Explore: Geodesy

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <title>Explore: Geodesy</title> <meta name="keywords" content="geodesy, motion, GPS, monitor, coordinates, National Geodetic Survey, NGS, ocean, coastal, stewardship, National Ocean Service, Education, NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration"> <meta name="DC.title" content="NOAA's National Ocean Service"> <meta name="DC.description" content="Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring and understanding the Earth's geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field."> <meta name="description" content="Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring and understanding the Earth's geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field."> <meta name="DC.creator" content="US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration"> <meta name="DC.date.created" scheme="ISO8601" content="2018-09-05"> <meta name="DC.language" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC1766" content="EN-US"> </head> <body class="explore">  <meta property="og:image" content="/apple-icon-144x144.png" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <link href="/bs4/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/font-awesome/css/all.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/bs4/css/theme.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Source+Sans+Pro:300,400,400i,700" rel="stylesheet">    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="57x57" href="/apple-icon-57x57.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="72x72" href="/apple-icon-72x72.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="144x144" href="/apple-icon-144x144.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="57x57" href="/apple-icon-57x57-precomposed.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="/apple-icon-72x72-precomposed.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="/apple-icon-144x144-precomposed.png" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico">  <header> <div class="usa-banner"> <small> <p class="text-center"> <img class="flag" src="/bs4/img/flag.png" alt="U.S. flag"> An official website of the United States government. <br class="d-md-none"> <a data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse-usa" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapseExample">Here's how you know we're official. </a> </p> </small> <div class="collapse pb-3" id="collapse-usa"> <div class="card-deck mx-5 mt-3"> <div class="card border-primary mb-4"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="card-title small text-uppercase"><svg id="Layer_2" data-name="Layer 2" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 60 55" width="30" height="25"><defs><style>.cls-3{fill:#007faa;}.cls-4{fill:none;stroke:#046b99;stroke-miterlimit:10;}</style></defs><title>dot gov icon</title><path class="cls-3" d="M36.5,20.91v1.36H35.15a0.71,0.71,0,0,1-.73.68H18.23a0.71,0.71,0,0,1-.73-0.68H16.14V20.91l10.18-4.07Zm0,13.57v1.36H16.14V34.48a0.71,0.71,0,0,1,.73-0.68h18.9A0.71,0.71,0,0,1,36.5,34.48ZM21.57,23.62v8.14h1.36V23.62h2.71v8.14H27V23.62h2.71v8.14h1.36V23.62h2.71v8.14h0.63a0.71,0.71,0,0,1,.73.68v0.68H17.5V32.45a0.71,0.71,0,0,1,.73-0.68h0.63V23.62h2.71Z"/><circle class="cls-4" cx="27" cy="27.12" r="26"/></svg> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong></h5> <p class="card-text"><small>A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.</small></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="card border-primary mb-4"> <div class="row no-gutters"> <div class="col-md-12"> <div class="card-body"> <h5 class="card-title small text-uppercase"><svg id="Layer_1" data-name="Layer 1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 60 55" width="30" height="25"><defs><style>.cls-1{fill:#549500;}.cls-2{fill:none;stroke:#458600;stroke-miterlimit:10;}</style></defs><title>https icon</title><path class="cls-1" d="M34.72,34.84a1.29,1.29,0,0,1-1.29,1.29H20.57a1.29,1.29,0,0,1-1.29-1.29V27.12a1.29,1.29,0,0,1,1.29-1.29H21V23.26a6,6,0,0,1,12,0v2.57h0.43a1.29,1.29,0,0,1,1.29,1.29v7.72Zm-4.29-9V23.26a3.43,3.43,0,0,0-6.86,0v2.57h6.86Z"/><circle class="cls-2" cx="27" cy="27.12" r="26"/></svg> <strong>Secure websites use HTTPS</strong></h5> <p class="card-text"><small>A small lock or <strong>https://</strong> means you’ve safely connected to a .gov website. 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a globe"> <h1 class="display-4">Geodesy</h1> <p class="lead">The science of accurately measuring and understanding the Earth's geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field.</p> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="card-deck mb-5"> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/geodesy/lidar.html"><img class="card-img-top" src="/facts/lidar-lynhaven.jpg" alt="A lidar map of Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia."></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/geodesy/lidar.html" class="btn btn-primary">Lidar: Lasers, airplanes, and drones!</a> </h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">Lidar — Light Detection and Ranging — uses lasers to remotely examine the surface of the Earth. </div> </div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/geodesy/height-measurement/"><img class="card-img-top" src="/geodesy/height-measurement/gravd960.jpg" alt="partial gravity map for Hawaii"></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/geodesy/height-measurement/" class="btn btn-primary">Reaching New Heights: A New Vertical Datum</a> </h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">Learn about a project to survey the nation's gravity field that will soon allow us to calculate heights to within about an inch for most locations in the United States. </div> </div> <div class="w-100 d-none d-sm-block d-md-none"></div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/geodesy/three-datums.html"><img class="card-img-top" src="/facts/gis960.jpg" alt="3D shipwreck of submarine in North Carolina"></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/geodesy/three-datums.html" class="btn btn-primary">A Tale of Three Datums</a></h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">NOAA is currently working on three major updates to vertical datums. They’re used for everything from nautical charts and flood maps to infrastructure planning.</div> </div> <div class="w-100 d-none d-md-block d-lg-block d-xl-block"></div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/news/gisday.html"><img class="card-img-top" src="/geodesy/thumbnail/gisday.jpg" alt="a map of coastal areas"></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/news/gisday.html" class="btn btn-primary">Geographic Information Systems (GIS)</a></h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">GIS describes a wide variety of computer-aided tools and services that capture, store, check, and display information related to positions on Earth’s surface.</div> </div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/geodesy/remote-sensing/"><img class="card-img-top" src="/geodesy/thumbnail/remotesensing.jpg" alt="A LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) image created with data collected by NOAA's National Geodetic Survey"></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/geodesy/remote-sensing/" class="btn btn-primary">Remote Sensing</a></h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">Remote sensing is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically from aircraft or spacecraft.</div> </div> <div class="w-100 d-none d-sm-block d-md-none"></div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/facts/geodesy.html"><img class="card-img-top" src="/geodesy/thumbnail/geodesy.jpg" alt="a geodesist in the field"></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/facts/geodesy.html" class="btn btn-primary">Geodesy Defined</a> </h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring and understanding three fundamental properties of the Earth.</div> </div> <div class="w-100 d-none d-md-block d-lg-block d-xl-block"></div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/geodesy/gps/"><img class="card-img-top" src="/geodesy/thumbnail/gps.jpg" alt="A Global Positioning System is set up on a benchmark in Shell Beach, Louisiana."></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/geodesy/gps/" class="btn btn-primary">Global Positioning</a></h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">Global positioning is fundamental to navigation, communication systems, mapping and charting, and much more.</div> </div> <div class="card card-highlight mb-5"> <a href="/geodesy/aerialphotos/"><img class="card-img-top" src="/geodesy/thumbnail/aerial.jpg" alt="An airplane flying over a coastal area"></a> <div class="card-body"> <h3 class="card-title"><a href="/geodesy/aerialphotos/" class="btn btn-primary">Aerial Photography and Shoreline Mapping</a></h3> </div> <div class="card-footer text-muted">Since the early 1900s, the National Geodetic Survey has been taking photographs from airplanes to capture the Earth below.</div> </div> <div class="w-100 d-none d-sm-block d-md-none"></div> <div class="card mb-5 hide-on-lg">  <div class="w-100 d-none d-md-block d-lg-block d-xl-block"></div> </div> </div> </div>    <footer role="contentinfo"> <a href="#" id="scroll-to-top"><img src="/bs4/img/Scroll-To-Top_Icon@2x_b.png" alt="scroll to top arrow icon"></a> <div id="footer-social"> <div class="col-12 pt-3" style="background-color: #ccc;"> <h5 class="sr-only"> Feedback</h5> <ul class="nav list-unstyled text-small justify-content-center pb-3">  <li class="nav-item m-1"> <a href="/contact.html" class="btn btn-light btn-lg" role="button" aria-pressed="true">Contact Us</a></li> <li class="nav-item m-1"> <a href="/contact.html#feedback" class="btn btn-light btn-lg" role="button" aria-pressed="true">Report an error</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-12 pt-3" style="background-color: #ccc;"> <h5 class="sr-only"> Social</h5> <ul class="nav list-unstyled text-small justify-content-center pb-3"> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/noaaocean"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/x-black.png" alt="X Logo"/> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/usoceangov/"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/facebook-color.png" alt="Facebook Logo"/> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/noaaocean/"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/instagram-color.png" alt="Instagram Logo"> <//a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/usoceangov"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/youtube-color.png" alt="Youtube Logo"> </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/noaa-national-ocean-service"><img class="d-inline align-middle p-2" src="/bs4/img/linkedin-color.png" alt="LinkedIn Logo"> </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="footer-main"> <div class="container pt-5 pb-5"> <div class="row"> <div align="center" class="col-lg-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-12 pb-3"> <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/"><img src="/bootstrap/img/noaa_logo_circle_72x72.svg" alt="NOAA Logo" /></a> <p class="text-center pt-2"> <em>Science. 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Explore: Geodesy