Latitude, longitude, minutes, and meters

The SC 130 Physical Science class engaged in an exercise that ultimately leads to determining the circumference of the earth at the latitude of Pohnpei. Using GPS  units to determine their latitude and longitude, the class walked a line of latitude in laboratory seven, recording the change in longitude. Marsela watches the latitude and longitude on an eTrex GPS unit, ensuring she remains on the correct latitude as she walks west.

The class has access to five GPS receivers, Lynn led another team along the line of latitude.

Annie rolled the surveyor's wheel in the morning laboratory class. While both the morning and afternoon classes were sunny, the morning class left everyone soaking wet. The air was all but saturated with water, a humidity haze colored the ridge to the east blue. By midday the temperature had climbed, lowering the relative humidity, and making conditions actually more comfortable.

In the midday lab Sally-Jean rolled the surveyor' wheel.

The wheel has a circumference of three feet. The distance is converted to meters and compared to the distance in meters calculated by the GPS units and to the distance in meters later obtained from the Google Earth ruler.