SCOPE OF INSTRUCTION

• DEFINITION OF MAP  GRID ZONE DESIGNATION

• CATEGORIES OF MILITARY MAP • RECORDING/REPORTING
COORDINATES
• CLASSIFICATION OF MAPS
• LOCATING POINT USING THE MGRS
• MAP SUBSTITUTES
• SCALE AND DISTANCE
• MARGINAL INFORMATION AND • DIRECTION, AZIMUTH, AND BEARING
SYMBOLS
• DECLINATION DIAGRAM
• COLORS USED IN MILITARY MAPS • METHODS OF LOCATING POSITIONS
• GRIDS AND GRID REFERENCE ON MAP
• GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES • CONTOUR LINES
• MILITARY GRIDS • ELEVATION AND RELIEF
• US MGRS
 WHAT IS A MAP

MAP – IS A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF A PORTION OF THE EARTH’S

SURFACE DRAWN TO SCALE, AS SEEN FROM ABOVE.

PURPOSE – IT PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE EXISTENCE, THE

LOCATION OF, AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN GROUND
FEATURES, SUCH AS POPULATED PLACES AND ROUTES
OF TRAVEL AND COMMUNICATION. IT ALSO INDICATES
VARIATIONS IN TERRAIN, HEIGHTS OF NATURAL
FEATURES, AND THE EXTENT OF VEGETATION COVER.

SECURITY – MAPS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS DOCUMENTS THAT

REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING. IF IT FALLS INTO
UNAUTHORIZED HANDS, IT COULD EASILY ENDANGER
MILITARY/POLICE OPERATIONS BY PROVIDING INFOR-
MATION OF FRIENDLY PLANS OR AREAS OF INTEREST
TO THE ENEMY.
 TWO (2) CATEGORIES OF
MILITARY MAPS

A. According to SCALE – reported as a representative

fraction with the map distance
(MD) as the numerator and
the ground distance (GD)
as the denominator.

B. According to TYPES
 THREE (3) CLASSIFICATIONS
ACCORDING TO SCALE

1. SMALL SCALE – MAPS WITH SCALES OF 1:1,000,000 AND SMALLER.

USED FOR GENERAL PLANNING AND FOR STRATEGIC
STUDIES. STANDARD SMALL SCALE MAP IS
1:1,000,000.
2. MEDIUM SCALE – MAPS WITH SCALES LARGER THAN 1:1,000,000 BUT
SMALLER THAN 1:75,000. USED FOR OPERATIONAL
PLANNING. STANDARD MEDIUM SCALE MAP IS 1:250,000.

3. LARGE SCALE – MAPS WITH SCALES OF 1:75,000 AND LARGER. USED FOR
TACTICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND LOGISTICAL
PLANNING.
STANDARD LARGE SCALE MAP IS 1:50,000.
 EIGHT (8) CLASSIFICATIONS
ACCORDING TO TYPES
1. PLANIMETRIC MAP – MAP THAT REPRESENTS ONLY THE
HORIZONTAL POSITIONS OF THE FEATURES.
2. TOPOGRAPHIC MAP – MAP THAT PORTRAYS TERRAIN FEATURES IN
A MEASURABLE WAY, AS WELL AS HORIZONTAL POSITONS OF
THE FEATURES. THE VERTICAL POSITIONS, OR RELIEF, ARE
NORMALLY REPRESENTED BY CONTOUR LINES ON MILITARY
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
3. PHOTOMAP MAP – IS A REPRODUCTION OF AN AERIAL
PHOTOGRAPH UPON WHICH GRID LINES, MARGINAL DATA,
PLACE NAMES, ROUTE NUMBERS, IMPORTANT ELEVATIONS,
BOUNDARIES, AND APPROXIMATE SCALE AND DIRECTION HAVE
BEEN ADDED.
4. JOINT OPERATIONS GRAPHIC (JOG) – THESE ARE BASED ON THE
FORMAT OF STANDARD 1:250,000 MEDIUM - SCALE MILITARY
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS, BUT THEY CONTAIN ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION NEEDED IN JOINT AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS
 EIGHT (8) CLASSIFICATIONS
ACCORDING TO TYPES
5. PHOTOMOSAIC – THIS IS AN ASSEMBLY OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
THAT IS COMMONLY CALLED A MOSAIC IN TOPOGRAPHIC USAGE.

ITS ACCURACY DEPENDS ON THE METHOD EMPLOYED IN ITS

PREPARATION AND MAY VARY FROM SIMPLY A GOOD PICTORIAL
6. EFFECT
TERRAIN OF THE
MODEL GROUND
– IS TO
A SCALE THAT OF
MODEL OF A PLANIMETRIC
THE MAP.
TERRAIN SHOWING
FEATURES, AND IN LARGE-SCALE MODELS SHOWING INDUSTRIAL

AND CULTURAL SHAPES. IT PROVIDES MEANS FOR VISUALIZING

THE TERRAIN FOR PLANNING OR INDOCTRINATION PURPOSES
7. AND FORCITY
MILITARY BRIEFING
MAP –ON ASSAULT
THIS LANDINGS. MAP (USUALLY AT
IS A TOPOGRAPHIC
SCALE OF 1:12,500, SOMETIMES UP TO 1:5,000) SHOWING THE
DETAILS OF A CITY. IT DELINEATES STREETS AND SHOWS
STREET NAMES, IMPORTANT BUILDINGS, AND OTHER ELEMENTS
OF THE URBAN LANDSCAPE IMPORTANT TO NAVIGATION AND
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN URBAN TERRAIN.
8. SPECIAL MAPS – THESE ARE MAPS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES, SUCH AS
TRAFFICABILITY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND ASSAULT MAPS.
MILITARY MAP SUBSTITUTES

A. FOREIGN MAPS

B. ATLASES

C. GEOGRAPHIC MAPS

D. TOURIST ROAD MAPS

E. CITY/UTILITY MAPS

F. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
 MARGINAL INFORMATION
AND SYMBOLS

“A MAP COULD BE COMPARED TO ANY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT,

THAT BEFORE IT IS PLACED INTO OPERATION THE USER
MUST READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
WE, IN THE MILITARY AND POLICE SERVICE, KNOW HOW TO
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS. THE MOST LOGICAL PLACE
TO BEGIN IS THE MARGINAL INFORMATION AND SYMBOLS,
WHERE USEFUL INFORMATION TELLING ABOUT THE MAP IS
LOCATED AND EXPLAINED. EACH MAP IS DIFFERENT, SO IT
IS NECESSARY TO EXAMINE THE MARGINAL INFORMATION
CAREFULLY EVERY TIME YOU ARE ISSUED A MAP.”
MARGINAL INFORMATION
ON A MILITARY MAP

A. SHEET NAME
B. SHEET NUMBER
C. SERIES NAME
D. SCALE
E. SERIES NUMBER
F. EDITION NUMBER
G. INDEX TO BOUNDARIES
H. ADJOINING SHEETS DIAGRAM
I. ELEVATION GUIDE
J. DECLINATION DIAGRAM
K. BAR SCALES
L. CONTOUR INTERVAL NOTE
M. SPHEROID NOTE
N. GRIDNOTE
O. PROJECTION NOTE
P. VERTICAL DATUM NOTE
Q. HORIZONTAL DATUM NOTE
R. CONTROL NOTE
S. PREPARATION NOTE
T. PRINTING NOTE
U. GRID REFERENCE BOX
V. UNIT IMPRINT AND SYMBOL
W. LEGEND
 COLORS USED ON A MILITARY MAP
BLACK – INDICATES CULTURAL (MAN-MADE) FEATURES SUCH AS BUILDINGS AND
ROADS, SURVEYED SPOT ELEVATONS, AND ALL LABELS.

BLUE – IDENTIFIES HYDROGRAPHY OR WATER FEATURES SUCH AS LAKES,

SWAMPS, RIVERS, AND DRAINAGE.

GREEN – IDENTIFIES VEGETATION WITH MILITARY SIGNIFICANCE, SUCH AS

WOODS, ORCHARDS, AND VINEYARDS.

RED – CLASSIFIES CULTURAL FEATURES, SUCH AS POPULATED AREAS, MAIN

ROADS, AND BOUNDARIES (ON OLDER MAPS).

RED-BROWN – COMBINED TO IDENTIFY CULTURAL FEATURES, ALL RELIEF

FEATURES, NON-SURVEYED SPOT ELEVATIONS, AND ELEVATION
SUCH AS CONTOUR LINES ON RED-LIGHT READABLE MAPS.

BROWN - IDENTIES ALL RELIEF FEATURES AND ELEVATION, SUCH AS CONTOURS

ON OLDER EDITION MAPS, AND CULTIVATED LAND ON RED-LIGHT
READABLE MAPS.
 GRIDS AND GRID REFERENCE SYSTEM

GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES – ONE OF THE OLDEST SYSTEMATIC

METHODS OF LOCATING POINTS
ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE.

LATITUDE – DISTANCE OF A POINT NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR.

LINES OF LATITUDE RUN EAST-WEST BUT NORTH-SOUTH
DISTANCES ARE MEASURED BETWEEN THEM.

PARALLELS OF LATITUDE (OR PARALLELS) – RINGS AROUND THE

EARTH PARALLEL TO
THE EQUATOR.
GRIDS
Grids are applied to maps to provide a rectangular system
for referencing and making measurements. There is a definite
relationship between the grid and the graticule, so that a
corresponding geographic position can be determined for each grid
position. Military grids consist of parallel lines intersecting at right
angles and forming a regular series of squares. The north-south
lines are called eastings and the east-west lines are called
northings. Each grid line is one of an even-interval selection of
measurement units. The interval is selected according to the map
scale. The military prefer to use the UTM grid for areas between
80° south and 84° north.
MERIDIANS OF LONGITUDE (OR MERIDIANS) – RINGS AROUND THE
GLOBE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO LINES OF LATITUDE AND
PASSING THROUGH THE POLES. (NORTH & SOUTH POLES).
ONE MERIDIAN IS DESIGNATED AS THE PRIME MERIDIAN,
AND IS THE ONE WE USES IN THE SYSTEM. THIS RUNS
THROUGH GREENWICH, ENGLAND AND KNOWN AS THE
GREENWICH MERIDIAN.

LONGITUDE – THE DISTANCE EAST OR WEST OF A PRIME MERIDIAN TO

A POINT. LINES OF LONGITUDE (MERIDIANS RUN
NORTH-SOUTH BUT EAST-WEST DISTANCES ARE
MEASURED BETWEEN THEM.

GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES – EXPRESSED IN ANGULAR MEASUREMENT.

IT APPEAR ON ALL STANDARD MILITARY
MAPS.
 STEPS IN DETERMINING GEOGRAPHIC
COORDINATES OF A FEATURE ON A MAP
B. FOR LONGITUDE

1. DETERMINE THE FIVE-MINUTE SQUARE WHERE THE POINT LIES.

2. RECORD THE VALUES OF THE MERIDIANS AND PARALLELS
3. CONNECT (OR DRAW A LINE) THE FIVE-MINUTE TICK MARKS THAT ENCLOSED THE POINT
(BOTH FOR THE PARALLELS AND THE MERIDIANS)
4. USE A PLASTIC RULER THAT HAS THE CENTIMETER GRADUATIONS/DIVISIONS.
5. OBTAIN THE LONGITUDE BY PLACING THE “0” (ZERO) OF THE PLASTIC RULER ON THE
LONGITUDE WITH THE LOWER VALUE, AND THE “300- MILLIMETER MARK” OR “30- CM MARK”
ON THE LONGITUDE WITH THE GREATER VALUE.
6. KEEPING THE “0” AND THE “300” ON THE TWO LINES, SLIDE THE RULER ALONG THE
MERIDIANS UNTIL THE POINT YOU ARE IDENTIFYING IS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE NUMBERED
RULER.
7. READ AND RECORD THE NUMBER OF SECONDS FROM THE RULER.
8. CONVERT THIS TO MINUTES AND SECONDS AND ADD TO THE VALUE OF THE LOWER
LONGITUDE AND WRITE THE LETTER “E” AT THE END. THIS IS THE LONGITUDE OF THE
POINT BEING IDENTIFIED.
 121°00’ 05’ 10’ 121°15’
14°45’ 14°45’

40’ 40’

35’ 35’

14°30’ 14°30’
121°00’ 05’ 10’ 121°15’
 121°00’ 05’ 10’ 121°15’
14°45’ 14°45’

40’ 40’

35’ 35’

14°30’ 14°30’
121°00’ 05’ 10’ 121°15’
 40’

35’
05’

05’
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
10
0
11
0
12
0
13
0 1
40
15
0
16
0
17
0
18
0 19
0 20
0 21
0
22
0
23
0
24
0 25
0
26
0 27
0
10’
10’

28
0
29
0
35’
40’

30
0
 STEPS IN DETERMINING GEOGRAPHIC
COORDINATES OF A FEATURE ON A MAP
A. FOR LATITUDE

1. DETERMINE THE FIVE-MINUTE SQUARE WHERE THE POINT LIES.

2. RECORD THE VALUES OF THE MERIDIANS AND PARALLELS
3. CONNECT (OR DRAW A LINE) THE FIVE-MINUTE TICK MARKS THAT ENCLOSED THE POINT
(BOTH FOR THE PARALLELS AND THE MERIDIANS)
4. USE A PLASTIC RULER THAT HAS THE CENTIMETER GRADUATIONS/DIVISIONS.
5. OBTAIN THE LATITUDE BY PLACING THE “0” (ZERO) OF THE PLASTIC RULER ON THE
LATITUDE WITH THE LOWER VALUE, AND THE “300- MILLIMETER MARK” OR “30- CM MARK”
ON THE LATITUDE WITH THE GREATER VALUE.
6. KEEPING THE “0” AND THE “300” ON THE TWO LINES, SLIDE THE RULER ALONG THE
PARALLELS UNTIL THE POINT YOU ARE IDENTIFYING IS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE NUMBERED
RULER.
7. READ AND RECORD THE NUMBER OF SECONDS FROM THE RULER.
8. CONVERT THIS TO MINUTES AND SECONDS AND ADD TO THE VALUE OF THE LOWER
LATITUDE AND WRITE THE LETTER “N” AT THE END. THIS IS THE LATITUDE OF THE
POINT BEING IDENTIFIED.
 10’

05’
40’ 40’
0
0 30
29
0
0 28
27
0
26
0
25
0
24
2 30
0
22
0
21
0
20
0
0 19
18
1 70
0
16
0
15
0
14
0
0 13
12
0
11
1 00
90
80
70
60
50
40
35’ 30 35’
20
10
0

05’ 10’
 10’

0
30
0
05’

29
0
28
40’ 40’

0
0 27
26
0
30

0
0

25
29
0

0
28

24
0
27

0
23
0
26

0
0
25

22
0
24

0
21
2 30

0
0

20
22

0
0
21

19
0
20

0
18
0
19

0
17
0
18
70

0
16
1
0
16

0
15
0
15

40
0
14

0 1
0
13

13
0
12
0
11
0 12
00
0
11

1
90
0
10

80
90

70
60
80

50
70

40
35’20
30 35’
60

05’
50

10
10’
40

0
30
20
10
0
 MILITARY GRIDS

THREE (3) PROPERTIES COMMON

TO ALL MILITARY GRID SYSTEMS:

1. THEY ARE TRUE RECTANGULAR GRIDS.

2. THEY ARE SUPERIMPOSED ON THE GEOGRAPHIC PROJECTION.

3. THEY PERMIT LINEAR AND ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS.

UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR GRID – HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO

COVER THAT PART OF THE WORLD BETWEEN LATITUDE 84°N

AND LATITUDE 80°S, AND AS ITS NAME IMPLIES, IS IMPOSED
ON THE TRANSVERSE MERCATOR PROJECTION. EACH OF THE
60 ZONES (6° WIDE) INTO WHICH THE GLOBE IS DIVIDED FOR THE

GRID HAS ITS OWN ORIGIN AT THE INTERSECTION OF ITS CENTRAL

MERIDIAN AND THE EQUATOR. THE GRID IS IDENTICAL IN ALL 60
ZONES. BASE VALUES (IN METERS) ARE ASSIGNED TO THE CENTRAL
MERIDIAN AND THE EQUATOR, AND THE GRID LINES ARE DRAWN
AT REGULAR INTERVALS PARALLEL TO THESE TWO BASE LINES.
The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) –

coordinate system is a grid-based method of

specifying locations on the surface of the Earth. It is used
to identify locations on the earth, but differs from the
traditional method of latitude and longitude in several
respects.

The UTM system is not a single map projection.

The system instead employs a series of sixty zones, each
of which is based on a specifically defined secant
Transverse Mercator projection.
UNIVERSAL POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC (UPS) GRID – USED TO REPRESENT
THE POLAR GRIDS.

NORTH POLE – THE ORIGIN OF THE UPS GRID APPLIED TO THE NORTH
POLAR AREA. THE “NORTH-SOUTH” BASE LINE IS THE
LINE FORMED BY THE 0-DEGREE and 180-DEGREE
MERIDIANS; THE “EAST-WEST” BASE LINE IS FORMED
BY THE TWO 90-DEGREE MERIDIANS.

SOUTH POLE – THE ORIGIN OF THE UPS GRID APPLIED TO THE SOUTH
POLAR AREA. THE BASE LINES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE
OF THE NORTH POLAR AREA.
 THE US ARMY MILITARY
GRID REFERENCE SYSTEM

THIS GRID REFERENCE SYSTEM IS DESIGNATED FOR USE WITH

THE UTM AND UPS GRIDS. THE COORDINATE VALUE OF POINTS IN
THESE GRIDS COULD CONTAIN AS MANY AS 15 DIGITS OF NUMERALS
ALONE WERE USED. THIS GRID SYSTEM REDUCES THE LENGTH OF
WRITTEN COORDINATES BY SUBSTITUTING SINGLE LETTER FOR
SEVERAL NUMBERS. USING THE UTM AND UPS GRIDS, IT IS POSSIBLE
FOR THE LOCATION OF A POINT (IDENTIFIED BY NUMBERS ALONE)
TO BE IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.
WITH THE USE OF THE MILITARY GRID REFERENCE SYSTEM,
THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING.
 GRID ZONE DESIGNATION
1. UTM GRID

THE WORLD IS DIVIDED INTO 60 GRID ZONES, WHICH ARE LARGE, REGULARLY
SHAPED GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, EACH OF WHICH IS GIVEN A UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION
CALLED THE GRID ZONE DESIGNATION. THESE ZONES ARE NUMBERED FROM WEST
TO EAST, 1 THROUGH 60, STARTING AT THE 180⁰ MERIDIAN. THIS SURFACE IS DIVIDED
INTO 20 EAST-WEST ROWS IN WHICH 19 ARE 8° HIGH AND 1 ROW AT NORTH IS 12°
HIGH. THESE ROWS ARE THEN LETTERED (FROM SOUTH TO NORTH) C THROUGH X
(I AND O WERE OMITTED). ANY 6° BY 8° ZONE OR 6° BY 12° ZONE CAN BE
IDENTIFIED BY GIVING THE NUMBER AND LETTER OF THE GRID ZONE AND ROW
IN WHICH IT LIES. THESE ARE READ RIGHT AND UP SO THE NUMBER IS ALWAYS
WRITTEN BEFORE THE LETTER. THIS COMBINATION OF ZONE NUMBER AND ROW
LETTER CONSTITUTES THE GRID ZONE DESIGNATION.

2. UPS GRID

THE REMAINING LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, A, B, Y, AND Z, ARE USED FOR THE UPS
GRIDS. EACH POLAR AREA IS DIVIDED INTO TWO ZONES SEPARATED BY THE 0-180⁰
MERIDIAN. IN THE SOUTH POLAR AREA, THE LETTER A IS THE GRID ZONE DESIGNA-
TION FOR THE AREA WEST OF THE 180⁰ MERIDIAN, AND B FOR THE AREA TO THE
EAST. IN THE NORTH POLAR AREA, Y IS THE GRID ZONE DESIGNATION FOR THE
WESTERN AREA, Z FOR THE EASTERN AREA.
100,000-METER SQUARE
BETWEEN 84°N AND 80°S, EACH 6° BY 8° OR 6° BY 12° ZONE IS
COVERED BY 1 00,000- METER SQUARES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED
BY THE COMBINATION OF TWO ALPHABETICAL LETTERS. THIS
IDENTIFICATION IS UNIQUE WITHIN THE AREA COVERD BY THE
GRID ZONE DESIGNATION. THE FIRST LETTER IS THE COLUMN
DESIGNATION; THE SECOND LETTER IS THE ROW DESIGNATION.

GRID COORDINATES
THE EARTH’S SURFACE IS NOW DIVIDED INTO 6° BY 8°
QUADRANGLES, AND COVERED THESE WITH 100,000- METER
SQUARES. THE MILITARY GRID REFERENCE OF A POINT
CONSISTS OF THE NUMBERS AND LETTERS INDICATING IN
WHICH OF THESE AREAS THE POINT LIES, PLUS THE COOR-
DINATES LOCATING THE POINT TO THE DESIRED POSITION
WITHIN THE 100,000-M SQUARE. THE NEXT STEP IS TO TIE IN
THE COORDINATES OF THE POINT WITH THE LARGER AREAS.
BUT FIRST, WE MUST UNDERSTAND ABOUT GRID LINES, GRID
SQUARES, AND GRID COORDINATE SCALES.
GRID LINES – THE REGULARLY SPACED LINES THAT MAKE THE UTM
AND THE UPS GRID ON ANY LARGE SCALE MAPS.
THESE ARE DIVISIONS OF THE 100,000-METER SQUARE
AND SPACED AT 10,000-M OR 1,000-M INTERVALS.
EACH OF THESE LINES IS LABELED AT BOTH ENDS OF
THE MAP WITH ITS FALSE EASTING OR FALSE
NORTHING, SHOWING ITS RELATION TO THE ORIGIN
OF THE ZONE. TWO DIGITS OF THE VALUES ARE
PRINTED IN LARGE TYPE, AND THESE SAME TWO
DIGITS APPEAR AT INTERVALS ALONG THE GRID

LINES ON THE FACE OF THE MAP. THESE ARE

CALLED THE PRINCIPAL DIGITS OF THE GRID

VALUE. THEY ARE OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO THE

MAP READER BECAUSE THEY ARE THE NUMBERS HE

WILL USE MOST OFTEN FOR REFERENCING POINTS.

GRID SQUARES – A SQUARE FORMED BY THE NORTH-SOUTH AND
EAST-WEST GRID LINE INTERSECTING AT 90⁰.
NORMALLY, THE SIZE OF ONE OF THESE GRID
SQUARES ON LARGE-SCALE MAPS IS 1,000 METERS.

GRID COORDINATE SCALE – THE PRIMARY TOOL FOR PLOTTING GRID

COORDINATES. IT DIVIDES THE GRID
SQUARE MORE ACCURATELY THAN CAN
BE DONE BY ESTIMATION, AND THE
RESULTS ARE MORE CONSISTENT.
 RECORDING AND REPORTING
GRID COORDINATES

COORDINATES - ARE WRITTEN AS ONE CONTINUOUS NUMBER

WITHOUT SPACES, PARENTHESES, DASHES,
OR DECIMAL POINTS.

- THEY MUST ALWAYS CONTAIN AN EVEN

NUMBER OF DIGITS.

- AS A MILITARY REQUIREMENT, THE

100,000-METER SQUARE IDENTIFICATION
LETTERS MUST BE INCLUDED IN ANY POINT
DESIGNATION.
 LOCATING A POINT USING THE
MILITARY GRID REFERENCE SYSTEM
THERE IS ONLY ONE RULE TO REMEMBER WHEN READING OR
REPORTING GRID COORDINATES, ALWAYS READ RIGHT AND UP.
THE FIRST HALF OF THE REPORTED SET OF COORDINATE DIGITS
REPRESENTS THE LEFT-TO-RIGHT (EASTING) GRID LABEL, AND THE
SECOND HALF REPRESENTS THE LABEL AS READ FROM THE BOTTOM
TO TOP (NORTHING).

A. GRID ZONE – LOCATES A POINT WITHIN A ZONE, WHICH IS AN

AREA OF 6⁰ WIDE AND EXTENDS BETWEEN 80⁰S
LATITUDE AND 84⁰N LATITUDE.

B. GRID ZONE DESIGNATION – THE NUMBER AND LETTER COMBINA-

TION, LOCATES A POINT WITHIN THE GRID ZONE

DESIGNATION WHICH IS A QUADRANGLE OF 6⁰ WIDE
BY 8⁰ HIGH.
C. 100,000-METER SQUARE IDENTIFICATION – THE ADDITION OF
TWO MORE LETTERS LOCATES A POINT WITHIN THE
100,000-METER GRID SQUARE.

D. 10,000-METER SQUARE – THE BREAKDOWN OF THE MILTARY GRID

REFERENCE SYSTEM CONTINUES AS EACH SIDE OF THE
100,000-METER SQUARE IS DIVIDED INTO 10 EQUAL

PARTS. THIS DIVISION PRODUCES LINES THAT ARE

10,000 METERS APART. THESE LINES APPEAR AS INDEX
(HEAVIER) GRID LINES ON MAPS AT 1:100,000 AND
LARGER.
F. 100-METER IDENTIFICATION – TO LOCATE TO THE NEAREST 100
METERS, THE GRID COORDINATE SCALE CAN BE USED
TO DIVIDE THE 1,000-METER GRID SQUARES.

E. 1,000-METER SQUARE – TO OBTAIN 1,000-METER SQUARES, EACH

SIDE OF THE 10,000-METER SQUARE IS DIVIDED INTO 10
EQUAL PARTS. THIS DIVISION APPEARS ON LARGE
SCALE MAPS AS THE ACTUAL GRID LINES.

G. 10-METER IDENTIFICATION – LOCATING OF A POINT ON THE

EARTH’S SURFACE TO THE NEAREST 10 METERS.
 SCALE AND DISTANCE
THE SCALE OF THE MAP PERMITS THE USER TO CONVERT
DISTANCE ON THE MAP TO DISTANCE ON THE GROUND OR VICE VERSA.

(NUMERICAL) SCALE OF A MAP - INDICATES THE RELATIONSHIP OF

DISTANCE MEASURED ON A MAP AND THE CORRESPONDING
DISTANCE ON THE GROUND. THE SCALE IS USUALLY WRITTEN
AS A FRACTION AND IS CALLED THE REPRESENTATIVE
FRACTION. THE RF IS ALWAYS WRITTEN WITH THE MAP
DISTANCE AS 1. IT IS INDEPENDENT OF ANY UNIT OF MEASURE.
AN RF OF 1/50,000 OR 1:50,000 MEANS THAT ONE UNIT OF
MEASURE ON THE MAP IS EQUAL TO 50,000 UNITS OF THE SAME
MEASURE ON THE GROUND.

RF FORMULA IS: 1 MD (MAP DISTANCE)

= (GROUNDP DISTANCE)
X GD
1
- GENERAL FORM OF REPRESENTATIVE FRACTION (RF)
X
EXAMPLE:

GIVEN: MD = 4.32 CENTIMETERS

GD = 2.16 KILOMETERS
RF = ??

1 MD
SOLUTION: =
X GD
1 4.32
=
X 216,000

4.32X = 216,000(1)
X = 216,000
4.32
X = 50,000

RF = 1:50,000
GRAPHIC (BAR) SCALES – IS A RULER PRINTED ON A MAP AND IS USED TO
CONVERT DISTANCES ON THE MAP TO ACTUAL GROUND DISTANCE.

TWO PARTS OF THE GRAPHIC SCALE

1. PRIMARY SCALE – TO THE RIGHT OF THE “0” AND MARKED IN FULL UNITS.

2. EXTENSION SCALE – TO THE LEFT OF THE “0”, AND DIVIDED INTO SMALLER
INCREMENTS OR GRADUATION.
 MEASURING DISTANCES ON A MAP
1. STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS – USE/LAY A
STRAIGHT-EDGE PIECE OF PAPER TO CONNECT THE POINTS AND
PLACE A TICK MARK ON THE EDGE OF THE AT EACH POINT.

2. CONVERT THE MAP DISTANCE TO GROUND DISTANCE USING THE

GRAPHIC BAR SCALE. LAY THE STRAIGHT EDGE ON IT AND GET
THE READING. IF IT’S NECESSARY TO USE THE EXTENSION SCALE,
SLIDE THE PAPER RULER TO THE LEFT OF THE ZERO AND GET THE
READING.

3. TO MEASURE A DISTANCE ALONG A WINDING ROAD, STREAM, OR

OTHER CURVED LINE, THE STRAIGHT EDGE OF A PIECE OF PAPER
CAN BE USED. THE TECHNIQUES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

A. PLACE A TICK MARK ON ONE END OF THE STRIP OF PAPER.

B. PLACE ALSO A TICK MARK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE POINT

(A) YOU ARE TO MEASURE.
C. ALIGN THE EDGE OF THE PAPER ALONG EACH STRAIGHT PORTION
OF THE CURVE AND MAKE A TICK MARK ON BOTH THE PAPER
AND MAP, MAKING SURE THE FIRST TICK MARK OF BOTH THE
MAP AND THE PAPER ARE ALIGNED. REPEAT THIS STEP UNTIL
YOU REACH THE END POINT (B) OF THE CURVE YOU ARE
MEASURING.
D. ALIGN THE STRIP OF PAPER WITH THE BAR SCALE, MAKING SURE
THE BEGINNING TICK MARK AT THE ZERO (0).
E. OBTAIN THE READING AND RECORD IT. IF IT IS NECESSARY TO
USE THE EXTENSION SCALE, DO IT TO OBTAIN MEASUREMENTS
OF SHORT DISTANCES.
IMPORTANT !!!

DISTANCE MEASURED ON A MAP DOES NOT TAKE

INTO CONSIDERATION THE RISE AND FALL OF THE
LAND. ALL DISTANCES MEASURED BY USING THE
MAP AND GRAPHIC SCALES ARE FLAT DISTANCES.
THEREFORE, THE DISTANCE MEASURED ON A MAP
WILL INCREASE WHEN ACTUALLY MEASURED ON
THE GROUND. THIS MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSI-
DERATION WHEN NAVIGATING ACROSS COUNTRY.
 THE AMOUNT OF TIME REQUIRED TO TRAVEL A CERTAIN
DISTANCE ON THE GROUND IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MOST
MILITARY OPERATIONS.

USING THE FORMULA: D WHERE

TxR
D = DISTANCE (GROUND DISTANCE)
R = RATE OF TRAVEL (SPEED)
T = TIME

WE CAN DETERMINE THE UNKNOWN (“D” OR “T” OR “R”).

EXAMPLE:

AN INFANTRY UNIT IS MARCHING AT AN AVERAGE RATE (R) OF

FOUR (4) KILOMETERS PER HOUR, IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY
HOW MANY HOURS (T) TO TRAVEL 12 KILOMETERS?

FORMULA: D = 12 KILOMETERS
D=TxR R = 4 KILOMETERS/HOUR
T=???

T= D
R
D
T= 12 KM TxR
4 KM/HR

T = 3 HOURS
 DIRECTION, AZIMUTH, AND BEARING

DIRECTIONS – ARE EXPRESSED AS UNITS OF ANGULAR MEASURE.

METHODS OF EXPRESSING DIRECTION

A. DEGREE – THE MOST COMMON UNIT OF MEASURE

B. MIL – IS USED MAINLY IN ARTILLERY, TANK, AND

MORTAR GUNNERY.

C. GRADS – IS A METRIC UNIT OF MEASURE FOUND ON

SOME FOREIGN MAPS. THERE ARE 400 GRADS
IN A CIRCLE (A 90⁰ RIGHT ANGLE IS EQUAL TO
100 GRADS).
 TO EXPRESS DIRECTION AS A UNIT OF ANGULAR MEASURE,
THERE MUST BE A STARTING POINT OR ZERO MEASURE AND A POINT
OF REFERENCE. THESE TWO POINTS DESIGNATE THE BASE OR
REFERENCE LINE.

THE THREE (3) BASELINES

1. TRUE NORTH – A LINE FROM ANY POINT OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE

TO THE NORTH POLE. ALL LINES OF LONGITUDE ARE

TRUE NORTH LINES. TRUE NORTH IS USUALLY

REPRESENTED BY A STAR.

2. MAGNETIC NORTH – THE DIRECTION TO THE NORTH MAGNETIC POLE.

SYMBOLIZED BY A LINE ENDING WTH A HALF
ARROWHEAD.

3. GRID NORTH – THE NORTH THAT IS ESTABLISHED BY USING THE

VERTICAL GRID LINES ON THE MAP. GRID NORTH
MAY BE SYMBOLIZED BY THE LETTERS GN.
 DECLINATION DIAGRAM

DECLINATION - ANGULAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUE NORTH

AND EITHER MAGNETIC OR GRID NORTH.

DIAGRAM - SHOWS THE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP REPRESENTED BY

PRONGS.

GRID MAGNETIC ANGLE (GM–ANGLE) – THE ANGLE BETWEEN GRID

NORTH AND MAGNETIC NORTH.

GRID CONVERGENCE – AN ARC INDICATED BY A DASHED LINE THAT

CONNECTS THE PRONGS FOR TRUE NORTH
AND GRID NORTH.
AZIMUTH – IS A HORIZONTAL ANGLE MEASURED IN A CLOCKWISE MANNER
FROM A NORTH BASE LINE. THIS COULD BE MAGNETIC NORTH,
TRUE NORTH, OR GRID NORTH.

- THE MOST COMMON MILITARY METHOD TO EXPRESS DIRECTION.

WHEN USING AN AZIMUTH, THE POINT FROM WHICH THE AZI-
MUTH ORIGINATES IS THE CENTER OF AN IMAGINARY CIRCLE.
THIS CIRCLE IS DIVIDED INTO 360° OR 6,400 MILS.

BACK AZIMUTH – IS THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF AN AZIMUTH. IT IS

COMPARABLE TO DOING AN “ABOUT FACE”.
BEARING – EXPRESSES A DIRECTION AS AN ANGLE MEASURED EAST
OR WEST FROM A NORTH OR SOUTH REFERENCE LINE.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A BEARING

A. IT CAN NOT EXCEED 90° OR ONE QUARTER OF A CIRCLE

KNOWN AS THE QUADRANT.

B. IT HAS A REFERENCE LINE FROM WHICH MEASURED (N OR S).

C. DIRECTION IN WHICH THE ANGLE WAS MEASURED (E OR W).

D. IT IS AN ANGLE.

E. THE FOUR CARDINAL DIRECTIONS ARE NORTH, SOUTH,

EAST, AND WEST.
 CONVERTING BEARINGS TO
AZIMUTHS AND VICE VERSA
A. 1ST QUADRANT (NE) - - BEARING IS EQUAL TO THE GIVEN AZIMUTH, PLUS
INDICATING THEREIN THE DIRECTION LETTERS N AND E. Ex. N( ⁰)E.

B. 2ND QUADRANT (SE) - - BEARING IS EQUAL TO 180° MINUS THE GIVEN

AZIMUTH WITH THE DIRECTION LETTERS S AND E ADDED. Ex. S( ⁰)E.
TO DETERMINE AZIMUTH FROM A BEARING, OMIT DIRECTION
LETTERS & SUBTRACT THE BEARING FROM 180°.

C. 3RD QUADRANT (SW) - - BEARING IS EQUAL TO THE GIVEN AZIMUTH

MINUS 180°⁰ WITH THE DIRECTION LETTERS S AND W ADDED.
Ex. S( °)W. TO DETERMINE AZIMUTH FROM A BEARING, OMIT
DIRECTION LETTERS & ADD 180°.

D. 4TH QUADRANT (NW) - - BEARING IS EQUAL TO 360° MINUS THE GIVEN

AZIMUTH WITH THE DIRECTION LETTERS N AND W ADDED.
Ex. N( °)W. TO DETERMINE AZIMUTH FROM A BEARING, OMIT
DIRECTION LETTERS & SUBTRACT THE BEARING FROM 360°.
 METHODS OF LOCATING
POSITIONS ON A MAP

1. INTERSECTION – IS THE LOCATION OF AN UNKNOWN POINT BY

SUCCESSIVELY OCCUPYING AT LEAST TWO KNOWN
POSITIONS ON THE GROUND AND THEN MAP SIGHTING
ON THE UNKNOWN LOCATION.
2. RESECTION – IS THE METHOD OF LOCATING ONE’S POSITION ON A MAP
BY DETERMINING THE GRID AZIMUTH TO AT LEAST TWO
WELL DEFINED LOCATIONS THAT CAN BE PINPOINTED ON
THE MAP.
3. POLAR COORDINATES – A METHOD OF LOCATING OR PLOTTING AN
UNKNOWN POSITION FROM A KNOWN POINT
BY GIVING A DIRECTION AND A DISTANCE
ALONG THAT DIRECTION. THE FOLLOWING
ELEMENTS MUST BE PRESENT WHEN USING
POLAR COORDINATES: PRESENT KNOWN
LOCATION ON THE MAP; AZIMUTH; AND
DISTANCE (METERS).
 CONTOUR LINES
CONTOUR LINES – ARE IMAGINARY LINES ON THE GROUND TO SHOW
RELIEF AND ELEVATION. IT IS THE MOST COMMON
AND BEST METHOD OF DEPICTING RELIEF AND
ELEVATION.

TYPES OF CONTOUR

1. INDEX CONTOUR – HEAVIER, BOLD LINES.

2. INTERMEDIATE CONTOUR – LINES IN BETWEEN INDEX
3. SUPPLEMENTARY CONTOUR – PORTRAYED BY DASH LINES AND
USUALLY HALF OF THE CONTOUR
INTERVAL.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTOUR LINES

A. THEY DON’T TOUCH/CROSS WITH EACH OTHER EXCEPT ON CLIFFS.

B. CONTOURS NEVER FORK UNLIKE STREAMS.
C. THEY TEND TO PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER.
D. CONTOURS FORM SMOOTH CURVE.
 ELEVATION AND RELIEF
DATUM PLANE – MEAN SEA LEVEL
- REFERENCE POINT OF AN ELEVATION OR VERTICAL
MEASUREMENT.
- POINT HALFWAY BETWEEN LOW TIDE AND HIGH TIDE.

ELEVATION – VERTICAL DISTANCE ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL.

RELIEF – REPRESENTATION OF THE SHAPE OF HILLS, VALLEYS, STREAMS

OR LAND FORMS ABOVE OR BELOW MEAN SEA LEVEL.

SLOPE – THE RATE OF RISE AND FALL OF A GROUND FORM