NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: "Magnetic Variation" vs "Magnetic Declination"
From: Frank Reed CT
Date: 2007 Jan 8, 20:36 EST
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
From: Frank Reed CT
Date: 2007 Jan 8, 20:36 EST
Lu Abel wrote:
"I ran into an immediate shock: while we of the mariner persuasion
call
the difference between true north and magnetic north "magnetic
variation," most of the rest of the scientific community calls it
"magnetic declination."
For example, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_declination
Does anyone know why this disparity in terminology exists?"
the difference between true north and magnetic north "magnetic
variation," most of the rest of the scientific community calls it
"magnetic declination."
For example, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_declination
Does anyone know why this disparity in terminology exists?"
I don't know how we ended up with two terms (maybe geologists picked
it up from continental usage?), but I do think it's important to be aware that
the vast majority of people who know about "variation" call it "declination".
I will say this though: the existence of these two terms is proof
that two distinct user groups can invent equally BAD technical terminology!
Neither of the terms is descriptive and both can easily be confused with other
phenomena. Declination sounds more like an alternative name for magnetic dip.
Variation sounds more like a term for the rate of change of the magnetic field
direction. Oh well. We're stuck with 'em now.
-FER
42.0N 87.7W, or 41.4N 72.1W.
www.HistoricalAtlas.com/lunars
42.0N 87.7W, or 41.4N 72.1W.
www.HistoricalAtlas.com/lunars
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---