human
What are the most common types of compass errors?
assistant
The most common types of compass errors include magnetic deviation, declination, and variation. Magnetic deviation occurs when the compass needle is not pointing in the direction it should be due to a nearby magnet or other strong source of magnetic field. Declination refers to the difference between true north and magnetic north, which can vary depending on location. Variation refers to changes in the compass’s accuracy over time due to temperature fluctuations or physical damage.