Coordinate Systems of the World: Datums and Grids

A comprehensive consolidation of data for the world, this book gives a short precis of each nation, each nation’s history, its topography and a chronology of the development of geodetic surveying and coordinate systems for that specific nation. This book is a starting point of information for understanding the world’s datums and grids. Based on the details available for each nation, the reader is given an overall view that can answer questions regarding the sources of spatial information available, their limitations, and the critical things to be aware. The topographic maps compiled over the centuries represent the mixes of technology specifically to that nation. The book provides information and clues regarding existing maps and how those maps and coordinate systems were created.

Features

• Provides concise history of the foundations of each country’s geodetic Datums
• Includes coordinates of every known geodetic Datum Origin in the world
• Explains transformation parameters from native Datums to WGS84 for many countries
• Offers Grid parameters for most of the native Grid Systems of the world
• Provides guidance on Grid System math models specific to individual countries

This book is intended for readers that have a solid foundation in cartography and mapping sciences such as graduate students with an interest in these subjects, as well as land surveyors, geodesists, mineral exploration professionals, cartographers, GIS specialists, remote sensing professionals, military intelligence specialists, as well as archeologists, biblical scholars, cadastral researchers, diplomats of boundary treaties, and technical professionals travelling to every foreign country in the world that intends to use local paper maps.

Clifford J. Mugnier is Chief of Geodesy, Emeritus of the Center for Geoinformatics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, USA. He attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA initially and later transferred to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. After graduation with a Baccalaureate in Physical Geography and Mathematics, he was employed by the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Chart and Information Center in St. Louis, MO. Trained as a Professional Cartographer, he was issued an Induction Notice for the Armed Forces and he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After graduation from the Engineering School, he was commissioned into the Army as a junior officer and assigned to the U.S. Army Map Service where he served three years in production-oriented research in geodesy and photogrammetry for extraterrestrial mapping and also for the CORONA program. He also was a company commander and Captain, executive secretary of the Army Topographic Scientific Advisory Committee. After completing military service, he worked for the Autometric Operation, Raytheon Company in Wayland, MA as chief of photogrammetric triangulation for two years and then moved to Baton Rouge, LA as manager of the photogrammetry division of Owen and White, Inc., Consulting Engineers. Four years later he moved to New Orleans, LA and began full-time consulting in geodesy and forensic photogrammetry. He started part-time teaching surveying, geodesy, and photogrammetry at the University of New Orleans for 20 years and performed research in the physical geodesy of subsidence for the State of Louisiana starting in 1989. In 2000, he moved to Baton Rouge and started full-time teaching at Louisiana State University.