Coast Guard Exams
Question 1452Navigation General70% to pass

A plane that cuts the Earth's surface and passes through the poles will always form _______________.

AI Explanation
The correct answer is C) a meridian. A plane that cuts the Earth's surface and passes through the poles will always form a meridian, which is a line of longitude running from the North Pole to the South Pole. Meridians are great circles on the Earth's surface that intersect at the poles, and they are perpendicular to the equator. The other answer choices are incorrect because: A) the equator is a line of latitude, not a meridian; B) a loxodromic curve is a spiral path that intersects all meridians at the same angle; and D) a small circle is a circle on the Earth's surface that does not pass through the poles.

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