The Earth's Imaginary Lines

• Earth's Imaginary Lines


  Also known as coordinate system, can be described and determined by means of the position or location of any place on the Earth's Surface
• Continental Theory (Continental Drift)

  • From Alfred Wegener
• Map

  A representation of the Earth on a flat Surface
• Globe


  A spherical 3-dimensional representation of the Earth at a much reduced size
• Earth's Tilt 23.5 degrees
• Shape


  Oblate spheroid, means slightly bulgy at the equator and flattened at the poles
• Parallels of Latitude


  Lines that run from the East going to West, equally spaced and do not meet or intersect
• Equator


  Circle drawn midway between the north and south poles, divides the earth into 2 equal parts, also known as the Great circle of the Earth
• Northern Hemisphere


  Part of the Earth between the north pole and the equator
• Southern Hemisphere


  Part of the Earth between the south pole and the equator
• The equator is the starting line of measurement of latitude and hence assigned at 0°
• Latitude Lines


  • Arctic Circle (66.5°N)
  • Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N)
  • Equator (0°)
  • Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)
  • Antarctic Circle (66.5°S)
• Meridians of Longitude


  Lines that run from the North pole to the South pole, do not form circles, the opposite of the prime meridian is the antemeridian (180 degrees longitude)
• Prime Meridian


  Longitude that runs through Greenwich, England (London), read as 0°
• International Dateline


  180° meridian located in the middle of the Pacific ocean, the date changes as you cross it, you add a day going eastward and lose a day going westward