Mike Mercury
09-28-2017, 1:34pm
Where Do the Prime Meridian and the Equator Intersect?
Where on Earth is 0° Latitude, 0° Longitude?
The equator has a mark of zero degrees latitude and the prime meridian one of zero degrees longitude, but where do these two lines meet? The simple answer is that they intersect in the Gulf of Guinea, just off the western coast of Africa.
While this point on the map of the Earth has no real significance, it is a common question in geography trivia and it's an interesting fact to know.
What is at 0° latitude, 0° longitude?
Though invisible, the equator (0° latitude) is a very real line that divides the world into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The prime meridian (0° longitude), on the other hand, was created by scholars who needed some point as a frame of reference to begin noting east-west points on the map.
It is by pure happenstance that the coordinate of 0°, 0° falls in the middle of a little-known body of water.
To be exact, the intersection of zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude falls about 380 miles (611 kilometers) south of Ghana and 670 miles (1078 km) west of Gabon. This location is in the tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, specifically, the Gulf of Guinea.
The Gulf of Guinea is part of the western edge of the African tectonic plate. Most notably, according to the theory of continental drift, this may have been the location where South America and Africa were once joined.
Is There a Marker at 0°, 0°?
Very few people in the world will ever pass over the point where the equator and prime meridian meet. It requires a boat and a good navigator so, unlike the prime meridian line in Greenwich, there is not much call for tourism at this location.
The spot is marked, though. A weather buoy (Station 13010 - Soul) is placed at the exact location of 0°, 0°. It is owned and maintained by the Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Atlantic (PIRATA). Like other buoys, Soul regularly records weather data from the Gulf of Guinea such as air and water temperature and wind speed and direction.
Is this Intersection Important?
The prime meridian, on the other hand, is an imaginary line, created by people to mark zero degrees longitude. It just happens to pass through Greenwich, but it could have been located anywhere.
Therefore, the intersection of zero degrees longitude and zero degrees latitude is of no significance.
--------------------------------------------
this buoy is called "Null Buoy Island", or " Null Island"
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Null_Island_2017.jpg/260px-Null_Island_2017.jpg
Wiki-pee info:
Null Island - Wikipedia
https://fthmb.tqn.com/S-xf5j00LaGKv4G7niNKNvKQXS8=/768x0/filters:no_upscale()/0-N-0-W-58d4164b5f9b58468375555d.jpg
Where on Earth is 0° Latitude, 0° Longitude?
The equator has a mark of zero degrees latitude and the prime meridian one of zero degrees longitude, but where do these two lines meet? The simple answer is that they intersect in the Gulf of Guinea, just off the western coast of Africa.
While this point on the map of the Earth has no real significance, it is a common question in geography trivia and it's an interesting fact to know.
What is at 0° latitude, 0° longitude?
Though invisible, the equator (0° latitude) is a very real line that divides the world into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The prime meridian (0° longitude), on the other hand, was created by scholars who needed some point as a frame of reference to begin noting east-west points on the map.
It is by pure happenstance that the coordinate of 0°, 0° falls in the middle of a little-known body of water.
To be exact, the intersection of zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude falls about 380 miles (611 kilometers) south of Ghana and 670 miles (1078 km) west of Gabon. This location is in the tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, specifically, the Gulf of Guinea.
The Gulf of Guinea is part of the western edge of the African tectonic plate. Most notably, according to the theory of continental drift, this may have been the location where South America and Africa were once joined.
Is There a Marker at 0°, 0°?
Very few people in the world will ever pass over the point where the equator and prime meridian meet. It requires a boat and a good navigator so, unlike the prime meridian line in Greenwich, there is not much call for tourism at this location.
The spot is marked, though. A weather buoy (Station 13010 - Soul) is placed at the exact location of 0°, 0°. It is owned and maintained by the Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Atlantic (PIRATA). Like other buoys, Soul regularly records weather data from the Gulf of Guinea such as air and water temperature and wind speed and direction.
Is this Intersection Important?
The prime meridian, on the other hand, is an imaginary line, created by people to mark zero degrees longitude. It just happens to pass through Greenwich, but it could have been located anywhere.
Therefore, the intersection of zero degrees longitude and zero degrees latitude is of no significance.
--------------------------------------------
this buoy is called "Null Buoy Island", or " Null Island"
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Null_Island_2017.jpg/260px-Null_Island_2017.jpg
Wiki-pee info:
Null Island - Wikipedia
https://fthmb.tqn.com/S-xf5j00LaGKv4G7niNKNvKQXS8=/768x0/filters:no_upscale()/0-N-0-W-58d4164b5f9b58468375555d.jpg