Why Various Measurements of the Very Same Coastline Can Wildly Differ From One Another

Real Life Lore explained exactly why various measurements of the very same coastline can supply very different results due to the Coastline Paradox. This theory states the outcome of a measurement can be influenced by the smallest unit used to measure, particularly because landmasses do not generally have well-defined lengths due to the sizable amount of nooks and crannies within their coastlines.

Basically, the smaller a unit measurement you use to measure a coastline the longer your answer will become. …The true value is impossible to know, and that is the truth. …the CIA World Factbook on the countries with the longest coastline for a few surprises…Canada is first, which kind of makes sense but the really surprising one is Norway, in second place at a first glance Norway’s coast doesn’t seem too long… but when you zoom in closer, Norway’s coast gets pretty wild.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.