Spatial scale

Spatial scale is a specific application of the term scale for describing or categorizing (e.g. into orders of magnitude) the size of a space (hence spatial), or the extent of it at which a phenomenon or process occurs.[1][2]

For instance, in physics an object or phenomenon can be called microscopic if too small to be visible. In climatology, a micro-climate is a climate which might occur in a mountain, valley or near a lake shore. In statistics, a megatrend is a political, social, economical, environmental or technological trend which involves the whole planet or is supposed to last a very large amount of time. The concept is also used in geography, astronomy, and meteorology.[3]

These divisions are somewhat arbitrary; where, on this table, mega- is assigned global scope, it may only apply continentally or even regionally in other contexts. The interpretations of meso- and macro- must then be adjusted accordingly.

This animation gives a sense of the awe-inspiring scale of some of the known objects in our universe.
Examples of scales in geography and metereology[4]
Scale Length Area Description
Micro 1 m – 1 km 1 m2 – 1 km2 local
Meso 1 km - 100 km 1 km2 - 10,000 km2 regional
Macro 100 km - 10,000 km 10,000 km2 - 100,000,000 km2 continental
Mega 10,000 km - 1,000,000 km 100,000,000 - 10,000,000,000 km2 global
Giga >1,000,000 km >10,000,000,000 km2 superglobal

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Scale". The Pennsylvania State University. 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Spatial Scale - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  3. ^ "spatial scale". United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  4. ^ "The Science and Art of Meteorology". education.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2024-02-08.