07-Nov-15

Geo-Informatics To locate Geographic Position

Lecture 3-4
A model (3D) of the earth surface
Spheroid
How the 3D model is related to the shape of
Datums the earth?
Datum
A model to translate the 3D points on a 2D
surface with minimal distortion
Projection
Nabeel Ahmed
nah8085@gmail.com A coordinate system to measure the points
0344-5485232 3D or 2D
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Earth is not a sphere

Earth mass is not distributed uniformly, so
the gravitational pull is not uniform
Spheroid and Datum
Terrain is not uniform

Highest spot on earth?

What is the tallest peak on earth?
Mount Everest, at 8,850 meters above MSL
What is the highest spot on earth where
you are the closest to the outer space?
Mount Chimborazo, in the Andes,
• 6,100 meters above MSL
• But is sitting on a bulge which makes it 2,400
meters taller than Everest
• Everest is sitting down on the lower side of the
same bulge
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Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9428163

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Shape of the Earth

We think of the ... when it is actually an

earth as a sphere ... ellipsoid/Spheroid, slightly larger
in radius at the equator than at
the poles.

Deviations (undulations) between the

Geoid and the WGS84 ellipsoid

Source: http://www.kartografie.nl/geometrics/Introduction/introduction.html
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Earth Models
Earth Models
Flat Earth
Survey over a short distance ~ 10km

Actual Earth Geoid Ellipsoid Planner Spherical Earth

A very bumpy A Less bumpy A way of A way to give Approximate global distance
object that has
topography, mathematical assigning a set coordinates to Ellipsoid Earth
changing ocean approximation of coordinates real world,
heights to location Linear Accurate global distance
of the earth
measurements
Geoid
Surface of equal gravitational potential

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Earth Surfaces
Taking into account all these
Sea surface Ellipsoid irregularities is difficult
Some irregularities can be ignored
For e.g. terrain although important locally,
terrain levels are minuscule in planetary
scale
• the tallest land peak stands less than 9km
above sea level, or nearly 1/1440 of Earth
diameter
Topographic
Geoid surface • the depth of the most profound sea abyss is
roughly 1/1150 diameter.
Geoid is a surface of constant gravity. 11 12

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Selected
Ellipsoids and
Datums The earth's surface is not perfectly symmetrical, so
the semi-major and semi-minor axes that fit one
geographical region do not necessarily fit another.
Ignoring deviations and using the same spheroid for
all locations on the earth could lead to errors of
several meters, or in extreme cases hundreds of
meters, in measurements on a regional scale.
• EVEREST (India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh)
• WGS84 (GPS World-wide)
• Clark 1866 (North America)
• GRS80 (North America)
• International 1924 (Europe)
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• Bessel 1841 (Europe)
Source: http://maic.jmu.edu/sic/standards/datum.htm

Problems
Ellipsoids used in Pakistan/India

Everest – 1830 Distance

Colonel Sir George Everest is the name of measurement is
the surveyor general of India difficult on ellipsoid
Sometimes referred as Indian Datum
Relatively easy on
Has been modified several times since
planner surface
WGS – 1984
Ellipsoid does not
Used by GPS
fit with geoid
Need for a common global system

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Datum
There are different ways to fit geoid with ellipsoid There are many ellipsoids we can use to
In order to have this we trade some properties reference locations on the earth with
latitude and longitude
These different "geographical
coordinates system" are called datum
Certain datum fit different parts of
lumpy earth better than others
So changing datum can make
measurements more accurate
• If Europe is calibrated other side will have errors depending our location
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Local and Global Ellipsoids

2 types of datums: (Location)
Local datum
coordinate system

Earth-centered (Global)
Local2

2 types of datums: (Position)

Horizontal
Earth-centered datum
Vertical Earth’s Surface
coordinate system

Earth-centered datum (WGS84)

Local datum (NAD27)
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Local and Global Ellipsoids Datum

A mathematical model must be related to real-world
features.

a datum is a reference point or surface against which

position measurements are made, and an associated
model of the shape of the earth for computing
positions
A smooth mathematical surface that fits closely to the
mean sea level surface throughout the area of
interest. The surface to which the ground control
measurements are referred.
Provides a frame of reference for measuring
locations on the surface of the earth.

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Horizontal vs Vertical Datums

Horizontal datums are the reference values for a

Vertical Datum
system of location measurements (E.g. Lat, Vertical data are
Long). • either tidal level
– based on sea levels,
The horizontal datum is the model used to
– Tidal datum
measure positions on the earth
• gravimetric,
Vertical datums are the reference values for a – based on a geoid, or geodetic,
system of elevation measurements. • based on the same ellipsoid models of the
A vertical datum is used for measuring the earth used for computing horizontal datums.
elevations of points on the earth's surface

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Definition of Elevation

Elevation Z
P
z = zp
• Land Surface
z=0

Mean Sea level = Geoid

Elevation is measured from the Geoid

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