GEOskills
PENNSYLVANIA
40° N
ILLINOIS
60°N
NORTH
AMERICA
INDIANA
WEST
VIRGINIA
KENTUCKY
Area of map
0° EQUATOR
OKLAHOMA
SOUTH
AMERICA
35° N
ARKANSAS
30°S
ALABAMA
Dallas
SOUTH POLE 90° S
150
30
0°
EUROPE
30° N
New Orleans
Houston
Pensacola
Bay St. Louis
(wind speed 23-3825°
mph)
N
Tropical storm
(wind speed 39-73 mph)
Hurricane
25° N
NW
MEXICO
(East and West)
95° W
N
W
SW
City
0
100
0
Jacksonville
200 MI
200 KM
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Miami
30° N
BAHAMAS
25° N
NE
E
S
(wind speed 74 mph and above)
GEORGIA
FLORIDA
Gulf of
Mexico
IA
AS
AFRICA
LONGITUDE
Tropical depression
Scale:
Gulfport
LOUISIANA
°E
30°E
PRIME MERIDIAN
TEXAS
150°E
120°E
90
°E
60
°W
°W
SOUTH
AMERICA
18
0°
LATITUDE (North and South)
Greenwich, England
August 25-29, 2005
Charleston
60°S
NORTH
AMERICA
Hurricane Katrina
VIRGINIA
SOUTH
CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI
120°W
90°W
NORTH POLE
60°W
Washington, D.C.
NORTH
CAROLINA
TENNESSEE
Memphis
N.J. 40° N
Philadelphia
DEL.
MARYLAND
MISSOURI
KANSAS
30°N
OHIO
TROPIC OF CANCER (22° 30´)
CUBA
SE
90° W
85° W
80° W
75° W
­­­­­­­­map: jim mcmahon/mapman™
NORTH POLE 90° N
Using Latitude and Longitude
Danger: Hurricane!
T
his is peak hurricane season,
when intense storms can
strike U.S. coastal areas. Hurricanes form over warm seas, mostly
from June through November.
This map shows the path of
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the most
destructive storm to hit the U.S.
in more than a century. To find
places on the map, use latitude and
longitude. Here’s how:
Latitude: Lines of latitude measure
distance in degrees (°) north (N)
and south (S) of the equator, an
imaginary line circling the globe
halfway between the North and South
poles (see top globe). The equator is
at 0° latitude. As you travel north or
south, latitude increases—up to 90°N
and 90°S at the poles.
Questions
1. Latitude measures the distance north and south of
which named line?__________________________________________________________
2. Longitude measures distance east and west of which
named line?_____________________________________________________________________
3. Latitude and longitude are measured by what unit?_________
4. Katrina became a hurricane when it passed over
which city?______________________________________________________________________
5. What is the latitude of Jacksonville, Florida?__________________
Longitude: Lines of longitude
measure distance in degrees east (E)
and west (W) of the prime meridian,
an imaginary line that passes through
Greenwich, England (see bottom
globe). The prime meridian is at 0°
longitude. As you travel east (E) or
west (W) of Greenwich, longitude
increases—up to the 180° meridian
in the Pacific Ocean. All longitude
lines meet at the poles.
Global grid: Latitude and longitude
lines meet to form a grid (see map).
6. What is the longitude of Miami, Florida?________________________
7. K
atrina devastated New Orleans, Louisiana, located
at what latitude and longitude?_____________________________________
8. After striking near New Orleans, Katrina traveled in
which compass direction?_______________________________________________
9. What type of storm did Katrina become after it
crossed into Alabama?___________________________________________________
10. Which city is located at 35°N, 90°W?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
september 6, 2010 • JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC online reproducible