Navigation PPLintermediate
Explain why the distance represented by one degree of longitude changes with latitude.
Answer
Meridians converge at the poles. At latitude φ, the east–west distance for one degree of longitude is approximately 60 cos(φ) NM: about 60 NM at the equator and progressively less toward the poles.
Explanation
Lines of longitude meet at the poles, so the east–west separation between adjacent meridians narrows as latitude increases. A useful approximation for one degree of longitude at latitude $\phi$ is $60\cos(\phi)$ NM. At the equator it is about 60 NM; at $60^\circ$ latitude it is about 30 NM.\n\n**Key takeaway:** Longitude spacing is latitude-dependent because meridians converge.\n\n**Glossary:** **Latitude**: angular distance north or south of the equator; **longitude**: angular distance east or west of the prime meridian.
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