Scale (spatial)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scale | Length | Area | Locale |
Micro | 1 m - 1 km | 1 m² - 1 km² | local |
Meso | 1 km - 100 km | 1 km² - 100 km² | regional |
Macro | 100 km - 10 000 km | 100 km² - 10 000 km² | continental |
Mega | > 10 000 km | >10 000 km² | global |
Spatial scale provides a "shorthand" form for discussing relative lengths, areas, distances and sizes. A microclimate, for instance, is one which might occur in a mountain valley or near a lakeshore, whereas a megatrend is one which involves the whole planet.
It is important to realize that these divisions are more or less arbitrary, and 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- A sense of scale by Paul Falstad — visual depictions of the relative scale of various distances, ranging from the Planck length to the furthest known object in the Universe.