Latitudes and Departures Tutor
A free, browser-based calculator. Runs entirely in your browser — no sign up, nothing stored.
Traverse legs
| Bearing (DD) | Distance (m) | |
|---|---|---|
Bearings are whole-circle (0–360°, clockwise from north). Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Latitudes & departures
| Bearing | Dist | Lat | Dep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0° | 100.000 | 100.000 | 0.000 |
| 90° | 100.000 | 0.000 | 100.000 |
| 180° | 100.000 | -100.000 | 0.000 |
| 270° | 99.000 | -0.000 | -99.000 |
How to use this calculator
- Pick your bearing format (DD, DMS or DDM), then enter each leg's whole-circle bearing and distance.
- Add a row per leg around the traverse.
- Read the latitude and departure of each leg, the sums, the linear misclose and the closure ratio.
How it works
Each leg's latitude is distance × cos(bearing) and its departure is distance × sin(bearing), with bearings measured clockwise from north. For a closed traverse the latitudes and the departures should each sum to zero.
The leftover sums are the misclose; its size √(ΣLat² + ΣDep²) over the perimeter gives the closure ratio (1:X). The tool also shows the Bowditch (compass-rule) adjusted values that force the traverse to close.
Worked example
A 100 m square. Legs of 100 m on bearings 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° give latitudes +100, 0, −100, 0 and departures 0, +100, 0, −100 — sums of zero and an exact close.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good closure ratio?
It depends on the survey class and standard — lower-order work might accept 1:5,000 while control traverses aim far tighter. Compare the ratio against the accuracy your task requires.
Bowditch or Transit rule?
This uses the Bowditch (compass) rule, which spreads the misclose in proportion to leg length — the usual choice when angles and distances are of similar reliability.
Is this official course material?
No. It is free study support mapped to surveying course levels — not official North Metropolitan TAFE content or advice. Always follow your lecturer and the official assessment brief, and check your own working.
Related tools
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
All calculations run in your browser. Your inputs are never saved or transmitted.