Which term describes the line of shortest distance between two points on the Earth’s surface?

Which term describes the line of shortest distance between two points on the Earth’s surface?

• A. Orthodrome
• B. Loxodrome
• C. Rhumb line
• D. Bathymetry

Answer: (A)

Think about distances on the globe: the shortest path between two points on a sphere is along a great-circle arc. The term for that line is orthodrome, which is essentially the great-circle route on the Earth’s surface. This is why it’s the best answer here—it describes the path that minimizes surface distance between two points. In contrast, a loxodrome (rhumb line) crosses all meridians at a constant bearing, which means it follows a spiral path toward the poles and is longer than the shortest possible route. Bathymetry is simply the measurement of ocean depths, not a path between points.

Think about distances on the globe: the shortest path between two points on a sphere is along a great-circle arc. The term for that line is orthodrome, which is essentially the great-circle route on the Earth’s surface. This is why it’s the best answer here—it describes the path that minimizes surface distance between two points.

In contrast, a loxodrome (rhumb line) crosses all meridians at a constant bearing, which means it follows a spiral path toward the poles and is longer than the shortest possible route. Bathymetry is simply the measurement of ocean depths, not a path between points.