Difference between altitude and latitude

Introduction

In geography, many terms are used to refer to the location of a place or of an object geographical. Two of the most important words to know are altitude and latitude. People often confuse these two terms and use them interchangeably. However, in reality, there is a big difference between them. This article will explain in detail what altitude and latitude are and what their main differences are.

What is altitude?

Altitude refers to the vertical distance of an object from sea level. It can be measured in different units, such as feet, meters or kilometers. It is very important to understand that altitude only refers to the height of an object relative to sea level, and not its horizontal position. Simply put, altitude is used to measure the absolute height of a place.

What is latitude?

Latitude, on the other hand, refers to the horizontal position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an imaginary line that circles the world parallel to the equator. Latitude is measured in degrees, minutes and seconds (°, ', » ). The equator line is the reference point for measuring latitude. The northernmost points of the equator have a latitude 90 degree north, while the southernmost points have a latitude of 90 degrees south. Latitude is, therefore, a geographical coordinate that is used mainly to locate a place in relation to the North Pole or the South Pole.

What are the main differences?

As mentioned, the main difference between altitude and latitude is that the former is used to measure the absolute height of a place in relation to sea level, while latitude is a geographical coordinate that is used to locate a place in relation to sea level. to the north pole or the south pole. Another important difference is that while altitude is expressed in units of length, such as meters or feet, latitude is expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds.

Additional differences

Other important differences to mention between both coordinates is that the altitude can constantly vary depending on the activity of the Earth's crust, constructions, erosions, etc. In contrast, latitude is a constant measure of place on the Earth's surface, the value of which remains the same unless there is a shift. Additionally, altitude has a direct correlation with temperature, so generally, the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature in the region. This is not the case with latitude, since climate and temperatures vary more due to the orientation of the sun and other geographical factors, although some areas due to their geographical location are colder or warmer than others.

Conclusions

In summary, although confusion between altitude and latitude is common, it is important to take into account their fundamental differences. While altitude refers to the height of an object in relation to sea level, latitude is a geographic coordinate used to locate a place in relation to the North Pole or South Pole. Both coordinates are very important in geography since they can help us locate places and objects more precisely.

• Altitude measures the absolute height of a place in relation to the sea.
• Latitude is a horizontal geographical coordinate that is used to locate a place in relation to the poles.
• Altitude is measured in meters, feet, kilometers, etc.
• Latitude is measured in degrees, minutes and seconds
• Altitude is a constant measure of the height of a place while latitude varies constantly.
• Altitude is related to temperature while latitude has no direct relationship with it.