GPS for Fire Management - 2004

Using Maps with GPS

 Using Maps with GPS
Objectives:

 Explain the purpose of datums.

 Identify the two “global” coordinate systems most
commonly used with GPS.
 Describe “datum shift,” and the relevance it has when using
GPS in the field.
 Describe the four components that make up UTM
coordinates.
 Identify the three ways that lat/long coordinates can be
expressed.
Projecting a Sphere Onto a Plane

Three-dimensional sphere to two-dimensional flat map.

Examples of Several Projections

Depending on the projection, a certain amount of

distortion occurs when portraying the earth on paper.
 Projections and Datums

Meade Ranch (Clarke 1866)

 Datum Shift

4790

1000m
700m
275m
4789
Datum
corner
NAD27

4788
541 542 543
 Datum Shift

4790

1000m
600m
350m
4789
Datum
corner
NAD83

4788
541 542 543
 Datum Shift
A set of coordinates WGS72
can yield different
positions due to
different datums.

NAD83/WGS84

NAD27 (true
position)
NAD27 Greenland

Bermuda 1957
 GPS Works in WGS84 & ECEF
Datum Displays

Coordinate System Displays

The receiver’s processor

The user can only change always works in datum
the way coordinates are WGS84 and coordinate
displayed by setting datum system ECEF.
and coordinate system.
 GPS Uses WGS84 & ECEF

Datum

st em
S y
ate
rdi n
Coo
Receiver’s processor
always performs
calculations in WGS84
User selects the datum and Earth Centered
and coordinate system Earth Fixed (ECEF).
for display only.
 Maps
 A map is a two-dimensional representation of the earth.
 Maps incorporate projections and datums to provide a way to
reference locations on the map to features on the ground (via
coordinate systems).
 All maps distort the earth to some extent.
 Many different types of maps can be used with GPS.
 When using a GPS receiver with a map, the datum and
coordinate system in the receiver must match the map datum.
 Example of a USGS Map Legend
Mapped, edited, and published by the Geological Survey
Control by USGS USC&GS
Topography from aerial photographs by multiplex methods
and by plane-table surveys 1953. Aerial photographs taken 1951
Polyconic projection. 1927 North American Datum
10,000 foot grid based on Idaho coordinate system, west zone
1000-meter Universal Transverse Mercator grid ticks,
1000-meter Universal Transverse Mercator grid ticks, zone 11, shown in blue
To place on the predicted North American Datum 1983 move the projection lines 15 meters
north and 77 meters east as shown by dashed corner ticks

MN
GN
00 28’ 18 1/20
329 MILS
8 MILS

UTM GRID AND 1971 MAGNETIC NORTH

DECLINATION AT CENTER OF SHEET
 Coordinate Systems
 All coordinate systems reference some particular set of
numbers for the size and shape of the earth (the datum).
 Coordinate systems are used to designate locations within a
datum.
 There are two types of global coordinate systems:
Angular coordinate system (lat/long is one)
Rectangular (Cartesian) coordinate system (UTM is one)
 Latitude and longitude, and Universal Transverse Mercator are
two global coordinate systems commonly used by GPS users.
 Many other coordinate systems exist worldwide.
 Coordinate Systems
Different coordinates representing the same location:

hddd0 mm’ ss.s”: N 430 40’ 55.8” X W 1160 17’ 14.1”

(55.8” / 60 = .93’)

hddd0 mm.mmm’: N 430 40.93’ X W 1160 17.235’

(40.93’ / 60 = .682160)

hddd.ddddd0 : N 43.682160 X W 116.287250

UTM/UPS: 11T 0557442m E 4836621m N

Latitude & Longitude
 Latitude & Longitude
 A geographic (spherical) coordinate system.
 Are angular coordinates are perfectly suited to the ellipsoidal
shape of the earth.
 Coordinates are expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds
(and variations of that).
 Position coordinates are based on an angular distance from a
known reference point.
 That reference point is where the Prime Meridian and Equator
intersect.
 Lat/long is the predominant coordinate system used for nautical
and aeronautical navigation.
 Latitude & Longitude

Prime Meridian
(Longitude)

30º
N

10º
N 0º

10º 0º
S
Equator
(Latitude)
Point of Origin
 Latitude & Longitude
N
Prime Meridian
30º
20º
10º
W 30º 20º 10º 10º 20º 30º E
+
10º
20º 0º, 0º
Equator
30º
S
 Latitude
 Latitude is comprised of parallels, which are equally spaced
circles around the earth paralleling the Equator.
 Parallels are designated by their angle north or south of the
Equator (10º, 20º, etc) .
 The Equator is 0º latitude, and the north and south poles are at
90º angles from the Equator.
 The linear distance between parallel (latitude) lines never
changes, regardless of their position on the earth.
 Parallels of Latitude
20º N

10º N
10º 690 miles

0º N 10º 690 miles

10º S
10º 690 miles
 Longitude
 Longitude is comprised of meridians that form one-half of a
circle, or plane.
 Meridians are designated by their angle west or east of the
prime meridian.
 The prime meridian is designated 0º and extends from the north
pole to the south pole through Greenwich, England.
 Meridians are angled, and do not parallel each other.
 The linear distance between one degree of longitude at the
Equator is approximately 69 statute miles.
 The linear distance between one degree of longitude at the
arctic circle is only about 26 statute miles.
 Meridians of Longitude
10º
To North Pole 240 mi

10º
460 miles

10º Equator
690 miles

To South Pole
120º W 110º W
Determining Latitude & Longitude

Prime Meridian
30ºN, 50ºW (0º)
50º W

30º N

Equator (0º)
 Determining Latitude
L
17’ 30”
A
Latitude

LONGITUDE
T

Line I
T
U

2.5 min
D
Latitude of E

red square =

7.5 min. scale 1:24,000

44º 16’ 30”

44º 15’ 00”

Latitude
Line
 Determining Longitude

LO

L
N Meridian

A
GI
TU

T
DE Line

I
T
Longitude of

U
D
7.
red square = 5

E
m
in.
sc
ale
115º 19’ 00” 1:
24
,0
00

Meridian
Line 2.5 min
20’ 115º 17’ 30”
 Universal Transverse Mercator
 Is a rectangular (planar) coordinate system based on the
latitude and longitude (geographic) coordinate system.
 The earth is divided into 60 UTM zones.
 Sixty zones allows the earth to be projected onto maps with
minimal distortion.
 UTM uses “false” values (easting and northing) to express
coordinates.
 Coordinates are expressed in meters.
 UTM Coordinates
UTM Zone Number
Easting Coordinate

11T 0541450
4789650
UTM Latitude
Band Letter
Northing Coordinate
 UTM Coordinates
10,000 meter digit

1,000 meter
100,000 meter
digits
digit(s)

11T 0541450
4789650
You need only plot the black numbers on the map. The rest
of the coordinate values are provided for you by the map.
 UTM Grid Overlay
60 Zones, and 20 Latitude Bands
Zones
1 21 60
84º N X
W
V
U
T
S
Latitude Bands

R
Q 21 T
P
N
M Equator
L
K
J
H
G
F
E
D
C
80º S
 UTM Zones in the Contiguous U.S.
Longitude
1260 1200 1140 1080 1020 960 900 840 780 720 660

19
10
11
12 18
13
14 15 16 17

UTM Zones
 UTM Zones - Side by Side
840 N

60 60 60 60 60 60

Equator

800 S
Zones: 11 12 13 14 15 16
UTM Uses a Cartesian Grid
Increasing
4791

4790

x Increasing
542 543

y
 Plotting UTM Coordinates
Place the corner of
1,000 m the UTM grid
4791 reader on the point
to be plotted
UTM grid reader

4790

9 5
0
5

4789
541 542 543
9

Each tic = 100 meters

on this grid reader (your
grid reader has 20 meter tics)
House coordinates = 0541450mE
4789650mN
 A Final Word
Precision vs Accuracy
 Precision and accuracy are not the same.
 Precision refers to how small an area coordinates can be
defined or plotted.
GPS lat/long coordinates can be defined to 1/10 of a
second.
UTM coordinates can be defined down to one meter.
 Accuracy refers to how closely a GPS receiver can calculate its
position relative to its true location.
GPS accuracy can vary from a few millimeters to several
kilometers.
 Using GPS with Maps
Objectives revisited:

 Explain the purpose of a datum.

 Identify the two “global” coordinate systems most
commonly used with GPS.
 Describe “datum shift,” and the relevance it has when using
GPS in the field.
 Describe the four components that make up UTM
coordinates.
 Identify the three ways that lat/long coordinates can be
expressed.