The 144th meridian west is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole to the South Pole and is defined as being 144° west of the Prime Meridian, which passes through Greenwich, England. In geographic coordinate systems, meridians are used in conjunction with parallels (lines of latitude) to specify locations on the Earth's surface.
Geographic course
- Northern extremity – The meridian originates at the geographic North Pole and proceeds southward through the Arctic Ocean, specifically the Beaufort Sea.
- North America – It reaches the mainland of North America in the U.S. state of Alaska. Within Alaska, the meridian traverses the North Slope, crosses the Brooks Range, descends through the central interior near the Yukon River basin, and continues to the Gulf of Alaska.
- Pacific Ocean – After leaving Alaska, the 144th meridian west crosses the Pacific Ocean. In this stretch it passes east of the Hawaiian Islands and west of the Line Islands of Kiribati, remaining over open water for the majority of its length in the Pacific.
- Southern Ocean – Continuing south, the meridian enters the Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica.
- Antarctica – The line terminates at the South Pole after crossing the continent of Antarctica. In the sector it traverses, the meridian passes through the region claimed as the Ross Dependency by New Zealand (though such claims are held in abeyance under the Antarctic Treaty System).
Notable intersections
- Equator – The meridian intersects the equator at the coordinate 0° N, 144° W.
- International Date Line – It lies 36° east of the International Date Line (180° longitude) and does not intersect it.
Usage
Lines of longitude such as the 144th meridian west are employed in cartography, navigation, and geographic information systems (GIS) to define positions, calculate distances, and delineate time zones. While the meridian itself does not correspond to any political boundary, it serves as a reference in describing the location of natural features, air and sea routes, and satellite ground tracks.
Related concepts
- Prime Meridian – The reference meridian at 0° longitude from which east‑west positions are measured.
- Great circle – The 144th meridian west forms a great‑circle pair with the 36th meridian east; together they constitute a single continuous great circle around the Earth.
No major settlements or geopolitical boundaries are defined by the 144th meridian west, but it is a standard element of the global longitudinal grid used in scientific and navigational contexts.