Cartography
GE: 2219: CARTOGRAPHY
LECT # 3
Geodesy
1
GE: 2219 CARTOGRAPHY
Shape of the earth
What shape is the Earh ?
How do you know ?
Geodesy
Geodesy is the study of the shape and size
of the earth
Geodesy is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure,
orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties
change over time and equivalent measurements for other planets. (Wikipedia)
Shape of the earth
Accurate shape of the Earth is need to improve:
• Accuracy of location measurement (coordinates)
• Accuracy of maps (Charts in atlas)
Understanding of the shape of Earth has evolved over time.
Size of the Earth:
• Eratosthenes (274 BC – 194 BC): Earth Modern Earth:
circumference 40,250 km.
• Posidonius (135 BC – 51 BC): Earth
circumference 38,400 km.
• Another estimate of 28, 960 km was used by
Ptolemy to make the world map used until 1500s!
• Sir Isac Newton reasoned the flattening of the
Earth based on rotational forces.
Shape of the earth:
Official Ellipsoid
• Geodetic surveys are conducted to measure
locations on the surface of the Earth.
• Observed locations are used to fit an Ellipsoid
to model the the shape of the Earth.
• Each country, continent or other comparably
large areas have specific ellipsoid parameters
to “ Official Ellipsoid”
What is the true shape of the Earth?
• With its mountains, valleys and plains, the Earth
is an irregular body.
• Its surface is difficult to compute across and it is
more convenient to use a shape close to sea level
• The true shape of the Earth varies from modeled
ellipsoid due to variation in earh density.
• The variations in the Earth density change the
gravitational field of the Earth.
Geoid
• A geoid is the irregular-shaped “ball” that scientists use to more
accurately calculate depths of earthquakes, or any other deep object
beneath the earth’s surface.
• The geoid An equipotential surface to which gravity is normal and
most closely approximate mean sea level over the entire Earth.
• Geoid is a 3D surface along which the pull of gravity is a specified
constant (e.g. 9.81m/𝑠 2 )..
• World-wide, the difference between the geoid and mean sea level is
at the most around 1 m.
Geodetic Datum
• Datum is a reference point, line or surface (plural
of the word “data”).
• Geodetic datum is a reference surface used to
locate points on the earth.
• An elipsoid that best fits ground measurements
(benchmark points).
• Geodetic datum has eight parameters.
• Size of the ellipsoid (a and b).
• Origin of the ellipsoid (x, y, z).
• Orientation of the ellipsoid (α, β, γ).
• Datum is adjusted as we collect more
observational data (now from GPS)
Horizontal datum:
• Horizontal datums precisely specify each location on the
Earth’s surface in latitude and longitude or other
coordinate system.
• Horizontal datum is set by the chosen ellipsoid .
• Coordinate system is overlaid on the ellipsoid.
• Commonly used datums
• NAD (North American Datum) ... 1927, 1983
• WGS (World Geodetic Survey) ... 1984 and later
• ITRS (International Terrestrial Reference Frame)... 1988 and
later
• ITRS is gradually becoming the world standard.
Vertical datum:
• A vertical datum is used for measuring the elevations of points on the earth’s surface.
They are used as a reference for specifying land elevations and water depths.
• Both Ellipsoid and geoid are used as a vertical datum
Datum adjustment
Datum shift
Summary
[Link]
THANKS