Question 1886Navigation General

70% to pass

In which voyage, between two points, is the rhumb line distance NOT approximately the same as the great circle distance?

A The two points are in high latitudes in the same hemisphere.
B The two points are near the equator, but in different hemispheres.
C One point is near the equator, one point is in a high latitude, and both are near the 180th meridian.
D The two points are in low latitudes in the same hemisphere.
AI Explanation

The correct answer is A) The two points are in high latitudes in the same hemisphere. In high latitudes, the difference between the rhumb line distance and the great circle distance becomes more significant. This is because the rhumb line, which is a line of constant bearing, becomes increasingly curved as it approaches the poles, while the great circle, which is the shortest distance between two points, becomes straighter. As a result, the rhumb line distance and the great circle distance are not approximately the same in high latitudes. The other options are incorrect because in low latitudes or near the equator, the difference between the rhumb line and great circle distances is smaller, and they can be considered approximately the same for most practical purposes.

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