Question 667Navigation General

The correct answer is B) magnetic equator. The magnetic compass needle is acted upon by the horizontal component of the Earth's total magnetic force. The horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field is greatest at the magnetic equator, where the Earth's magnetic field is parallel to the surface. This is because the magnetic equator is the region where the vertical component of the Earth's magnetic field is zero, and the horizontal component is maximized. The other answer choices are incorrect because the north and south magnetic poles have a stronger vertical component of the Earth's magnetic field, while the magnetic prime vertical meridian does not have a specific relation to the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field.