Famous Explorers
This famous explorer sailed the ocean blue in 1492, mistakenly landing on San Salvador when he meant to find a trade route to India.
Who is Christopher Columbus?
A sailboat travels 10 nautical miles. Convert this distance to standard miles.
What is 11.5 standard miles?
A navigator measures a distance of 2° of latitude between two locations. Convert this distance to nautical miles.
What is 120 nautical miles?
The position for this invisible line comes first when given a set of coordinates.
Given point C on your map, what are the coordinates with directions?
What is (0°, -140°W)?
This explorer found the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985, and is now a professor at URI.
Who is Dr. Robert Ballard?
A fishing vessel travels 23 nautical miles offshore. Convert the distance to standard miles.
What is 26.45 standard miles?
A ship sails northward through 4.5° of latitude. How many nautical miles did it travel?
A ship sails northward through 4.5° of latitude. How many nautical miles did it travel?
A ship travels from 18°N, 40°W to 18°S, 40°W. Which coordinate changed sign, and why?
What is the latitude changed from positive to negative because the ship crossed the Equator?
Given point B on your map, what are the coordinates with directions?
What is (80°N, 0°)
This explorer mapped the Chesapeake bay, but might be more well known for his relations with the native Powhatan tribe.
Who is John Smith?
A cargo ship reports traveling 57.5 standard miles. Convert this distance to nautical miles.
What is 50 nautical miles?
A vessel sails from 15°N latitude to 4°S latitude. Assuming it travels directly north-south, how many nautical miles did it travel?
What is 1,140 nautical miles? (19° × 60 nm)
A vessel's position changes from −25°, +140° to +25°, +140°. Which major line on Earth must it have crossed, and how many hemispheres changed?
What is the Equator, and one hemisphere changed (Southern to Northern)?
Given point A on your map, what are the coordinates with directions?
What is (-20°S, 100°E)
This explorer developed the aqua-lung, revolutionizing under-water diving.
Who is Jacques Cousteau?
An oceanographic research vessel travels 86.25 standard miles during a survey. Convert the distance to nautical miles.
What is 75 nautical miles?
An oceanographic research ship travels from 22°S latitude to the Equator, then continues to 11°N latitude. What total distance did it travel in nautical miles?
What is 1,980 nautical miles? (33° × 60 nm)
An explorer records a location in the Southwestern Hemisphere. The latitude is 37° and the longitude is 122°. Write the coordinate using both directional notation (N/S/E/W) and positive/negative notation.
What is 37°S, 122°W and −37°, −122°?
Given point D on your map, what are the coordinates with directions?
What is (-60° S, -40 °W)
This Italian explorer's name gave us the name for two of the seven continent.
Who is Amerigo Vespucci?
A ship sails 42 nautical miles on its first leg and 34.5 standard miles on its second leg. What is the ship's total distance travelled in nautical miles?
What is 72 nautical miles?
Ship A travels from 8°N to 21°N latitude. Ship B travels from 12°S to 4°N latitude. Which ship traveled farther, and by how many nautical miles?
What is Ship B, by 180 nautical miles? (Ship A: 13° = 780 nm; Ship B: 16° = 960 nm; difference = 180 nm)
A ship begins at 35°S, 150°E and ends at 35°N, 150°W. Which two major reference lines did the ship cross, and what happened to the sign of each coordinate?
What are the Equator and the Prime Meridian; latitude changed from negative to positive and longitude changed from positive to negative?
Given point H on your map, what are the coordinates with directions?
What is (20°N, 40° E)?