Introduction
Any location on Earth may use latitude and longitude, two sets of coordinates. Latitude is a flat arrangement of lines that runs east to west and indicates how far north or south of the equator an area is. Contrarily, longitude is a vertical system of lines that runs from north to south and gauges the separation east or west of the Prime Meridian. One may pinpoint every location on the planet using these two sets of coordinates, which make up a “coordinate system.”
Role of Latitude and Longitude for Transportation and Time
The significance of latitude and longitude as a direction framework could not be more significant. With it, it would be easier for humans to pinpoint locations on a map or pilot ships and airplanes over large oceans. Latitude and longitude have been utilized in navigation since the eighteenth century, when sailors employed the celestial path to find themselves. Trujillo and Thurman (42) calculated a ship’s longitude using measurements of the sun’s altitude and location in the sky. Positions on Earth became simpler to find over time as more precise clocks and other navigational tools were developed.
Latitude and longitude are also significant in keeping time. The Earth is split into 24 time zones, every 15 degrees of longitude wide, since it takes the planet 24 hours to complete one full revolution on its axis (Trujillo and Thurman 113). The time in the first time zone (Greenwich, England) serves as the foundation for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), with each time zone representing one hour of the day (Trujillo and Thurman 187). As a result, New York, which is 75 degrees west of the Prime Meridian, is in the early morning while it is midday in London, which is on the Prime Meridian.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using latitude and longitude as a coordinate system is essential for finding locations on Earth, navigating over huge oceans, and keeping track of time. The making of this framework has fundamentally changed how we see the globe and simplified it so that people can explore and study. Latitude and longitude are likewise utilized in making detailed guides of the world’s surface, which is helpful in map-making, meteorology, and geography. GPS and other technological advancements have made travel and exploration simpler and safer than ever before by enabling people to pinpoint their specific locations with extraordinary accuracy. The latitude and longitude coordinate system is vital for comprehending and traversing our world.
Work Cited
Trujillo, Alan P., and Harold V. Thurman. Essentials of Oceanography. Pearson, 2019.