Geodetic Datum
&
Coordinate System
By
Dr. Khurram Chohan
Geography Department
GC University
Lahore
Contents
1 What is Geodetic Datum?
2 Types of Geodetic Datum
Geodetic 3 Geoid and Reference Ellipsoid
Datum
& 4 What is Coordinate System?
Coordinate
System 6 Types of Coordinate System
7 Inferences
8 References and Open Discussion
Introduction
What is Geodetic Datum?
❖ For maps covering very large areas ,the Earth may be
assumed as perfectly spherical. Conversely for very small
areas, terrain features dominate and measurements can
not be based on a flat Earth.
❖ For Highly precise maps of smaller regions, accurate
measurements are necessary which requires some
reliable starting point which is referred to as a datum
»OR
❖ A geodetic datum is a reference from which
measurements are made.
❖ Therefore, a datum is a set of reference points on the
Earth's surface against which position measurements are
made, and (often) an associated model of the shape of
the earth (reference ellipsoid) to define a Geographic
Coordinate System.
What is Geodetic Datum?
❖ A datum involves detailed survey of a country,
continent, or some other parts of the Earth’s
surface.
❖ During surveys, the longitude and latitudes of a
large number of points are measured using
available methods.
❖ Once the survey is complete, maps of the
region can be constructed.
Types of Geodetic Datums
❖ Local Geodetic Datums
❖ Geocentric Datums
Types of Geodetic Datums
❖ Local Geodetic Datums
❖ Intended to be used for a portion of the Earth’s
surface
❖ Best to approximately the shape and size of the
particular part of Earth surface.
❖ This approximation is to be futile or inaccurate
for the approximation of the surface of another
region.
❖ Most of the countries already have developed
lot of local best suited Datums for the better
approximation and measurements.
❖ NAD27
❖
Types of Geodetic Datums
❖ Geocentric Datums
❖ Intended to be used for whole of the Earth’s
surface
❖ Best to approximately the shape and size of the
Earth surface.
❖ Here, the center of the spheroid coincide with
Earth’s center of the mass.
❖ WGS1984
Coordinate System
❖ A system for specifying points using
coordinates measured in some specified way.
» OR
❖ A method of representing points in a space of
given dimensions by coordinates.
Types of Coordinate System
❖ Plane Coordinate Systems
▪ Cartesian Coordinate System
❖ Global Coordinate Systems
▪ UTM
▪ World Geographic Reference System
Plane Coordinate System
Types of Coordinate System
❖ Cartesian Coordinate System
❖ Is determined by locating an origin and setting
two axes through origin in fixed directions, at
right angles to each other.
❖ Also referred as “X and Y by conversion”
❖ Was developed by “philosopher René
Descartes” French mathematician in 1637.
❖ The point X=0, Y=0 is the origin, where the
axes intersect.
Types of Coordinate System
❖ Cartesian Coordinate System
Global Coordinate
System
Introduction
❖ Latitude:
▪ Angular distance north or south of equator.
❖ Parallel of latitude:
▪ An imaginary line Drawn round the earth
parallel to the equator and at a constant
angular distance from it.
Introduction
▪ Parallels of latitudes
Introduction
❖ Parallels of latitude
180°: Latitude ranges from 0° at the Equator to 90° northward (North
Pole) and 90° southward (South Pole), making it a total of 180°.
▪ 180°
Equator: This is the fundamental reference point for latitude at 0°. It's
the widest parallel and divides the Earth into the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres.
▪ Equator Complete Circles: Parallels of latitude are imaginary circles that are
parallel to the Equator. Unlike meridians (longitudes), they are
▪ Complete circles
complete, continuous circles.
Great Circle: The Equator is the only latitude that is a great circle,
▪ Great circle meaning it divides the Earth into two equal halves. Other parallels
are smaller and decrease in size as they move toward the poles.
Introduction
Longitude
• Angular distance east or west of Prime
Meridian.
Meridians of longitude
• One of the lines of longitudes which link
the north pole to south pole and cut the
equator at right angles
❖ 360° 360°: This refers to the total degrees of longitude, which spans from 0° at the Prime
Meridian to 180° eastward and 180° westward, wrapping around the globe.
❖ Prime meridian Prime Meridian: It's the longitude designated as 0°, running through Greenwich,
England. It divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
❖ Great Circle Great Circle: In terms of longitude, all meridians (including the Prime Meridian) are
great circles. A great circle is any circle that divides the Earth into two equal halves,
and it's the shortest path between two points on a sphere.
Introduction
❖ Meridian of Longitudes
Introduction
Universal Transverse Mercator System
❖ Most common coordinate system widely being
used coordinate system
❖ Provide precise measurements using metric
system
❖ Developed from Mercator cylindrical projection
in 1977 by Johann Heinrich Lambert
❖ This system divides the Earth from 84°N
latitude to 80°S latitude into 60 vertical zones
with each longitudinal strip of 6° wide.
❖ Latitude are 8° and longitude 6° apart
❖ Latitudes are represented in alphabets (C to X)
omitting “O” and “I”
Universal Transverse Mercator
Universal Transverse Mercator System
❖ Popularity:
❖ Earth is divided into square shaped 60 zones.
❖ Grid values increase from left to right and
bottom to top and there is no N-S or E-W
directions
❖ Only few zones can represent large area.
❖ No conversion from degrees to minutes and to
seconds.
❖ All coordinate are decimal based.
❖ Being a conformal projection, this grid system
allows minimum directional errors.
❖ UTM is expressed in metric system
The absence of traditional North-South or East-West directions ensures clarity and consistency in navigation.
Decimal-based coordinates simplify calculations, making the system ideal for both scientific and everyday applications.
Being conformal, UTM minimizes angular distortion, ensuring accurate directional data—a major plus for cartography and navigation.
Universal Transverse Mercator
❖ This is one of the very popular geodetic
measurement systems which is being used in
various soft wares and Position finding devices
World Geographic Reference System
❖ GEOREF coordinates are divided into three
divisions
❖ In the First Division, divides the surface of
the Earth into 24 longitudinal (North-South)
zones of 15° each and 12 latitudinal bands of
15° each.
❖ Longitudes progress in eastward direction and
designated from A to Z (Omitting O and I)
❖ Latitudinal bands are lettered from A to M
(Omitting I) northward from the south pole.
❖ The zones and bands divide the Earth’s surface
into 288 quadrangles
World Geographic Reference System
World Geographic Reference System
❖ In the second Division, the 15° quadrangle
is subdivided into 255 quadrangles formed by
15 longitudinal (North-South) zones and 15
latitudinal (East-West) each with 1°
❖ Zones are lettered A to Q (Omitting I and O) in
the second division.
❖ In the third division, the 1° quadrangle is
again divided into 60 latitudinal zones of 1°
east and west (numbered 00 to 59 from south
to north) to make 3600 third division one-
minute quadrangles.
World Geographic Reference System
❖ Second Division,15° quadrangle division into
225 quadrangles.
Location Identification through Georef
What the Number
Is This?
“GJPJ3716”
Location Identification Through Georef
❖ To locate the position from the coordinates,
proceed as follows:
❖ Right from 180° longitude to longitude zone G
❖ Up from the South Pole to latitude zone J
❖ Right in zone GJ to the lettered 1° column P
❖ Up in zone GJ to the lettered 1° row J
❖ Right in the 1° horizontal zone to 37 minutes
❖ Up in the 1° vertical zone to 16 minutes
Thank You !
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