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Is latitude geodetic or geocentric?
The geodetic latitude is what is normally used everywhere in PROJ when angular coordinates are expected or produced. The geocentric latitude (also called planetocentric latitude in the context of non-Earth bodies) is the angle between the equatorial plane and a line joining the body centre to the considered point.
What geoid does WGS84 use?
Earth Gravitational Model 2008
Currently, WGS 84 uses the Earth Gravitational Model 2008. This geoid defines the nominal sea level surface by means of a spherical harmonics series of degree 2160.
Can a geodetic latitude be used as a geocentric latitude?
Both types of latitude can in principle be used, even though WGS 84 is referred to as a “geodetic” datum. (Indeed, both of them, as well as a “reduced latitude,” are used in the governing NIMA technical report TR8350.2, available at http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/publications/tr8350.2/wgs84fin.pdf.
Is the geodetic latitude a two-dimensional coordinate system?
The geodetic latitude, or any of the auxiliary latitudes defined on the reference ellipsoid, constitutes with longitude a two-dimensional coordinate system on that ellipsoid. To define the position of an arbitrary point it is necessary to extend such a coordinate system into three dimensions.
Which is the geodetic datum in North America?
Both versions of NAD ( North American Datum) are geodetic systems. NAD 83 is the datum used to define the “geodetic” network in North America. Good discussion, However it is easy to calculate between one and other.
Can a geodetic projection represent the Earth without distortion?
Each projection serves a particular application well, but none of them can represent the Earth without distortion. As the technology of measurement has improved, the pressure for greater exactness in the definition of the Earth’s shape has increased.