What is Geodesy Anyway? Infographic Series
This infographic series covers geodesy basics and applications.
What is Geodesy Anyway? #1
Geodesy is the science of measuring and monitoring the size and shape of the Earth. [221 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #2
Building roads and bridges, conducting land surveys, and making maps are some of the important activities that depend on a spatial reference system. [201 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #3
The spatial reference frame helps the transportation industry ensure safety and reliability, while reducing costs. [355 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #4
Geologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, and even paleontologists use geodesy to understand physical processes on, above, and within the Earth. [287 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #5
Throughout history, the shape of the Earth has been debated by scientists and philosophers. [241 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #6
At the end of the 16th century, the Royal Society in London and the L'Academie Royale des Sciences in Paris were locked in a battle to determine the shape of the Earth. [233 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #7
To measure the Earth, geodesists use a theoretical mathematical surface called the ellipsoid. [276 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #8
To account for the reality of the Earth's surface, the geoid, a shape that refers to global mean sea level, was created. [311 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #9
Datums (sets of data) are the basis for all geodetic survey work. [289 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #10
One application of the horizontal datum is monitoring the movement of the Earth's crust. [286 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #11
A powerful tool that has evolved along with GPS technology is the Geographic Information System (GIS). [244 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #12
GPS is a constellation of satellites that orbit approximately 11,000 miles above the Earth and transmit radio wave signals to receivers across the planet. [251 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #13
To determine your exact position on the Earth, you need to simultaneously access the signals from four satellites. [212 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #14
As advanced as GPS technology is, most commercially available GPS receivers are only accurate within several meters. [239 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #15
CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations) is a network of hundreds of stationary, permanently operating GPS receivers throughout the United States. [250 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #16
In 2013, several basins in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico were at less than 50 percent their normal snowpack. [299 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #17
Coronal mass ejections are giant bursts of highly energetic plasma that are driven off the surface of the Sun. [336 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #18
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field is known for its beauty and its hazards. [221 KB jpg]
What is Geodesy Anyway? #19
The Toutle River was altered by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and subsequent flows of ash and other debris. [277 KB jpg]
Last modified: Tuesday, 16-Jan-2018 20:25:31 UTC
2019