#Environment

Australia is shifting its geographic coordinates by 1.5m (4.9ft) as the continent constantly moves

australiaAustralia is located on a tectonic plate that moves around 7 cm a year shifting the whole continent a bit north-east. For many years this change was not relevant for geo professionals as the country used local geographic reference systems and datums. The problem started to be visible when the whole world started using the Global Positioning System for precise measurements. Suddenly your GPS points are shifted by over a meter to the corresponding place in reality.

It’s not a big problem for your navigation app but it starts to be relevant for new industries like autonomous cars and drones. The framework currently in use, known as the Geocentric Datum of Australia, was last updated back in 1994. As a result the country’s coordinates are currently off by over a meter and systematically increasing (up to 1.5 meters by 2020).

In order to minimize the impact of that process scientists are planning to revamp all of Australia’s coordinates in January 2017. Interestingly the new datum will be based on projections to 2020, which means in 2017 the data will be out by about 20cm but that gap will slowly close each year. After 2020, a new system will again take over and it will have to be again adjusted with the shifts in the plates over time.

Apparently Earth is much more dynamic environment than we previously thought.

Say thanks for this article (0)
The community is supported by:
Become a sponsor
#Environment
#Environment #Featured #Science
How Mining Companies are using Satellite Data for ESG and Operational Efficiency
Aleks Buczkowski 09.4.2023
AWESOME 5
#Business #Environment
Major milestone achieved towards building a green supply chain with the Supply Chain Data Partnership’s new global location register
Nikita Marwaha Kraetzig 12.8.2023
AWESOME 1
#Environment #Featured #Humanitarian
Urban Damage Assessment Using SAR Data: The Case of Aleppo
Hassan Safieddine 02.14.2024
AWESOME 5
Next article
#Fun

#GeoawesomeQuiz – The Geography of The Olympic Games

Olympic Games are the biggest sports event in the world. It’s a month-long festival for athletes and sports fans around the world. If you’re one of them, check how much do you know about the Geography of The Olympic Games.

Remember to share your score with the world!

Do you like our geo quizzes? We’ve got much more of them!

[viralQuiz id=45]

Read on
Search