system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 : Why are distances over water calculated in nautical miles instead of the regular miles?

~ditto~
gpt
**LIKE YOU'RE 12-ish**

A nautical mile is the distance of 1 minute (1/60 of a degree) arc on the Earth's surface.

It was used because it's a lot easier to convert them in to latitude and longitude passed over the surface than regular miles.

The reason it's still used is (I guess) because the change in the unit used "overnight" could create a lot of problems for people that use them for a long time.

It's also used is aviation!