The Earth has a flattened spherical form. An ellipsoid is the name for this form. A datum is a representation of the earth used in mapping.
The datum is a set of numbers that determine the ellipsoid’s form and size, as well as its position in space. A datum is chosen to suit the real form of the Earth as closely as feasible.
A geodetic datum is a point of reference for geographic measurements. A datum is a set of reference points on the earth’s surface against which location measurements are taken, as well as (typically) an accompanying model of the earth’s form (reference ellipsoid) to construct a geographic coordinate system in surveying and geodesy.
Horizontal datums are used to describe a point on the earth’s surface in a coordinate system other than latitude and longitude.
Vertical datums are used to determine elevations or depths.
The Earth has a flattened spherical form. An ellipsoid is the name for this form. A datum is a representation of the earth used in mapping.
The datum is a set of numbers that determine the ellipsoid’s form and size, as well as its position in space. A datum is chosen to suit the real form of the Earth as closely as feasible.
The terms latitude and longitude are often used to describe a specific place on the Earth’s surface.
It’s crucial to remember that latitude and longitude are always expressed in terms of a datum. For various datums, the latitude and longitude of your present position are different.
How to Use Datum ?
The greatest technique to calculate measurements and generate projections before adopting and improving Satellite mapping technology was to use geoids (Shape of the earth by considering the ocean levels).
The equations for computing the characteristics and geoids improved as surveying technology and data collecting methods developed.
The Earth is not an ideal sphere. This makes determining the actual form of our planet difficult. Humans have produced a datum for simplifying the projection using computations.
However, due to numerous inconsistencies, each province, region, and country has its own data collection.
Because the datum reference point is saved in coordinate systems, it assists geodesists in learning about coordinate systems.
It is saved in the format of DMS, i.e. Degrees, Minutes and Seconds. The coordinate values of the Geographic Coordinate System vary when the datum is altered.
With the aid of coordinating values, longitudinal and latitudinal information, different nations have created numerous legitimate and standardized datum (WGS84).
It may be used in conjunction with various geographic information systems to comprehend the topography of diverse locations.
ArcGIS is an excellent example of a comprehensive Geographic Information System that makes extensive use of datum data.
The combination of a geographic coordinate system with a global positioning system improves the accuracy of detecting defects and changes in layers.
