Distinction between 地平線 【ちへいせん】 and 水平線 【すいへいせん】


This sentence comes from goo here:
[https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/en/見える/](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/en/%E8%A6%8B%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B/)

> 地平線上に一隻の船が見えてきた。  
>  A boat appeared on the horizon.

When I was attempting to assign the characters their correct readings,

> ちへいせんじょうにいっせきのふねがみえてきた

I found on wwwjdic that "horizon" is two words in Japanese:

> 地平線 【ちへいせん】 horizon (related to land)
>
> 水平線 【すいへいせん】 horizon (related to sea or lakes)

My question: Is goo wrong, or can a ship appear on a (land) horizon?




You may think of a relationship similar to that of [少年/少女, 俳優/女優 or
兄弟/姉妹](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/28041/5010).

[code]

       地平線
    　 ／   ＼
    地平線  水平線
    
[/code]

According to the Wikipedia
[definition](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9C%B0%E5%B9%B3%E7%B7%9A), 水平線
is an alternative name of 地平線 used when the surface is watery:

> 地表面が海などの水面であれば、水平線と **も** 呼ばれる。

In that example, 水平線 is more specific and usually better, but 地平線 is not
necessarily wrong, either.

(Also, I think it's technically possible to see a ship coming out from behind
an island.)




You may think of a relationship similar to that of [少年/少女, 俳優/女優 or
兄弟/姉妹](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/28041/5010).

[code]

       地平線
    　 ／   ＼
    地平線  水平線
    
[/code]

According to the Wikipedia
[definition](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9C%B0%E5%B9%B3%E7%B7%9A), 水平線
is an alternative name of 地平線 used when the surface is watery:

> 地表面が海などの水面であれば、水平線と **も** 呼ばれる。

In that example, 水平線 is more specific and usually better, but 地平線 is not
necessarily wrong, either.

(Also, I think it's technically possible to see a ship coming out from behind
an island.)

