Scale factor: Difference between revisions
From Glossary of Meteorology
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|Meaning=(''Also called'' map scale, map factor.) The ratio between the distance separating two points on a map of the earth's surface at a standard latitude (or latitudes) and the distance between the corresponding points on the earth's surface itself. | |||
|Explanation=For most map projections, this factor is a slowly varying function of latitude, and for synoptic- chart base maps it is usually of the order of 10<sup>-6</sup> to 10<sup>-7</sup>. The scale factor is sometimes defined as the reciprocal of the above ratio. <br/>''Compare'' [[conformal map]]. | |||
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Latest revision as of 13:44, 29 March 2024
(Also called map scale, map factor.) The ratio between the distance separating two points on a map of the earth's surface at a standard latitude (or latitudes) and the distance between the corresponding points on the earth's surface itself.
For most map projections, this factor is a slowly varying function of latitude, and for synoptic- chart base maps it is usually of the order of 10-6 to 10-7. The scale factor is sometimes defined as the reciprocal of the above ratio.
Compare conformal map.
