Learning The Declination For An Area
Most use of declination is in conjunction with a map; as stated, that map may state (or even illustrate) the local declination. If not,
- A general isogonic chart of the world or continent can be consulted for a rough estimate of the local declination (within a few degrees)
- A prediction of the current magnetic declination for a given location (based on a worldwide empirical model of the deep flows described above) can also be obtained on-line from a web page operated by the National Geophysical Data Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States.
One would of course rather have the real declination than a prediction. However, a map is sure to be months or years out of date, whereas the model is built with all the information available to the map makers at the start of the five-year period it is prepared for. The model reflects a highly predictable rate of change, and will usually be more accurate than a map, and almost never less accurate.
Read more about this topic: Magnetic Declination
Famous quotes containing the words learning the, learning and/or area:
“The first man to discover Chinook salmon in the Columbia, caught 264 in a day and carried them across the river by walking on the backs of other fish. His greatest feat, however, was learning the Chinook jargon in 15 minutes from listening to salmon talk.”
—State of Oregon, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Our goal as a parent is to give life to our children’s learning—to instruct, to teach, to help them develop self-discipline—an ordering of the self from the inside, not imposition from the outside. Any technique that does not give life to a child’s learning and leave a child’s dignity intact cannot be called discipline—it is punishment, no matter what language it is clothed in.”
—Barbara Coloroso (20th century)
“Self-esteem is the real magic wand that can form a child’s future. A child’s self-esteem affects every area of her existence, from friends she chooses, to how well she does academically in school, to what kind of job she gets, to even the person she chooses to marry.”
—Stephanie Martson (20th century)