points and to easily specify a
bounding box usable for index searches.
</para>
<para>
The provided functions are shown
in <xref linkend="earthdistance-cube-functions"/>.
</para>
<table id="earthdistance-cube-functions">
<title>Cube-Based Earthdistance Functions</title>
<tgroup cols="1">
<thead>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
Function
</para>
<para>
Description
</para></entry>
</row>
</thead>
<tbody>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
<indexterm><primary>earth</primary></indexterm>
<function>earth</function> ()
<returnvalue>float8</returnvalue>
</para>
<para>
Returns the assumed radius of the Earth.
</para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
<indexterm><primary>sec_to_gc</primary></indexterm>
<function>sec_to_gc</function> ( <type>float8</type> )
<returnvalue>float8</returnvalue>
</para>
<para>
Converts the normal straight line
(secant) distance between two points on the surface of the Earth
to the great circle distance between them.
</para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
<indexterm><primary>gc_to_sec</primary></indexterm>
<function>gc_to_sec</function> ( <type>float8</type> )
<returnvalue>float8</returnvalue>
</para>
<para>
Converts the great circle distance between two points on the
surface of the Earth to the normal straight line (secant) distance
between them.
</para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
<indexterm><primary>ll_to_earth</primary></indexterm>
<function>ll_to_earth</function> ( <type>float8</type>, <type>float8</type> )
<returnvalue>earth</returnvalue>
</para>
<para>
Returns the location of a point on the surface of the Earth given
its latitude (argument 1) and longitude (argument 2) in degrees.
</para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
<indexterm><primary>latitude</primary></indexterm>
<function>latitude</function> ( <type>earth</type> )
<returnvalue>float8</returnvalue>
</para>
<para>
Returns the latitude in degrees of a point on the surface of the
Earth.
</para></entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
<indexterm><primary>longitude</primary></indexterm>
<function>longitude</function> ( <type>earth</type> )
<returnvalue>float8</returnvalue>
</para>
<para>
Returns the longitude in degrees of a point on the surface of the
Earth.
</para></entry>
</row>
<row>