Geomagnetic latitude, or magnetic latitude (MLAT), is a parameter analogous to
geographic latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pole ...
, except that, instead of being defined relative to the
geographic poles
A geographical pole or geographic pole is either of the two points on Earth where its axis of rotation intersects its surface. The North Pole lies in the Arctic Ocean while the South Pole is in Antarctica. North and South poles are also defined ...
, it is defined by the axis of the
geomagnetic dipole, which can be accurately extracted from the
International Geomagnetic Reference Field
The International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) is a standard mathematical description of the large-scale structure of the Earth's main magnetic field and its secular variation. It was created by fitting parameters of a mathematical model of ...
(IGRF).
See also
*
Earth's magnetic field
Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic f ...
*
Geomagnetic equator
Magnetic dip, dip angle, or magnetic inclination is the angle made with the horizontal by the Earth's magnetic field lines. This angle varies at different points on the Earth's surface. Positive values of inclination indicate that the magnetic fi ...
*
Ionosphere
The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an ...
*
L-shell
The L-shell, L-value, or McIlwain L-parameter (after Carl E. McIlwain) is a parameter describing a particular set of planetary magnetic field lines. Colloquially, L-value often describes the set of magnetic field lines which cross the Earth' ...
* Magnetosphere
* World Magnetic Model (WMM)
References
External links
Space Weather: Maps of Geomagnetic Latitude(Northwest Research Associates)
Tips on Viewing the Aurora(Space Weather Prediction Center, SWPC)
Magnetic Field Calculator(National Centers for Environmental Information, NCEI)
Ionospheric Electrodynamics Using Magnetic Apex Coordinates(Journal of Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity)
Geomagnetism
Geographic coordinate systems
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