Spatial scale is a specific application of the term scale for describing or categorizing (e.g. into orders of magnitude) the size of a space (hence spatial), or the extent of it at which a phenomenon or process occurs.
For instance, in physics an object or phenomenon can be called microscopic if too small to be visible. In climatology, a micro-climate is a climate which might occur in a mountain, valley or near a lake shore. In statistics, a megatrend is a political, social, economical, environmental or technological trend which involves the whole planet or is supposed to last a very large amount of time. The concept is also used in geography, astronomy, and meteorology.
These divisions are somewhat arbitrary; 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.
| Scale | Length | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | 1 m – 1 km | 1 m – 1 km | local |
| Meso | 1 km - 100 km | 1 km - 10,000 km | regional |
| Macro | 100 km - 10,000 km | 10,000 km - 100,000,000 km | continental |
| Mega | 10,000 km - 1,000,000 km | 100,000,000 - 10,000,000,000 km | global |
| Giga | >1,000,000 km | >10,000,000,000 km | superglobal |
See also
- Astronomical units of length
- Cosmic distance ladder
- List of examples of lengths
- Orders of magnitude (length)
- Scale (analytical tool)
- Scale (geography)
- Scale (map)
- Scale (ratio)
- Location of Earth
References
- "Scale". The Pennsylvania State University. 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- "Spatial Scale - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- "spatial scale". United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- "The Science and Art of Meteorology". education.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2024-02-08.