Noaa Nautical Chart Symbols

The depths may be in either feet or fathoms (the chart will indicate which). The noaa chart display service renders noaa enc data with traditional paper chart symbols, labels, and color schemes familiar to those who have used noaa paper nautical charts or the noaa custom chart application. Specifically tailored to the needs of marine navigation, nautical charts delineate the shoreline and display important navigational information, such as water depths, prominent topographic features and landmarks, and aids to navigation.

Numbers on a nautical chart are depth measurements. Apparent shoreline is used on charts to show the outer edge of marine vegetation where that limit would reasonably appear as the shoreline to the mariner or where it prevents the shoreline from being clearly defined. Charts of the great lakes, other inland lakes, and the intracoastal waterway show distances in statute miles, the unit of measure you use on land.

Apparent shoreline is used on charts to show the outer edge of marine vegetation where that limit would reasonably appear as the shoreline to the mariner or where it prevents the shoreline from being clearly defined.

A ratio of 1:10,000 indicates that every 1 in (2.5 cm) the map equals 10,000 in (25,000 cm) in the real world. Apparent shoreline is symbolized by a light line (a7, c17). The depths may be in either feet or fathoms (the chart will indicate which). The noaa chart display viewer prototype portrays enc data using this traditional symbology.