Points of the compass Points of the compass The points of the compass mark the divisions on a compass, which is primarily divided into the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. These points are further subdivided by the addition of the four intercardinal (or ordinal) directions—northeast (NE), southeast (SE), southwest (SW), and northwest (NW)—to indicate the eight principal winds. In meteorological usage, further intermediate points between the cardinal and intercardinal directions, such as north-northeast (NNE) are added to give the sixteen points of a compass rose. At the most complete division are the full thirty-two points of the mariner's compass, which adds
Brunton compass traditional compasses, directional measurements are made in reference to the Earth's magnetic field. Thus, measurements are sensitive to magnetic intereference. For example, if the user is near an outcrop that contains magnetite or some other iron-bearing material, compass readings can be affected anywhere from several inches from the outcrop to tens of yards away (depending on the strength of the magnetic field). Since they are measured with a rotating level, dip measurements are unaffected by magnetic interference. There are numerous other compasses used by geologists: The Breithaupt compass is one example. Portable electronic devices are changing the way geologists conduct