Points of the compass 32-wind compass rose is yielded from the eight principal winds, eight half-winds and sixteen quarter-winds combined together, with each compass direction point at an ° angle from the next. In the mariner's exercise of boxing the compass, all thirty-two points of the compass are named in clockwise order. The traditional compass rose of eight winds (and its 16-wind and 32-wind derivatives) was invented by seafarers in the Mediterranean Sea during the Middle Ages (with no obvious connection to the twelve classical compass winds of the ancient Greeks and Romans). The traditional mariner's wind names were expressed in Italian, or more
Geological compass iPhone using vector algebra. The accelerometers record vibration, so the iPhone needs be held still. Since very many measurements can be made in a few seconds, statistical analysis can be applied. High variance implies scattered data, so measurement should be continued until error diminishes to an acceptable level. It is important to consider such aspects in using a geological compass, for traditional compasses rely on inertia to remove error caused by operator movement. With traditional compasses there is no record of error caused by poor damping or operator movement. This limitation is removed by use of a digital compass, though