Which statement is true about Variation in relation to geographical location?

Prepare for the Water Survival 929 Test. Use flashcards, multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Get water safe!

Variation is the angle between true north and magnetic north. It varies from place to place because Earth's magnetic field is not perfectly aligned with the geographic poles and has local anomalies. Because this difference changes with location (and over time), you can’t rely on a single compass reading to represent true bearings without adjusting for the local variation. Instead, you apply the local variation from charts to convert between true and magnetic directions. The other ideas mix up what causes variation (that’s not due to nearby metal) or confuse it with deviation, which is the interference from metal and equipment on the vessel. So, the true statement is that variation changes with geographical location and isn’t fixed for all places.