Today, there are hundreds of different datums in use; but, they are all either horizontal or vertical in

their orientation.

The horizontal datum is the one that is used in measuring a specific position on the earth's surface in
coordinate systems such as latitude and longitude. Because of the different local datums (i.e. those
having different reference points), the same position can have many different geographic
coordinates so it is important to know which datum the reference is in.

The vertical datum measures the elevations of specific points on the earth. This data is gathered via
tides with sea-level measurements, geodetic surveying with different ellipsoid models used with the
horizontal datum, and gravity, measured with the geoid. The data is then depicted on maps as some
height above sea level.

For reference, the geoid is a mathematical model of the earth measured with gravity that
corresponds with the mean ocean surface level on the earth- such as if the water were extended
over the land. Because the surface is highly irregular, however, there are different local geoids that
are used to get the most accurate mathematical model possible for use in measuring vertical
distances.

Commonly Used Datums

As previously mentioned, there are many datums in use around the world today. Some of the most
commonly used datums are those of the World Geodetic System, the North American Datums, those
of the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain, and the European Datum; however, this is by no means an
exhaustive list.

Within the World Geodetic System (WGS), there are several different datums that have been in use
throughout the years. These are WGS 84, 72, 70, and 60. The WGS 84 is currently the one in use for
this system and is valid until 2010. In addition, it is one of the most widely used datums around the
world.

In the 1980s, the United States Department of Defense used the Geodetic Reference System, 1980
(GRS 80) and Doppler satellite images to create a new, more accurate world geodetic system. This
became what is known today as WGS 84. In terms of reference, WGS 84 uses what is called the "zero
meridian" but because of the new measurements, it shifted 100 meters (0.062 miles) from the
previously used Prime Meridian.

Similar to WGS 84 is the North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83). This is the official horizontal datum
for use in the North and Central American geodetic networks. Like WGS 84, it is based on the GRS 80
ellipsoid so the two have very similar measurements. NAD 83 was also developed using satellite and
remote sensing imagery and is the default datum on most GPS units today.

Prior to NAD 83 was NAD 27, a horizontal datum constructed in 1927 based on the Clarke 1866
ellipsoid. Though NAD 27 was in use for many years and still appears on the United States
topographic maps, it was based on a series of approximations with the geodetic center being based
at Meades Ranch, Kansas. This point was chosen because it is near the geographic center of the
contiguous United States.

Also similar to WGS 84 is the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain 1936 (OSGB36) as the latitude and
longitude positions of points are the same in both datums. However, it is based on the Airy 1830
ellipsoid as it shows Great Britain, its primary user, the most accurately.
The European Datum 1950 (ED50) is the datum used for showing much of Western Europe and was
developed after World War II when a reliable system of mapping borders was needed. It was based
on the International Ellipsoid but changed when GRS80 and WGS84 were put into use. Today ED50's
latitude and longitude linesare similar to WGS84 but the lines do become farther apart on ED50
when moving toward Eastern Europe.

When working with these or other map datums, it is important to always be aware of which datum a
particular map is referenced in because often there are large differences in terms of the distance
between place to place on each different datum. This "datum shift" can then cause problems in
terms of navigation and/or in trying to locate a specific place or object as a user of the wrong datum
can sometimes be hundreds of meters from their desired position.

is not a perfect sphere but an oblate ellipsoid (slightly egg-shaped). To remember latitude, imagine
the lines as horizontal rungs of a ladder, "ladder-tude", or by the rhyme "latitude flat-itude".

There is both a north and south set of latitude degrees that run from 0° to 90°. The equator,
the imaginary line that divides the planet into a northern and southern hemisphere, represents 0°.
The degrees increase in either direction from this marker. 90° north is the North Pole and 90° south
is the South Pole.

Longitude

The vertical lines on a map are called longitude lines, also known as meridians. Unlike latitude lines,
they taper (latitude lines are completely parallel, almost as if stacked on top of each other). They
converge at the poles and are widest at the equator. At their widest points, these are about 69 miles
or 111 km apart like latitude lines.

Longitude degrees extend 180° east and 180° west from the prime meridian, an imaginary line
dividing the earth into an eastern and western hemisphere, and meet to form the International Date
Line in the Pacific Ocean at 180° longitude. 0° longitude falls in Greenwich, England, where a physical
line showing the division between the Eastern and Western hemispheres was constructed.