Latitude is the distance in degrees between any point on the surface of the planet Earth and the equator line, which is nothing more than the parallel of 0°. Latitudes range from 0° to 90° in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres and are used for determine the location of a point or referential, in the displacements from one point to another and in the delimitation of thermal zones (or climatic) land.
Read too: Cardinal points — established landmarks for orientation
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary on latitude
- 2 - What is latitude used for?
- 3 - How is latitude calculated?
- 4 - Differences between latitude and longitude
- 5 - Solved exercises on latitude
Summary about latitude
Latitude is the distance in degrees measured between any point on the earth's surface and the equator, which corresponds to the 0° parallel.
Latitudes range from 0 to 90° north and 0 to -90° south. The minus sign is just a way of indicating the hemisphere to which the measurement refers.
They serve to locate a certain point on the surface and to move from one point to another, in addition to helping to delimit the thermal zones of planet Earth.
The measurement of latitude can be done with the aid of instruments such as maps, GPS and geographic location software.
Along with longitude, latitude makes up the system of geographic coordinates.
What is latitude used for?
Latitude is, by definition, the distance in degrees measured between any point on the earth's surface and the equator, which in turn corresponds to the parallel of 0°. It is a geographic coordinate whose main function is location in space and orientation. In this sense, the latitude serves for:
identification of our position on the surface of the planet in relation to the equator - for a For a more precise location, latitude and longitude are used, thus constituting a geographic coordinate complete;
displacements by land or water from point A towards point B.
A line of the equator consists, therefore, at the starting point for counting latitudes. Through them it is also possible to delimit the different thermal zones of the planet Earth. Due to shape of our planet, which consists of a geoid, and the inclination of its axis at approximately 23°26', the sunlight that falls on the surface is unevenly distributed across regions.
The areas closest to the Earth's equator (thus where the imaginary parallel of 0° latitude was drawn) receive the sun's rays with greater intensity than the distant areas. In this way, the unequal distribution of heat conditions the formation of different thermal zones and the occurrence of different types of weather. These are the areas:
Tropical zone: located between the tropics Cancer and Capricorn. These are the low latitude areas where the highest temperatures on the planet are recorded.
temperate zones: located between the tropics and the polar circles. They correspond to mid-latitude areas in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Polar zones: located above the Polar Circles. These are the areas of higher latitude, where the lowest temperatures on the planet occur.
As we saw above, there are what we call in remarkable parallels, which make this delimitation simpler. Are they:
Arctic Circle: 66°33' N.
Tropic of Cancer: 23°27' N.
Equator line: 0°.
Tropic of Capricorn: 23°27' S.
Antarctic Circle: 66°33' S.
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
How is latitude calculated?
Latitude is a measure given in degrees (°), dividing the Earth's sphere into two hemispheres from the equator, which corresponds to the 0° parallel of latitude. Both above and below this imaginary line, the count of latitudes goes up to 90°, and they measure the distance of a point in relation to the starting point. Thus, the farther from the equator, the greater the latitude. The closer to the 0° parallel, the lower the latitude.
Eachdegree of latitude corresponds to a parallel. On this parallel, which consists of an imaginary horizontal line drawn on the earth's surface, the latitude is the same everywhere. Thus, two different points can be located at the same latitude, on the same parallel, but at different longitudes.
The calculation of latitude in a world map or planisphere can be done with the aid of instruments like a ruler or a scale.
Currently, it is very common to use modern localization techniques, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation systems, which use information provided by satellites to determine how precisely the geographic coordinates in which we are located, and other GIS tools (Geographic Information Systems), as software specialized services, many of which we carry on our portable devices, such as cell phones.
Another way to calculate latitude is by observing the position of the stars. in the sky, especially the Pole Star. When observing it, the angle it makes with the terrestrial horizon is measured. This measurement was formerly made with the aid of instruments such as the astrolabe, the quadrant or the sextant.
É important to always remember to indicate which hemisphere the latitude found refers to. There are two resources for this:
First: add the letter (or initials) referring to the hemisphere in front of the number, being N for north and S for south.
Second: add the negative sign (-) before the number when referring to the Southern Hemisphere, leaving the positive value (no sign) when referring to the Northern Hemisphere.
Differences between latitude and longitude
A latitude and longitude they are both measurements determined by imaginary lines drawn on the terrestrial globe. Together they make up a geographic coordinate, which has the function of specifying the location of a certain point on the Earth's surface. There are, however, differences between latitude and longitude.
Longitude is the distance measured in degrees from any point on the earth's surface to the Greenwich Mean Time. Each degree of longitude corresponds to a meridian.. Meridians are imaginary lines drawn perpendicular to the Earth's axis.
A counting of longitudes starts at the Greenwich meridian, which marks 0° and divides the planet into the Eastern (or Eastern) and Western (or Western) Hemispheres. Both east and west, this count goes up to 180°, a milestone determined by the International Date Line. In addition to location, longitude is important for identifying different time zones (or time zones).
Read too: Parallels and meridians — what's the difference?
Solved exercises on latitude
question 1
(UEA) In the geographical location system, the distance, expressed in degrees, between the equator and any point on the earth's surface corresponds to
a) altimetry.
b) longitude.
c) latitude.
d) to the antimeridian.
e) to the meridian.
Resolution:
Alternative C
The statement correctly describes latitude, the distance in degrees between any point on the earth's surface and the equator.
question 2
(UFU) Geographic coordinates are conceptualized as a set of imaginary lines called parallels and meridians, which serve to locate a point or a geographic feature on the surface terrestrial.
Considering the information above, choose the correct alternative.
a) Point “D” is located at 80° north latitude and 140° east longitude.
b) Point “C” is located at 160° north latitude and 30° west longitude
c) Point “A” is located at 50° south latitude and 100° east longitude.
d) Point “B” is located at 20° south longitude and 60° west latitude.
Resolution:
Alternative C
The point is on latitude 50° S and longitude 100° E. The coordinates of the other points are as follows:
→ B: 20° S and 60° W.
→ C: 30° N and 160° L.
→ D: 80° N and 140° W.
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
