Geodesy

Geometric geodesy for geospatial calculations

Geodesy is the study and measurement of the Earth’s shape. It enables the calculation of positions and distances while taking into consideration the curvature of the Earth’s surface. Applications of geodesy include tracking changes in crustal motion, erosion, and post-glacial rebound. Examples of typical geodesic calculations include:

• Surface area of polygons or quadrangle
• Distances along an ellipsoidal surface
• Intersections of lines and polygons
• Azimuth angle between points
• Great circles, rhumb lines, and small circles
• Conversion between geodetic and geocentric latitude

You can perform geometric geodesy in MATLAB with Mapping Toolbox, which provide tools and a comprehensive environment for data analysis, visualization, and algorithm development.

Examples and How To

• Downloading and Analyzing Weather Data 6:02 (Video)
• Generating a Buffer Around a Polygon (Example)
• Calculating Distances with Great Circles and Rhumb Lines (Example)
• Mapping and Geospatial Data Analysis Using MATLAB (Webinar)
• Visualizing Geoid Height for Earth Geopotential Model 1996 (Example)

Software Reference

• Understanding Geospatial Geometry (Documentation)
• Understanding Spherical Coordinates (Documentation)
• Understanding Angles, Directions, and Distances (Documentation)
• Directions and Areas on the Sphere and Spheroid (Documentation)
• Great Circles, Rhumb Lines, and Small Circles (Documentation)
• Working with Environmental Models (Aerospace Toolbox Details)

See also: Mapping Toolbox, Steve on Image Processing, map projection, image analysis, geometric transformations and image registration, image and video processing