Download Compass Navigation Terminology

Compass Navigation Terminology
COMPASS ROSE
Cardinal Directions – the most
common directions used for
navigation: North, east, south,
and West
Ordinal Directions –
intermediate points between the
cardinal directions
Bearing – is the number of
degrees in an angle measured
clockwise from a fixed northern
gridline
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) – a grid system developed to
indicate locations on the earth using east and north values (referred to as
UTM coordinates).
True North –the direction from a given location to the geographic North Pole.
Magnetic North – an area in the earth’s magnetic field that varies over time, which the
red compass needle points to.
Grid North (or Map North) – north identified on a map represented by the grid lines.
Declination – the angle between Magnetic North and True North
Topographic map - a type of map that shows detailed features of a large area,
including elevation.
Map scale – ratio of a distance on a map to a distance in the real world; topographic
maps are common 1:50,000, which means that 1 centimetre on a map equals 50,000
centimetres in the real world.
Northing – the northward distance measured on a topographic map
Easting – the eastward distance measured on a topographic map
Contour Lines – lines on a map that show elevation above or below sea level; each
line connects areas of the same elevation
Legend – A chart on a map that identifies the meaning of symbols