The deviation of magnetic North from true North is called what?

• A. Magnetic declination
• B. Geomagnetic offset
• C. Geographic deviation
• D. Pole shift correction

Answer: (A)

Magnetic declination is the angle between magnetic north and true (geographic) north at a specific location. It explains why a compass needle doesn’t point exactly at true north—the needle aligns with magnetic north, which is offset from geographic north by that angle. This offset can be measured as east or west, and it changes depending on where you are and over time as the Earth’s magnetic field shifts. Navigators use the local declination to convert compass readings into true bearings, typically by adding east declination and subtracting west declination. Other terms like geomagnetic offset or geographic deviation aren’t standard ways to describe this difference, and pole shift correction refers to a different concept.