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What Is Declination?

Declination Is The Angle Between The Earth's Current Magnetic Pole, And The Physical Most Northern Point Point On Earth, Called The 'Geographical North Pole' And Also Called The 'Terrestrial North Pole'.

The Geographical North Pole Is Diametrically Opposite The Geographical South Pole. The North Pole Defines 'Latitude 90° North', Also The Direction Referenced As "True North". Note, At The North Pole, All Directions Point South.

A Magnetic Compass Always Points Towards The Magnetic North Pole. The Earth's 'Magnetic North Pole' Is A Dynamic Moving Point On The Earth's Surface, Where The Earth's Magnetic Field Flows Vertically Into The Earth.

USGS Map Declination Info --- The Image Above Is A Portion Taken From The Actual Scanned Image Of A USGS Topographic Map.

As Of This Casanova's Adventures Online Showcase Update, September 30, 2007, This Official USGS Map Was Provided By The USGS AS The Most Current Map! Note The Date On The Declination!

Note - Declination On USGS Topographical Maps Are Given In 'Degrees And Minutes', And In 'Mils'

Maps Are Always Aligned To "True North". The Angular Difference Between 'True North Pole' And 'Magnetic North' Is Called Declination.

Declination Varies From 0 To 30-Degrees In Most Populated Regions On Earth. These Declination Values Change Slightly Over Time, As The Earths Magnetic Field Is Dynamic.

The Actual Value Of Declination And Its Annual Rate Of Change For Any Area May Be Available On A Quality Official Current Map Of The Area. Declination Will Be Expressed As Either A 'Easterly' Or 'Westerly' Declination.

Below Is An Actual Declination Chart From 1990, Showing The Worldwide Declination Condition At That Time.

Find Any Locations Declination

Use Our Online Declination Calculator Link Provided By The U.S. National Geophysical Data Center.

U.S. National Geophysical Data Center

Declination Calculator < Click >

Example: Downtown Milwaukee Wisconsin Location: Latitude 90S to 90N, longitude 180W to 180E

Declination Calculated = 3° 14' W, Changing by 0° 5' With Year

Correction For Declination When Using A Map And Compass

1)	Find a Flat Stable Surface And Spread The Map Out Flat. Read The Declination From The Map, Or Have The Value Available From A Current Reliable Source For The Specific Area On Earth!
2)	Place The Navigation Baseplate Compass On The Map
3)	Align The Compass's Direct Arrow In The Direction Of Intended Travel
4)	Hold the compass firm on the map to keep the base plate steady. Turn the rotating capsule until the North-South lines on the bottom of the capsule are parallel with the North-South lines on the map and the capsule points north on the map.
5)	Subtract The Known 'Eastern' Declination From, Or, Add The 'Western' Declination To, The Heading Indicated By The Compass. Turn The Compass Capsule To Align The New Direction Heading To The Compass's Index Mark. Declination Correction Is Now Done. > Example: You have turned your capsule to show 60 degrees at the index mark. Your local declination is 15 degrees 'Western'. Your corrected declination is then 75-degrees; 60-degrees + 15 degrees. Rotate the capsule to 75 degrees.

Many compasses have a fixed declination correction scale to simplify the calculations required. Some compasses have an adjustable declination correction scale. These type of compass are best, since human error is reduced. The true direction can be used directly from the compass once the declination has been set on the compass.

Before selecting a compass, always consider the declination correction method; fixed declination correction scale, adjustable declination correction scale, or no declination correction scale available on the compass.

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