North Orientations

Due to the different coordinate systems on earth, there are also different North Directions. A distinction is made between the three North Directions: Magnetic North, Grid North and Geographic North.
The angles between the North Directions describe the relationships between the North Directions: There is the declination δ, the needle deviation d and the meridian convergence γ.

Magnetic North (MagN) is the direction to the Earth's magnetic north pole. It is the direction indicated by an ordinary compass. Because the Earth's magnetic field is not constant, the magnetic north pole also moves over the years. Currently, the magnetic North Pole is located near Greenland.

Grid North (GriN) are grid lines parallel to the prime meridian of a plane coordinate system (UTM, GK, ...). There is no associated "north pole", but the north direction is mathematically defined.

Geographic North (GeoN) is the true point of intersection of the Earth's axis of rotation through the Earth's surface. Another term is astronomical north or true north. The determination is made by means of gyro measurements or astronomical methods.