizontally, and one set of lines are distributed vertically.Ĥ But wait a moment.
PARALLELS OF LATITUDE SERIES
A grid is a series of evenly spaced imaginary lines that intersect with one another at right angles. If we just start walking in a random direction, are we likely to find the hidden object ?ģ In order to both study and navigate the Earth, it is important to have a system, The simplest method for describing locations either on a planet, or on any flat object is to create a grid. Suppose that we are in an unfamiliar land, and we need to find an important object that is hidden somewhere else on the Earth. 1 PARALLELS (LATITUDE) AND MERIDIANS (LONGITUDE)Ģ LET´S THINK…….