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      • Table of Contents
      • How to Highlight and Take Notes
      • Acronyms
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      • Glossary
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      • Footnotes and References
      • Supported Coordinate Systems
      • Chapter One Title Page
      • Section One - Introduction
      • Section Two - What is GIS?
      • Section Three - Why Do We Need A GIS?
      • Section Four - Putting it all Together: An Example
      • Section Five - Uses of GIS
      • Section Six - History of GIS
      • Chapter Two Title Page
      • Section One - Introduction
      • Section Two - Geodesy
      • Section Three - Mathematically Measuring the Earth
      • Section Four: Latitude and Longitude - One Example of a Geographic Grid
      • Section Five: Geodetic Datums: Combining Reference Ellipsoids and Geoids
      • Section Six: Geographic Coordinate Systems
      • Section Seven: Projection Methods
      • Section Eight- Projected Coordinate Systems
      • Section Nine: Just a Few Extras
      • Chapter Three Title Page
      • Section One - Introduction
      • Section Two - Vector Data
      • Section Three - Raster Data
      • Section Four - Discrete and Continuous Data
      • Section Five - Data Tables
      • Section Six - Introduction to Attribute Tables
      • Chapter Four Title Page
      • Section One - Introduction
      • Section Two - Data Models
      • Section Three - Meet ArcGIS Pro Catalog View
      • Section Four - Meet ArcGIS Pro Maps and Layouts
      • Section Five - What Are Relational Databases and Geodatabases
      • Chapter Five Title Page
      • Section One - Introduction
      • Section Two - Attribute Tables: An Overview
      • Section Three - Attribute Tables Basics
      • Section Four: Selecting Data in ArcMap - The Basics of Making Selections
      • Section Five: Using Selected Data
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Chapter Two - Navigating Our World: Geodesy, Datums, and Coordinate Systems

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  • Introduction To GIS
  • Chapter Two - Navigating Our World: Geodesy, Datums, and Coordinate Systems

Chapter Goals

  1. Define and explain classic geodesy
  2. Define and explain modern geodesy
  3. Define and explain GNSS
  4. Define topographic surface
  5. Define geoid
  6. Explain what a geoid is a model of how the model is made
  7. Explain why geoids are used in GIS and Cartography
  8. Define ellipsoid
  9. Define spheroid (ellipsoid of revolution)
  10. Define reference ellipsoid, global reference ellipsoid, local reference ellipsoid
  11. Explain when and why we use ellipsoids
  12. Explain when and why we use spheroids
  13. Define and explain Cartesian Coordinate Systems
  14. Define geodetic datum
  15. Explain how geodetic datums are made
  16. Define benchmark and control points
  17. Explain the similarities and difference between benchmarks and control points
  18. Define and explain horizontal and vertical datums
  19. Define orthometric height
  20. Define ellipsoid height
  21. Define geoid separation
  1. Explain when we use orthometric height, ellipsoid height, and geoid separation
  2. Define and explain datum shifts, both major and minor
  3. Define Earth-centered, Earth-fixed Coordinate Systems
  4. Define and explain geographic grid
  5. Explain where a geographic grid is drawn
  6. Thoroughly explain geographic coordinate systems (GCS) including the parts it's made up of, why it's used, and how it differs from a geographic grid
  7. Define projected coordinate systems (PCS)
  8. Explain the advantages of PCS's
  9. Explain the disadvantages of PCS's 
  10. Define and explain distortion, naming the six kinds of distortion
  11. Define and explain developable surface
  12. Name the three major developable surfaces
  13. Define and explain projection aspect
  14. Name the three major projection aspects
  15. Define and explain projection method
  16. Explain the difference between a projection method and a PCS
  17. Define and explain the State Plane Coordinate System
  18. Define and explain the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) system
  19. Define map scale

Chapter Contents

  • Section One - Introduction
  • Section Two - Geodesy
  • Section Three - Mathematically Measuring the Earth
  • Section Four - Latitude and Longitude: One Example of a Geographic Grid
  • Section Five - Geodetic Datums: Combining Reference Ellipsoids and Geoids
  • Section Six - Geographic Coordinate Systems
  • Section Seven - Projection Methods
  • Section Eight - Projected Coordinate Systems
  • Section Nine - Just a Few Extras
  • <   Section Six - History of GIS Section Six
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