Geodesy & Cartographic Systems

Entry requirements  
Initial Competences 
Same as to be admitted to higher education. 
  
Good knowledge of mathematics 
Good knowledge of physics 
Good knowledge of English 
  
Relation to other courses 
HB300 – Information technology 
HB310 – Navigation 
HB340 – Tides and currents 
HB360 – Hydrographic surveying 
HB370 – data management 
HB500 – Hydrographic practice 

Module Outline: 

• Introduction to geodesy 

- The shape of the Earth 
- The ellipsoid of revolution and its relation to the Geoid 
- Datums 
- The principles of gravity models and gravity reduction 
- Transformation between ellipsoids and/or datums 
- Celestial sphere and coordinate systems 
- Basics of astronomic positioning 
- Impact of geocentric vs. Local geodetic datums 
- Essentials of gravimetry 
- Vertical reference systems 
- Definition of a cartographic system 
  

• Coordinate systems for positioning 

- Time: Julian date, civil time, official time, astronomic-, sidereal- and solar time GPS time 
- Geodetic, astronomic, orbital and geocentric systems 
- The Conventional Terrestrial System and some of its practical realizations such as GRS80, WGS84 etc. 
   

• Geodetic computations 

- Plane and geodetic computations. Calculate forward and inverse computations on the ellipsoid using appropriate software 
   

• Map projections 

General theory on map projections 
Classification (orthogonal vs. Non-orthogonal, etc...) 
Main properties of cylindrical, azimutal and conical projections (including development of the analytical projection formulae) 
Deformations (conform, equivalent, equidistant, aphylactic) 
Calculation of the deformation based on the indicatrix of Tissot 
Detailed approach of certain conformal projections (Mercator, Stereographic Azimutal) 
UTM (including military and civil grid system) 
 

• Grids and graticules on projections 

 

• Map Use 

Reading and understanding of the metadata on maps and use of them regarding the map reading. 
Transformation between geographic and grid coordinates, compute convergence, scale factors and arc to chord corrections, using appropriate software 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Describe the shape of the Earth in terms of potential and ellipsoidal models 

• To be able to explain modern geodetic reference systems and associated reference systems 

• Explain horizontal and vertical datum transformation concepts 

• Being able to describe geometry of lines on the ellipsoid and perform forward and inverse computations on the ellipsoidal surface 

• Explain the properties and distortions in different types of projections used in maps and charts 

• To be able to explain projection types and to apply appropriate projection formulae 

• To be able to distinguish gravity-related and ellipsoidal heights