Comparing Loxodromes and Great Circle Routes
Comparing Loxodromes and Great Circle Routes
This Demonstration plots both the great circle route and the shortest loxodrome route between selected cities on the globe. A great circle on a sphere cuts the sphere into two congruent halves. A loxodrome, also known as a rhumb line, is a path on a sphere that cuts all meridians at the same angle (not 90°).
Although historically loxodromes were widely used for navigation, the loxodrome route is not the shortest one. The shortest route is the great circle route, as used in modern air traffic and navigation.